42 



The Irtsh NaHc7alist. March, 



having been washed away. There was practically one deposit, 

 triturated Old Red Sandstone carried by streams from the 

 distant hills into the limestone tract. 



There was one and the same mammalian fauna, the bones 

 being often admirably preserved except where the carnivora 

 had gnawed and broken them. The prevailing animal was 

 the Reindeer, which must have inhabited the district in enor- 

 mous numbers at a time before the Red Deer existed, as the 

 latter, though so common in other caves, was not found here. 

 Remains of Irish Elk occurred in several places, but were 

 scarce. Mammoth bones, which I had never found before, 

 occurred in all parts of the cave system, and they had plainly 

 been brought in by the Bears and Hyaenas, as the marks of 

 gnawing on them were conspicuous. We found many remains 

 of young Mammoths down to those of the youngest calves, 

 and a fine series of young and old teeth. Of carnivora the 

 Bear was most numerous, and, so far as we could discriminate 

 by position, it was the more ancient, though found throughout. 

 The Hyaena (first discovered here in Ireland) inhabited several 

 of the galleries, left its prey and coprolites there, and in some 

 cases died thereat a good old age. The bones of Hyaenas were 

 not gnawed as those found in English caves were, probably 

 from the abundance of other food. We found remains of 

 Wolves, though not numerously, and also of Foxes, and of a 

 very large description of Hare, w^hich occurred among the very 

 oldest finds. Of bones and teeth of Lemmings there were 

 enormous numbers, which time did not permit us to exhaust, 

 as the process of riddling sand for them was a special and 

 tedious work. In this cave Dr. Scharff has recognised the 

 Scandinavian as well as the Arctic Lemming. The absence 

 of several mammals common elsewhere was remarkable. 

 Besides the Red Deer, the Pig and the Badger were wanting, 

 facts which seem significant of the antiquity of this fauna.^ 

 We hope to report fully ere long on chese extensive finds. 



A few words upon the methods of cave-work. It is not those 

 caverns which are wide open, and contain abundance of loose 

 wet earth, that are the most promising. Bone-caves are often 

 choked up, almost to the roof, with successive deposits, and 

 the entrance of the Mammoth Cave at first only afforded us 

 access on our hands and knees. A cave that slopes inwards 



1 Froc. R. I. AicuL, vol. XXV., P» , No. i., 1904. Irish A\U., vol. xv., 1904 

 pp. 237, 249. 



