76 Scientific Gleanings. 



Society, (London), they purchased the right of working the cavern 

 from Mr. Philp, for £50. A person from the Isle of Wight has 

 been now engaged in it for a considerable time, and upwards of 

 2000 specimens of bones of extinct mammalia have been found in 

 the various deposits forming the bed of the cavern. Just imagine 

 such remains, the teeth, jaws, femurs, <fcc. &c. of the Elephant, 

 Rhinoceros, Hyrena, Bear, &c, being entombed within the mass 

 of lime-rock forming the hill behind the spot over which you 

 have played many a time. When first the cavern was opened, 

 it was not more than from 2 to 3 feet in depth, from the stalacti- 

 tic roof; but on removing the stalagmite that forms the floor, 

 they found a deep deposit 15 or 16 feet deep. All this has been 

 removed so that the cavern is very large." 



The most curious circumstance connected with the exploration 

 of this cavern, is the discovery of flint knives in the bone bed. 

 No human relics ever having been hitherto found mingled with 

 the bones of extinct carnivora. According to the present theory 

 of Geology, or at least, the most generally received notices of 

 Geological time, the human period did not commence until long 

 after the extinction of those mammalia. Nothing has hitherto 

 been found to shew the contemporanity of man with those ani- 

 mals. Hence the discovery of those knives has given rise to much 

 discussion among the Geologists. Some assert that they must 

 have been either placed there by some one on purpose, or have 

 accidently been mingled with those bones by diluvial action <fcc. 

 &c. Others again contend for a higher period of human antiquity. 

 After Mr. Pengelly's paper, Prof. Ramsay read a report from 

 the Local Committee at Brixham, from which it appeared that 

 Dr. Falkner had found amongst these ossiferous remains the bones 

 of the rhinoceros, boa, horse, reindeer, cave-bear, and hyama, and 

 also several well-marked specimens of flint-knives, generally 

 regarded as of Celtic manufacture . 



Prof. Owen said he was glad that means had been taken for the 

 frozen together into one contiguous transparent mass, although 

 careful exploration of this cave, but it would be premature to raise 

 any hypothesis until the whole of the parts were before them. 

 He had not yet seen any of the bones, and indeed was entirely 

 indebted for what he knew on the subject to the paper which Mr. 

 Pengelly had read, and he should refrain, therefore, from express- 

 ing any opinion, but he wished to caution them against coming 

 to any conclusions as to the antiquity of these remains which were 

 really not warranted. He proceeded to show, from the remains 



