i8o The Irish Naturalisi. October, 



stalagmite and brccciated earth, along which progress is 

 extremely tedious, and has to be undertaken on hands and 

 knees. 



II. On a slightly lower level than I. occur tunnels 

 averaging about eight feet in height, and wide enough in 

 places for a large number of persons to walk abreast. As 

 this second type contains practically no stalactites and has 

 floors of gravel, here and there mixed with a thin coating of 

 silt, it seems very improbable that corrosive action had 

 much to do with its formation. The rock walls are 

 grooved in a very regular fashion. These large galleries 

 contain water during the wintcsr months. 



There are several small openings, some of which have been 

 brought to light during recent quarrying operations. All 

 the galleries running from the main openings are of type II. 

 Type I. occupies the inmost portions of the cave. Several 

 galleries rim under the highway, and the rumbling of 

 vehicles can be heard quite distinctly. It is possible to 

 enter at the main opening at the southern side of the road, 

 and emerge (after a tortuous journey) at a " fox earth " 

 200 yards away, at the northern side. 



The river Bride flows alongside the quarry, at a higher 

 level than the cave floor. Along the river bank arc some 

 remarkable grooved rocks. It is doubtful, however, if the 

 stream penetrates to the cave during flood times, as a 

 talus intervenes between it and the cave mouths. 



Neither the 0\-ens nor Cloyne caves (both of which have 

 a stream flowing through them), contain deep narrow Assures 

 which seem to be the product of chemical dissolution. 



A large number of red sandstone boulders coated com- 

 pletely with carbonate of lime were met with in one place. 



During the Penal days Mass was celebrated in the 0\ ens, 

 and a stalagmite altar existed for this purpose, but the 

 writer was informed that it was removed some years ago. 



The writer was assisted in the most recent explorations 

 by Messrs. F. Hornibrook and McSwiney of Cork. 



Carker House, Doneraile. 



