1823-] Accumulation of Bones in the Vale of Pickering. 127 



Hatchetine,* I am confirmed in my opinion as to its differing 

 specifically from every variety of bitumen yet described. As in 

 its external aspect, it partially resembles the napthaline obtained 

 by Dr. Kidd,f I wished to ascertain whether it resembled that 

 substance in one of its most striking empirical characters. I 

 made, therefore, a small candle by covering a cotton wick with 

 hatchetine, softened by the heat of a warm hand. On lighting 

 it, I found that instead of producing the bulky smoke which 

 issues from a candle of napthaline, it gave a remarkably clear 

 and bright light, and when blown out exhibited no trace of the 

 beautiful phenomena described by Dr. K. 



Sulphuric ether dissolves it, as I have before stated, entirely ; 

 but somewhat sparingly. If thus treated in somewhat larger 

 portions than the solvent is capable of taking up, it first sepa- 

 rates into small laminae of great tenuity and brilliancy, not 

 unlike the scales scraped from the bleak for the purpose of 

 manufacturing artificial pearls. After a time, these increase in 

 bulk, lose their brilliancy, and concrete by uniting with a portion 

 of the ether into a light mass, much resembling common opo- 

 deldoc. The increase in bulk is very striking, especially in a 

 substance already so light as hatchetine ; it must at least be as 

 40 to 1. The mixture is now found to contain two distinct 

 compounds ; the one a fluid solution of hatchetine in ether ; the 

 other, a combination of the same substances in a more solid 

 form. The addition of water to the ethereal solution separates 

 the hatchetine as a thin greasy pellicle, transparent, and of a 

 consistency between that of oil and tallow. Neither by this 

 process nor by evaporation have I ever found it to reassume its 

 flaky or semicrystalline aspect. 



I am, my dear Sir, very truly yours, 



J. J.CONYBEARE. 



Article VII. 



On the Origin of the Accumulations of Bones in the Caves of 

 the Vale of Pickering, in Yorkshire, and other Places. By 

 G. Cumberland, Esq. MGS. 



(To the Editor of the Annals of Philosophy.) 



SIR, Bristol, Dec. 10, 1822. 



Much has been ingeniously written and reviewed on the sub- 

 ject of the accumulation of bones of various animals found in 

 the caves in the vale of Pickering, in Yorkshire, and the probable 

 mode in which they were brought there ; but the general dispo- 



• See Annals of Philosophy for Feb. 1821. 

 + See Philosophical Transactions fox 1881. 



