ON EXPLORATIONS IN CAVES IN CARBONIFEROUS LIMESTONE, 133 
removing the fence and the soil above it. Two or more men were kept 
almost constantly at this work from February during the spring and 
summer months, and the large amount of stone quarried has been carted 
away. But though little now remains to be done to put the cave into a 
fit state for exploration of its ossiferous deposits, it has not been possible 
hitherto to commence the latter operation. 
The work done has been inspected by Mr. Duffin, the county sur- 
veyor. The Committee have applied 5/. in payment for this, and retain 
5l. for current expenses, the balance of the grant—namely, 10/.—remain- 
ing undrawn. The Committee beg leave to apply for a fresh grant of 
501., to reap the fruits of what has been done and to explore the por- 
tions of the cave thereby laid bare. They hope before the next meeting 
of the Association to report upon the examination of the ossiferous beds 
that have hitherto been inaccessible without the preliminary work of 
removing the roof, and also to explore any other Carboniferous Limestone 
caves that they may have an opportunity of examining in Ireland. 
Report of the Committee, consisting of Professor A. H. GREEN, 
Professor L. C. Miatt, Mr. Jonn Briac, and Mr. James W. 
Davis (Secretary), appointed to assist in the Exploration of 
Raygill Fissure, Yorkshire. 
Tue fissure occurs in an anticlinal of limestone in Lothersdale, near 
Skipton. It was fornrerly open to the surface, and from thence extended 
in a southerly direction, and with only a slight inclination from a vertical 
line. During repeated operations of quarrying it has been ftom time to 
time cut across on the face of the quarry, each exposure being at a lower 
level and exhibiting some new feature in the character of the clays and 
sands which have been carried into it. In December 1879 the Council 
of the Yorkshire Geological and Polytechnic Society decided that it was 
desirable that steps should be taken to secure a thorough investigation of 
the fissure and its contents, and appointed a Committee, consisting of 
Professors Green and Miall and of Messrs. Brigg and Davis, to carry out 
the exploration. The Committee decided to apply to the members of the 
society for subscriptions to enable them to carry on the work, and a fund 
of 60/. was obtained, separate from the ordinary income of the society, 
and operations at the quarry were commenced in June of the following 
year. Mr. Spencer, the proprietor, and Mr. Todd, his manager, placed 
men skilled in the class of work required at the disposal of the Committee, 
and Mr. Todd kindly undertook the management of the work.! The 
fissure opened into the face of the quarry towards the north, the limestone 
dipping at a sharp angle into the hill southwards. The opening of 
the fissure when the operations were commenced was 27 feet 6 inches 
from top to bottom, and about 9 fect across. It was situated about 
60 feet below the surface of the ground, and the same distance above the 
floor of the quarry. The section exposed in the opening showed the fol- 
lowing beds :— 
? At the meeting of this Association at York a grant of 207. was made towards 
the work of exploration. 
