I06 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 83 



" In afternoon of same day big portions of animal skull with teeth 

 in good condition (apparently lion) found in same place (speaking 

 generally) by Angelo." 



All other information regarding this lion's skull is to the effect that 

 it was found at some distance away from the skull, possibly as much 

 as 8 or lo feet, and at a considerably lower level. It was impossible 

 to ascertain conclusively what had become of this specimen. There 

 is a somewhat mineralized lion's skull, proceeding doubtless from 

 some part of the bone cave, in Mr. Macartney's office and it may be 

 the specimen in question ; or it may have been forwarded to the 

 British Museum. 



Mr. Barron assured the writer also that in the same digging there 

 was found an artificially made quartz ball about 3 or a little over 

 3 inches in diameter (size of a fist). Zwigelaar upon re-interrogation 

 in the presence of Mr. Barron was sure that there were no bones 

 whatever, human or animal, near the human skull except the bat 

 bones ; neither could he remember anything about the stone ball. A 

 stone ball answering to the description was later brought to the writer 

 with a statement that it came from somewhere in the end part of the 

 crevice, and was taken by him with other objects to the Museum at 

 South Kensington. However, other similar balls from the cave had 

 also been taken to the Museum with the skull in 1921 (see page 122). 



Mr. Barron's name in the English records of the find is given as 

 " Barren," and as in the same records he is reported as the discoverer 

 of the skull, the writer asked him for a written statement on both 

 points. The result was the following letter which settles both 

 questions : 



AIui.uNGUSHi, R. B. H. D. Co. Ltd. 

 Broken Hill, N. Rhodesia 

 I2TH Dec, 1925 

 Dear Mr. Hrdlicka : 



I was very glad to get your letter. I have come across the correspondence 

 of December, 1921, which I mentioned to you, and, as it has bearing on the whole 

 matter connected with the skull I am enclosing it all for your perusal. The copy 

 of my letter to Mr. Moffat I have just made from a pencilling I had with the 

 others. 



It was Zwigelaar and his boy who saw the skull in situ and extracted it, and 

 Zwigelaar brought it to my office. I was Mine Captain in charge of mining 

 operations. 



The collar bone and the case referred to in my letter to Mr. Moffat were cer- 

 tainly in the close vicinity of the skull, and we attributed them to the same 

 skeleton at the time, the casting being taken for the fossilised remains of the skin 

 he was wearing 



With kindest regards. 



Yours sincerely, 



(Signed) W. E. Barron. 



