ON ANCIENT REMAINS, ETC. 



117 



ice-bound shores. Nor did Graah observe tliis bird during his 

 toilsome researches east of Cape Farewell, 



It is possible that a few of these birds still survive on the 

 islets off Newfoundland or Labrador; but, if not already extir- 

 pated, the Great Auk will, ere many years have elapsed, be 

 numbered amongst the things that were. 



XIII. — On Ancient Remains found in the heel of the River Wear, at 

 Claxheugh, near Sunderland. 



About two miles west of the town of Sunderland, and on the 

 southern bank of the river Wear, the outcropping rocks of the 

 upper limestone series project in a bold and picturesque cliff, 

 well known to geologists as Claxheugh Eock. The stream, 

 opposite to this point, bends slightly to the north, and is divided 

 into two channels by a large sandbank, which extends in an oval 

 form for two or three hundred yards, and is the accumulation of 

 many centuries' tidal deposit, drift, and debris. 



The Commissioners of the Wear, finding that the bank was 

 on the increase, and becoming a considerable obstruction both to 

 navigation and the return of the tidal water, have been engaged 

 in dredging away its northern edge ; and at the eastern extremity, 

 where the two currents of the divided stream re-unite, forming 

 at their junction the usual swirl or eddy, the relics here produced 

 were found. They were dredged up from a depth of ten feet 

 below the bed of the river, from among thick, condensed layers 

 of sand, and black loamy mud; containing, beside these animal 

 remains, the trunks and branches of trees, chiefly oaks, some of 

 them of magnificent proportions, and all in a semi-petrified 

 state, from the infiltration of carbonate of lime and the sandy 

 earths among their texture. 



It was not until large quantities of human bones, and the 

 antlers of deer, had been sent out to sea in the mud hopper, that 

 my attention was called to three skulls which had been casually 

 preserved ; and upon my then begging an inspection of anything 

 curious that might be turned up, Mr. Mcik, the river-engineer, 



