2B4 Geological Society . — 



of 8 feet from the floor had been thickly bored by Pholades ; for 

 the space of 10 feet higher the side was smooth ; and still higher up 

 it was cancellar or eroded. Above the breccia were blocks of lime- 

 stone, covered by earthy soil, in which bones of Hippopotami, with 

 a few of those of Bus and Cervus, light and fragile, not fossilized as 

 in the breccia, occurred plentifully. 



In his late visit to the San Giro Cave, Dr. Falconer collected 

 (besides the Hippopotamus) remains of Elephas antiqiius, Bos, Cervus, 

 Sus, Ursus, Canis, and a large Felis, some of which indicated a 

 pliocene age. 



Another cave, the Grotto di Maccagnone, about twenty-four 

 miles to the west of Palermo, was lately the especial subject of the 

 author's research, whose attention was directed to it by J. Mor- 

 rison, Esq. In its form it diiFers from that of San Giro, being much 

 wider. Its sides show no Pholad markings nor polished surfaces, as 

 far as they are yet bared. It has a reddish or ochreous stalagmitic 

 crust covering the interior. It agrees with the San Giro Cave in its 

 situation at nearly the same elevation above the sea and above the 

 tertiary plain ; and in its enormous mass of bone-breccia and great 

 accumulation of limestone-boulders covered by the humatile soil 

 with loose bones. The floor had already been dug over for bones. 

 Beneath this (as shown by the section which Dr. Falconer made 

 at the mouth of the cave) was the usual ochreous loamy earth 

 (called "cave-earth"), with huge blocks of blue limestone, which 

 impeded the operations of search ; then a reddish-grey, mottled, 

 spongy loam, cemented by stalagmite, occurring in thick patches, 

 and called " ceneri impastate " by the peasants : this covers 

 bone-breccia resembling that of San Giro, and, like it, full of bones 

 of Hippopotami. The remains of a large Felis, two extinct species 

 of Deer, and of Elephas antiquus were met with also : the last is 

 characteristic of the other pliocene caves of Europe, Goprolites of 

 a large Hyena occur in ochreous loam ; and especially in a recess 

 on the face of the clifl^ near the cave's mouth. A patch of the 

 "ceneri impastate" was found under the superficial earthy floor 

 of the cave at one spot near the inner wall. 



The author next described some remarkable conditions in the 

 roof of the cave. About half-way in from the mouth, and at 

 10 feet above the floor, a large mass of breccia was observed, de- 

 nuded partly of the stalagmitic covering, and composed of a reddish- 

 grey argillaceous matrix, cemented by a calcareous paste, con- 

 taining fragments of limestone, entire land shells of large size 

 finely preserved, splinters of bone, teeth of ruminants, and of the 

 genus Equus, together with comminuted fragments of shells, bits of 

 carbon, specks of argillaceous matter resembling burnt clay, to- 

 gether with fragments of shaped siliceous objects of diff"erent tints, 

 varying from the milky or smoky colour of chalcedony to that of 

 jaspery hornstone. This brecciated matrix was firmly cemented to 

 the roof, and for the most part covered over with a coat of stalag- 

 mite. In the S.S.E. expansion of the cavern, near the smaller 

 aperture, a considerable quantity of coprolitcs of Hyecna was found 

 similarly situated in an ochreous calcareous matrix, adhering to the 



