94 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.46. 



was aroused. I was told that quantities of the material were 

 destroyed by the steam shovel and djmamite in making the excava- 

 tion, while many specimens were picked up by the workmen and 

 others and carried away as curiosities. After the cut had been com- 

 pleted the locality was visited by Mr. Raymond Ai'mbruster, of Cum- 

 berland, Maryland, and Mr. George Roeder, of Swetnan, Virginia, who, 

 obtaining a few specimens from the still undisturbed deposits out- 

 cropping at the side of the excavation, recognized the possible 

 scientific value of the material and reported it to the United States 

 National Museum. The credit of the discovery therefore belongs 

 entirely to these gentlemen, and especial praise is due to Mr. 

 Armbruster for the subsequent interest and for the assistance he has 

 given in securing this material for science. It seems appropriate in 

 this connection to express my obligation to these gentlemen and also 

 to Mr. G. H. Friend, principal assistant engineer in charge of the 

 Cumberland division of the Western Maryland Railway, and Mr. 

 Martin Gallagher, industrial commissioner, for their interest in the 

 work and their assurance of hearty cooperation in continuing the 

 investigation of the still unexplored deposits. Thanks are also due 

 Mr. G. C. Hendrickson, of Cumberland, for placing at my disposal a 

 portion of a skull taken from the railroad cut, representing an extinct 

 species of the dog famUy. 



GEOLOGIC HISTORY AND AGE OF DEPOSITS. 



The upturned ledge of rock in which the cave deposits occur repre- 

 sents the lower Helderbergian division of the Devonian. It forms a 

 segment of the much eroded west wing of a great anteclinal fold having 

 a nearly north and south axis. The total thickness of the formation 

 at this place is about 900 feet, but the cave chamber containing the 

 fossil bones and other caverns in the immediate vicinity seem to be 

 confined to a single stratum not more than 20 feet thick. The 

 small size and peculiar disposition of the caverns in a single plane 

 suggest a true fissure cave, although it can not properly be so called. 

 The cause for this resemblance is probably due to the upturned con- 

 dition of the strata which brings the bedding plane and hence the 

 line of cleavage to a nearly perpendicular position. This has for 

 ages given free access to the corrosive action of the surface waters 

 along the line of strike which easily following the lines of cleavage of 

 the rocks, would spread downward to great depths and laterally only 

 along the line of outcrop, without forming caverns of any great size. 



PROBABLE MANNER OF ENTOMBMENT. 



In making the railway cut, several small chambers at higher levels 

 than the one containing the bones were encountered, and before the 

 work of excavation began there was said to have been an opening to 

 the surface on the crest of the hill directly above the middle of the 



