March lyth, igoj.] PROCEEDINGS. xxvii 



The mammalian remains belong to the following species : — 



JMachairndiis crenatideiis, Fabrini. 



Hycena. 



Mastodon a?verneiists, Croiset and Jobert. 



Elephas ineridionaiis, Nesti. 



Rliinoceros etriiscus. Falconer. 



Eqitiis sfenonis, Nesti. 



Cervus etuej-iai-iim ? Croiset and Jobert. 



All these species are found in the upper Pleiocene deposits of 

 France and Italy, and undoubtedly belong to that age. The 

 mastodon, elephant, rhinoceros, and horse occur also in Britain 

 in the upper Pleiocene deposits of the Crag.- 



Some of the bones present the characteristic teeth marks 

 of the hyaenas, and the preponderance of the remains of the 

 young over the adult mastodons, points to a selection by the 

 hyaenas, who could easily master the calves, while they did 

 not as a rule attack the large and formidable adults. The 

 author has observed a similar selection in the case of mammoths 

 in hyrena dens, into which the remains had been brought by 

 those cave-haunting animals. The author therefore concludes 

 that the animal remains have been washed out of a hyaena-den, 

 which then existed at a higher level, and carried down deep 

 into the rock, into the cave in which they were found, along 

 with the clay and pebbles brought down in flood time from the 

 Yoredale and Millstone Grit hills. The area of the Victory 

 quarry must then have been at the bottom of a valley instead of 

 in its present position on the divide. The denudation of the 

 limestone which has taken place since that time is estimated as 

 not less than 330 feet, an amount sufificient to destroy the ravine 

 formed by the streams above the bone cave, and all the caves 

 and rock shelters in the district which were accessible to the 

 upper Pleiocene mammalia. 



The physical geography of the British Isles in the Upper 

 Pleiocene age was as follows : The British area was joined to 

 the continent by a barrier of land, extending from the Straits of 



