FOUND IN THE CAVE AT KIRK.DALE. 15 



crevices of the limestone rock would become im- 

 pregnated with calcareous matter, and running- down 

 the sides of the cave would leave the property with 

 which it was charged behind, and form an incrusta- 

 tion called stalactite; sometimes the water would 

 run too rapidly down the sides of the cave to deposit 

 that matter on them, but would convey it to the 

 floor, and there leave the sediment which is called 

 stalagmite; sometimes it drops from the roof to the 

 floor, and forms conical substances of the same 

 description. The Stalactite and Stalagmite are of 

 the same nature, but differently named from their 

 various situations ; the bones therefore being some 

 of them on the surface of the mud, and olhers on 

 the protuberances of the floor of the bare rock, would 

 become either invested with stalagmite, or they 

 would adhere to the bottom of it. I have specimens 

 of both descriptions, and a few insulated bones are 

 included within a thin crust of stalagmite, as if they 

 were glazed over with ice ; the stalagmite and 

 argillaceous matrix had a considerable share in the 

 preservation of the bones, which is known by the 

 state of those which had lain in sand and gravel, 

 exposed to the constant access of water at the mouth 

 of the cave, which were so far decayed as to moul- 

 der as soon as they were exposed to excess of 

 atmospheric air. 



The bones in the cave were in general in high 

 preservation, and their substance remained nearly 

 as it was at first. It has been ascertained by im- 

 mersing fragments of them in an acid till the phos- 

 phate and carbonate of lime were removed; that 



