400 Geological Society. 



recently found a specimen of Pti/chodus decurrens, in the zone of 

 Holaster svbglobosus of the Lower Chalk at Glynde (Sussex). Frag- 

 mentary remains of both jaws are seen in the specimen, each bearing 

 many of the characteristic teeth arranged in natural order. There 

 are four series, and one small displaced tooth (probably belonging to 

 the fifth series), on the left of the large median series in the lower 

 jaw ; while in the upper jaw the teeth are clearly arranged in six paired 

 series. The specimen proves that the peculiarly effective disposition 

 characteristic of the living Myliobatidae had not been assumed, but 

 that Ptychodus more nearly resembled the Trygonidse in its jaws. 

 The probable explanation of the new discovery is, that in the 

 Cretaceous Period, the great Kays of the 'families' Myliobatidaa and 

 Trygonida3 had not become fully differentiated. Prof. Jsekel has 

 already arrived at a similar conclusion from general considerations, 

 and has proposed to place all these fishes in one comprehensive 

 family, termed Centrobatidae. If this arrangement be adopted, 

 Ptychodus represents a primitive sub-family, which still awaits 

 definition from lack of complete specimens ; while the TrygoninsB, 

 Myliobatinae, and Ceratopterinne are equivalent sub-families which 

 survive at the present day. 



April 13th, 1904.— J. E. Marr, Sc.D., F.R.S., 

 President, in the Chair. 



The following communication was read : — 



' The Discovery of Human Remains under the Stalagmite-Floor 

 of Cough's Cavern, near Cheddar.' By Henry Nathaniel Davies, 

 Esq., F.G S. 



Gough's Cavern opens at the base of the cliffs on the south side of 

 Cheddar Gorge. Various human and animal remains have been 

 discovered at different times in the clearing-out of parts of the 

 main cavern. The principal deposits are a stalagmite-like travertine 

 overlying cave-earth, and the latter at one place encloses a tabular 

 limestone-block surrounded with flint-chips. During drainage- 

 operations it was found necessary to excavate part of a fissure 

 running northward out of the vestibule of the cavern, when a human 

 skeleton was discovered, associated with flakes, scrapers, and borers of 

 flint, embedded in cave-earth, which overlay a lower bed of stalag- 

 mite and was overlain by a second bed 5 inches thick. The 

 skeleton was nearer the top than the bottom of the deposit, and the 

 remains excavated comprise the skull, the bones of an arm, a leg, 

 and part of the pelvic girdle. The other bones were allowed to 

 remain in ska, and may now be seen. The position of the skeleton 

 was that which would have been assumed by a drowned man. 

 Interment is out of the question, because of the narroAV and steep 

 shape of the fissure, which was choked up with undisturbed debiis 

 and calcareous deposits. The stature of the man was 5 feet 5 inches ; 



