I910- VsswE^,—^Cave-Hu7iting, 43 



is very laborious to work, as the materials must be carried up 

 the slope. If level, they can be wheeled out in a barrow upon 

 a line of planks, and the materials brought out should be 

 carefully searched by daylight, if possible under shelter, as 

 rain reduces them to mud. I found it an excellent plan to 

 lay a couple of corn-sacks on the ground, like a carpet, and 

 empty the barrow on these. When the clay or sand was 

 searched the bags could be lifted, and the materials on them 

 thrown out of the shed. Miners' picks were used, which have 

 a point on one side only, as the second arm would hit 

 against the cave-roof. 



A datum-level should be marked on the walls with 

 paint, and carried through all branches of the cave, and fre- 

 quent sections should be made with measuring-rods, tape and 

 plumb line, showing the strata before removal, the outline of 

 the walls, and the position of any remarkable object. The first 

 thing, after taking preliminary measurements of this sort, is 

 to sink a trench across the mouth of the cave which need not 

 be more than 4 feet deep. If more than one distinct stratum 

 is met with it is best to w^ork the first stratum out in each 

 bench before disturbing the second ; but if no such distinc- 

 tion can be made, the contents should be cut out in benches 

 4 feet deep from the surface, 2 feet from back to front and 

 from side to side of the cave. The worker should be provided 

 with candles, w^hich he can stick anj^where in the clay (lamps 

 are unmanageable). He should have a hand-basket beside 

 him in which to place the relics, and a small bottle in his 

 pocket for the smaller objects. Care should be taken when a 

 bone is met with not to pull it out of the clay, but dig round 

 and under it so as to save it entire, as fossils are very brittle. 

 The person in charge vshould be notified when a new bench is 

 begun, and then all the objects from the former bench should 

 be placed in a separate bag, with a label indicating the 

 stratum and their position in the cave. They should be 

 allowed to dry, and carefully packed in boxes or covered 

 baskets. Samples of the strata should be kept, and water- 

 worn or glaciated stones should be preserved and labelled. 

 When the contents are removed 4 feet deep, if the cave admits 

 of it, a second series of excavations may be made of the same 

 depth : and finally the rocky floor should be reached, at least 

 in places, as the geological evidence is of the utmost impor- 

 tance even where animal remains are absent. 



Cappagh, Co, Waterford. 



