306 Zoological Proceedings of Societies. 



celebrated and most frequented of any in France ; but before Dr. 

 Buckhiiid, no one had ever sought for bones beneath the crust of 

 stalagmite, wliich in most of the chambers covers the floor. 



On breaking for the first time through the stalagmite, the 

 guides were much surprised to find the author's prediction verified, 

 as to the existence of a thick bed of mud and pebbles, beneath 

 what they had considered to be the impenetrable pavement of the 

 cave, and still more so, to see that in every one of the only four 

 places which he selected for investigation, this diluvium was abun- 

 dantly loaded with the teeth and bones of fossil Bears. These lie 

 scattered through the mud and gravel, in the same irregular man- 

 ner as the bones of Bears lie in the caves of Franconia and the 

 Hartz ; and like them, are the remains of animals that appear to 

 have lived and died in those caverns before the introduction of 

 the diluvium. The bones were found no where in entire skele- 

 tons, but dispersed confusedly through the mud : they were from 

 Bears of all ages, and none bore marks of either having been 

 rolled by water, or gnawed by the teeth of Hyienas, of which 

 last-named animal Dr. Buckland found no traces in this cave, in 

 the few spots which he examined. 



Insulated teeth, ribs, and vertebraj, separate fragments of 

 skulls, and epiphyses detached from their bones, lay scattered 

 through the mud and pebbles. 



In one extensive grotto called the '' Salle a danser," which 

 from its size and dryness is selected by visitors to eat and dance 

 in, there is neither stalactite on the roof, nor stalagmite on the 

 floor, but simply a thick deposit of diluvial mud, containing the 

 same bones as in the other chambers ; this mud being very dry is 

 intersected by narrow crevices descending from its surface ; and 

 the shells of eggs and nuts, and the bones of chickens, &c., that 

 are carelessly thrown aside by visitors, have sometimes fallen into 

 these fissures, where they lie in juxtaposition with the antediluvian 

 bones. Some of these modern remains are also dragged by rats 

 into holes made in the mud by themselves, or by rabbits, badgers, 

 and foxes. 



The authour concludes by stating that the best rule to follow in 

 pursuit of antediluvian remains in caverns, is to select the lowest 



