58 MR. G. BUSK ON THE ANCIENT OR 
much interest by various writers, up to the present time very little has been really 
known with respect to the number or names of the species of Mammals &c. whose 
remains are imbedded in it. 
The earliest notice respecting this point which it seems worth while to cite is that 
given by Major Imrie1, who appears to have been a very acute observer. The only 
species he mentions is what he terms the “Sheep,” founding his diagnosis upon a 
perfect lower jaw, but which was most probably that of the Ibex. He also relates the 
discovery, at a great depth near the summit of the mountain, of two skulls, which were 
supposed to be human, but which he himself, from their size, was disposed to consider 
those of the Barbary Ape?. In 1794 some bones, sent to W. Hunter, were pro- 
nounced by his illustrious brother* to belong to the family of Ruminants, a species of 
Lepus, besides those of various birds, and a small Dog or Fox. 
Cuvier+4 describes in detail and gives figures of a Ruminant’s jaw and other bones, 
which he assigned to a species of Cervus corresponding in size to C. dama. He did 
not himself notice any bones of Rodents amongst those submitted to his inspection, but 
gives a figure taken from a drawing by Adrian Camper from a specimen of breccia in 
his possession, in which are exposed the two mandibles of a Hare-like animal, regarded 
by Cuvier as a species of Lagomys. We may, however, in the absence of further 
information, perhaps be allowed to doubt whether the specimens in question really 
came from Gibraltar, where certainly in the enormous mass of bones and breccia 
examined by Dr. Falconer and myself nothing of the kind has turned up. 
This brief résumé will show how important and numerous are the additions now 
_made to the ancient fauna of Gibraltar, and how great is the assistance thence afforded 
towards our knowledge of its former zoological relations. 
Amongst the main results, in a zoological point of view, which may be drawn from 
the discoveries recorded in the present communication, the following appear to be the 
most prominent :— 
1. That at a remote period, after the Rock of Gibraltar had undergone its last 
changes, but had probably not been completely severed from the African continent, 
being covered with an abundant arboreal vegetation, it harboured a numerous fauna of 
large Mammals, herbivorous and carnivorous, the former including not improbably a 
species of Elephant (£. antiquus), certainly a Rhinoceros, two species of Deer, together 
with vast numbers of a species of Ibex, the Wild Boar, Hares and Rabbits; whilst the 
latter were represented by the Leopard, Hyzna, Southern Lynx, and one or two other 
1 Trans. Roy. Soc. Edinburgh, vol. iv. 1798. 
2 Cuyier (J. ¢. p. 341) suggests that more probably these might have been portions of the skulls of a Ruminant. 
But I see no a priori reason against Major Imrie’s suggestion. On this point a few remarks will be found in 
the sequel. * Phil. Trans; vol. 1x. p. 412, 1794. * Op. cit. p. 839. 
