GEOGRAPHY AND ANTIQUITIES. 343 



of the cavern known as the ** crypt." The deduction drawn by 

 Mr. Pengelly was that this period of time, although the dripping 

 of water was very copious, had been insufficient to coat over and 

 obliterate the writing. This gives some idea of the immense age 

 of the stalagmite floor, and of the time occupied in its formation. 

 Beneath the earth was a breccia, and up to last year not the 

 slightest traces of man had been found. This year, however, a 

 flint flake was met with, thus carrying the antiquity of man 

 further back. A monthly report had been sent up to Sir Charles 

 Lyell. In some places the stalagmitic floor was as much as 

 12 feet thick. Associated with the flake were the remains of the 

 cave-lion, the cave-bear, mammoth, etc. In fact, this was the 

 most important anthropological relic which the cavern had 

 yielded. Mr. John Evans, F.R.S., had seen the flint flake, and 

 had declared it to be of undoubted human workmanship. 



Professor Boyd Dawkins read a few notes on the mammalian 

 remains mentioned by Mr. Pengelly. He showed that the vari- 

 ous strata of the floor of the cavern contained remains of ani- 

 mals of difterent epochs, from the postglacial upwards. During 

 the time the black or upper band was being formed, a race of 

 cannibals inhabited the cavern. The older deposits contained 

 remains of the glutton, a species of hare larger than the existing 

 type, the beaver, etc. Mr. Dawkins concluded by remarking on 

 the vast antiquity of the human race as indicated by the facts 

 mentioned in the report. 



