igiS. Praeger. — Derc-Ferna : The Cave oj Dunmore. 151 



though he rises to the occasion when he speaks of the 

 spectator standing in the cave as " in the mouth of a huge 

 wild beast, with ten thousand teeth above his head, and 

 as many under his feet." His suggestion that the statactitic 

 deposits are formed by the evaporation of water charged 

 with carbonate of hme show that we are approaching the 

 period of unromantic modern science. Colonies of Pigeons 

 and Jackdaws are mentioned as inhabitmg the cave, and 

 " the bones of at least a hundred of the human race " 

 were seen in the cavern. The fossils of the Carboniferous 

 limestone are described, with the assurance that they are 

 " real shells " ; and with a hint that he has further notes 

 of the kind for this " respectable Society," the writer 

 remains your most obedient humble servant. 



An anonymous work entitled " A Trip to Kilkenny from 

 Durham by way of Whitehaven and DubHn, in the year 

 1776," (18) the writer describes the cave merely from 

 hearsay, and without adding anything to our knowledge. 



Much less appreciative than Adam Walker is Thomas 

 Campbell, who published " A Philosophical Survey of the 

 South of Ireland " in 1778 (2). " Even beauties too highly 

 extolled, before you see them, seldom answer your expecta- 

 tions. I will not, however, rank this among beautiful 

 objects, for to me it had nothing to recommend it." He 

 began the descent to the cave's mouth, but finding it " damp 

 and slippery," returned, and held the horses while his 

 servant explored the cavern. " I cannot conceive that 

 the exhibition would rew^ard the trouble. Do not, however, 

 imagine that I lost my day with this bawble." 



William Tighe, commissioned by the Dublin Society to 

 report on Co. Kilkenny under their '' Statistical Surveys " 

 scheme (16) publishes his observations in 1802, and briefly 

 describes the cavern. He gives the English, Irish, and 

 Latin names of the plants which festoon the entrance, 

 mentions the wild pigeons, the human remains, stating that 

 some of the skulls found were enveloped in calcareous 

 spar ; he wonders that the stalagmitic deposits are not 

 worked up into ornaments, and refers to the occurrence of 

 clay coloured by carbon. 



'The " Post Chaise Companion," 3rd. ed., ? 1806 (13) 



b2 



