NA TURE 



[March 23, 1905 



CAVE HUNTINGS 



SINCE the memorable researches of Dr. Buckland 

 in the early part of last century, the exploration 

 of British caves has had a great fascination for many 

 investigators. This is no matter for surprise, for 

 there are many points of interest which await elucid- 

 ation regarding prehistoric man and the animals by 

 which he was surrounded in very early times, and 

 there is a great probability that some of these 

 problems will be solved by cavern researches. When 

 we remember, also, how much has already been re- 

 vealed by cave hunting, we are led to hope for more 

 in the future, and consequently investigations in this 

 direction raise our expectations. 



The current number of the Quarterly Journal of 

 the Geological Society contains an interesting 

 account of a cave discovered about two years ago 

 near Brassington, Derbyshire. Shortly after its 

 discovery the cave was visited by a number of 

 " ardent collectors," and many bones and teeth were 

 carried away ; but very soon permission was given 

 by Major Nicholson, the owner, for the deposits to 

 be carefully investigated on behalf of 

 the Derbyshire Archjeological and 

 Natural Historv .Society, the work 

 falling almost wholly on the authors 

 of this paper. 



The cave is in a quarry situated 

 on the south-eastern edge of the 

 Mountain Limestone plateau, and its 

 floor is about logo feet above 

 Ordnance Datum, the top of the 

 quarry being some 30 feet higher. 

 The highest part of the plateau in 

 the neighbourhood is formed by the 

 Harbro Rocks, which at some little 

 distance, and with a depression 

 between, rise to a height of 1244 feet, 

 that is, about 120 feet higher than 

 the entrance to the swallow hole 

 which opened into the top of the 

 cavern. 



The cavern itself was a master joint 

 in the limestone, enlarged by the 

 action of water, and when found (it 

 is now entirely destroyed) extended 

 about 120 feet from the'S.S.E. to the 

 N.N.W. . and in this direction it 

 deepened considerably. Much care 

 seems to have been taken to keep 

 separate the bones from each layer, 

 and fifteen spots are marked on the section given to 

 indicate distinct layers or places where bones were 

 discovered. Eventually, however, these were grouped 

 into three series : — (i) The upper inclined layers 

 which had accumulated to the S.S.E. of the swallow 

 hole, and from which they were evidently derived. 

 By far the greater number of the specimens were 

 found in this part of the cave. To the N.N.W. of 

 the swallow hole very few bones were met with, and 

 the deposit was of a more irregular character, seeming 

 to indicate a different mode of origin. 



(2) The second division included all that was 

 obtained in a stratum about three feet in depth 

 excavated below the level of the quarry floor, and 

 extending throughout the length of the cave. Very 

 few bones were found, but these included remains of 

 hyaena and of a small deer which it was important 

 to know were present at this early stage of the cave's 

 history. 



(3) The third, and oldest series of deposits, were 

 some highly inclined beds at the N.N.W. end of 

 the cave, which were explored to a considerable 

 depth in the hope of meeting with Pliocene mammals, 

 such as were recognised by Prof. W. Boyd Dawkins 

 in the cave at Doveholes in 1903, but unfortunately 

 without finding any such remains. We wish the 

 explorers had had more success in this deeper ex- 

 ploration ; however, it is satisfactory to know that 

 the search was made, even though the results were 

 negative. 



The number of bones yielded by this cave could 

 scarcely have been less than 10,00a, for the authors 

 have accounted for 8000, and many were carried 

 away before they began work. Nearly half these 

 remains belonged to bovine and cervine animals, 

 while between six and seven hundred of them are 

 referable to hyaenas. It seems pretty certain that 

 this cave was a hyaena-den, and although no entrance 

 was found except the swallow hole, yet it is possible 

 that this was the means of access. 



Some twenty-seven species of mammals, birds, and 

 amphibia have been identified from Hoe Grange 



On an Ossiferous Cave of Pleistocene Age at Hoe Grange Quarry, 

 Longcliffe, near Br-issincton (Derbyshire)." By H. H. Arnold Bemrose, 

 1, F.R S. (Quart. Jmm. Geol. Soc. vol. 



, M.A., and E. T. 



. p. 43. '904) 



NO. 1847, VOL. 71] 



. photograph by H. Arnold- 



cave, but about half of these belong to the smallei 

 forms of vertebrates, which as a rule have not been 

 recorded in cave researches. The rich harvest of 

 these small creatures which rewarded the patient 

 labour of Mr. Lewis .Abbott some ten years ago in 

 the rock fissure at Ightham, Kent, has caused more 

 careful search to be made for them in recent re- 

 searches, and with good results, such as those of 

 Mr. R. S. Ussher in his cave hunting in Ireland 

 during the last two or three years, only a part of 

 which have yet been published. Search was made for 

 these smaller animals at Hoe Grange, but with only 

 partial success. ."Vmong the larger animals repre- 

 sented in the cave, the lion will perhaps attract most 

 attention, and one of the few specimens obtained is 

 part of the lower jaw of a cub with some of the milk 

 teeth still in place. The hyaena, wild cat, wolf, fox, 

 grisly bear, and badger are the other carnivores which 

 have been identified. 



Rhinoceros remains occurred in some abundance, 

 and the teeth show that they belong to the Rhinoceros 

 leplorhiniis, not to the woolly rhinoceros, the form 

 hitherto found in Derbyshire. The elephant is re- 



