18 AN ACCOUNT OF THE ANIMAL REMAINS 



The pieces which were preserved were of the 

 stronger and more compact description ; a few jaw 

 bones of the Hysena were almost perfect, but none 

 to my knowledge quite so : there were many frag- 

 ments containing two thirds of the jaw, and other 

 pieces less : the teeth of the Hyajna were more nu- 

 merous than of- any other animal, excepting the 

 water rat ; the enamel, is generally beautiful, re- 

 taining a high polish and being very white ; many 

 of the fangs were tender, and some decayed on 

 being exposed to the air, others remained firm, and 

 are likely to continue so; the astragalus also, and 

 other hard and solid bones of the tarsus and carpus 

 joints, and those of the feet, are perfect ; and in the 

 case of all the other animals, the number of teeth 

 and solid bones of the tarsus and carpus is more 

 than twenty times as great as could have been sup- 

 plied by the individuals whose other bones we find 

 mixed with them. 



Teeth of the Hyaena are so abundant as to sanc- 

 tion a conjecture, that two or three Hundred of these 

 animals at leapt must have died in this cave ; and a 

 great proportion of them were found from the pre- 

 sent entrance to the first great fissure and in it ; 

 after the workmen had penetrated into this road, 

 they were stopped by the accumulation of stalag- 

 mite, which was so thick as to prevent any one 

 passing till it was removed ; the water had run 

 down' (he sides of the cave, and turning off at right 

 angles on the floor had deposited the calcareous 

 matter with which it was charged, until it had 

 nearly filled the cave. When this was removed 



