MENDIP BOXE CAVERNS. 39 



To this list I am now able to add the bone cavern rc- 

 cently discovered at Wookey, which promises to be as füll 

 of interest as any of those previously known. A very 

 slight cutting made along the side of the hill, in the for- 

 mation of a new water-course, leading from the water-head 

 to the recently-erected paper mills, laid open the raouth of 

 this cavern. Although, as yet, it has not been properly 

 explored, the remains obtained in it inchide the teeth of 

 the following species : elephant, rhinoceros, tiger, bear, and 

 hyama, with the bones usually associated with them.* 

 There are doubtless very many other caverns in the dis- 

 trict, the entrances to which are as near the surface, and 

 the Chambers of which are as richly stored with the skele- 

 tons of the extinct races of the fauna of this county, only 

 waiting for accident to bring them to light. It would 

 appear that most of the remains in our Museum, which 

 form a part of the Williams collection, were found in the 

 Hutton and Bleadon and Sandford Flui caverns. 



A notice of these remains, however, would be incom- 

 plcte without refercnce to the huge proportions of most 

 of the animals of that peiiod, as compared with those 

 of the prescnt day. Take for example the ox, the Bos 

 Bleadon, as Mr. Williams very justly styled the auimal. 

 There are some of bis bones in the Museum. The largcst 

 prize ox of the present day would sink into utter insignifi- 

 cance by bis side. Mr. Beard has the head and horn-bones 

 of animals of the same species, and of the same massive 

 dimensions. I am afraid to trust myself with the outline 

 which a duc regard to proportion would require. It is 

 Iruly terrific, according to our present notions of animal 

 forma. Thcn, consider the fcmur, the thigh-bonc of an 



* Spedmens of the above from Wookey have rcccutly bccn presented to 

 tlie Museum by Dr. Boyd, of Wells. 



