214 YEAR-BOOK OP FACTS. 



often seen the residue on tbe fissures above them left there by a 

 recent storm. 



"Again, the fact of flint knives and chippings, in France, being 

 found immediately on the chalk rock, is exactly what we might 

 expect. These were originally on the surface, and, having been first 

 washed off that surface, were necessarily deposited in the lowest 

 position upon the rock ; and the fossil remains, above which they 

 had been placed by man, were then carried down, and deposited 

 over the flints, some few of these which had been left behind becom- 

 ing mixed with them. But any length of time may have elapsed 

 between the original enclosure of the bones in the earth and the 

 placing of the flints on its then unmoved surface : and they only 

 became coeval as to the period when they were both deposited in 

 their present position. 



" I offer no theory ; I judge merely from analogous facts, which 

 any one can witness ; and the conclusions to be obtained from them 

 are, that the animals are of a primitive age long antecedent to the 

 creation of man, and that the human bones found with them are of 

 a comparatively recent period." 



BONE CAVES IN GLAMORGANSHIRE. 



A communication from Dr. Falconer has been read to the Geo- 

 logical Society, "On the Ossiferous Caves of the Peninsula of Gower, 

 in Glamorganshire, South Wales;" with an appendix, on a liaised 

 Beach in Mewslade Bay, and the occurrence of the Boulder-clay on 

 Cefn-y-bryn, by Mr. J. Prestwich. 



The object of this communication was to give a summary of re- 

 searches made during the last three years by the author and Lieut. - 

 Colonel E. R. Wood, F.G.S., the latter of whom has carefully ex- 

 plored, at his own charge, since 184S, some of the caves previously 

 known, as well as several discovered by himself. The known bone- 

 ip 1" Gower (of which Paviland, Sprita&U Tor, and Bacon Holo 

 have already supplied Dr. Buckland and others to some extent with 

 materials for the history of tbe cave period) are in the carboniferous 

 Limestone ; and, with the exception of that of SpritsaU Tor, which 

 is on the weal coast of the penmsula, they all occur between the 

 Mnmbles and the Worm's Head. The most important are "Bacon 

 Hole," "Minchin Hole," "Bosco's Den," "Bowen's Parlour," 

 "I'ruH Hole," "Raven's Cliff < Severn," and, lastly, the well Known 

 " Paviland Caves." Bone-caves at the Mnmbles, in Caswell 

 and in Ozwicb Bay formerly existed; but the sea has destroyed 

 tin-Hi. One cavern named "Bam Tor," between Caswell Bay and 

 the Mumbles, presumed to 1"' ossiferous, remains unexplored. 



Before proceeding to describe the bone caves and their contents, 

 the author briefly noticed ■ raised beach and talus of breccia, which 

 .Mr. tVestwicb had lately traced for a mils along Me* 

 westward of Paviland ; and he pointed out their Important relation- 

 pjhip to tin • marine sands and overlying limestone- breccia found in 

 I Caves. Dr. Falconer also ref er red to Mr. 



