110 REPORT— 1871. 



4. A thick floor of stalagmite, on -whicli the river-bed rests. 



5. Care-earth No. 2. Several flint flakes, with abundant remains of Cave Lion, 

 Hyaena, Rhinoceros, Mammoth (three sizes and ages), Irish Elks, Horse, Bison, 

 and Reindeer. 



The Wye now flows 300 feet below the ancient river-deposit of sand and pebbles. 

 In the lower cave-earth are associated the relics of ancient men and the extinct 

 mammalia ; and the author expressed his conviction that there are no better 

 authenticated evidences of the antiquity of man in the records of cave-history. 



On a New Fish-spine from the Lower Old Bed Sandstone of Hay, Breconshire. 

 By the Rev. W. S. Stmonds, F.O.S. 



This is a new Icthyodorulite now in the possession of the Earl of Emiiskillen. It 

 is described by Mr. Etheridge, of the School of Mines, under the name of Onchus 

 major. It is the largest known spine from the Lower Old Red Sandstone. 



The sti-atigraphical position of this Eish-spiue was described to Mr. Symonds by 

 Mr. John Thomas, C.E., of Ilay, Brecon. It was found at Llidiart-y-Warn quarry, 

 near Hay. The following is Mr. Thomas's account :— 



"This fossil, with several others, was found by Mr.- David Jones, of Hay, some 

 three or four years ago, who, not Iniowing its value, left it to lie in his garden on a 

 rockery. It is much weathered in consequence. 



" Ail geologists acquainted vdth this district will recollect the fine section of Old 

 Red as seen from the summit of the Black Mountains overlooking the Wye valley, 

 between Hay and Glasbuiy. In ' Siluria,' p. 272, Sir Roderick Murchison has 

 given a reduced copy of a section from the outcrop of the Carboniferous Limestone 

 of the South Wales' basin, across the Wye valley to the Upper Ludlow, in Rad- 

 norshire. The summit of the Black Mountain is occupied by chocolate-coloured 

 sandstones, called by Mr. Symonds " Browustones." Then, in descending, we 

 have the red and green marls and the comstones. The cornstones are very 

 clearly defined and exposed on the slope of the hills from the Usk valley to Moufle- 

 castle, opposite Hay. 



" About 200 feet' below the comstone-beds and at this point is Llidiart-y-Wam 

 quany, where the fossil was discovered. The beds in the quarry are formed of 

 cornstone and verj^ fine layers of whitish sandstone." 



The structure of this Fish-spine is thus described by Mr. R. Etheridge, F.R.S. : — 



" Form gently arcuated, of nearly equal diameter from base to apex, slightly com- 

 pressed. Posterior free, concave, destitute of denticles. Sides apparently smooth, 

 having no ridge or sulci, though it appears to have been originally delicately lined ; 

 base of spine round or obtuse, broad, smooth, or delicately striated ; outer sub- 

 stance thick, internal axis large, and rugose on outer layer. Length 5 inches, 

 breadth \ inch. Loc. Llidiart-y-Warn. Position. Cornstone of Lower Old Red 

 Sandstone." 



The anterior face of the spine is not seen ; whether it is obtuseh^ keeled or not 

 is therefore unknown. The osseous structure and substance is well defined. The 

 author doubts not that originall}-, or if we had the outer surface preserved, the spine 

 ■was longitudinally ridged by deep, narrow sulci. 



0»i the later Crag-Deposits of Norfolk and Svffoll:. By J. S. Tatloe. 



On the Stratified JRoels of Islay. By James Thomson, F.G.S. 



The author described briefly the physical conditions of the island of May, then 

 in detail the dip, strike, mineral character, and superposition of the stratified rocks, 

 in the following order : — 



1st. The calcareous deposits in the centre of the island, consisting of limestone, 

 talcose shale, clay-slate, and interbedded quartzites, belong to the Lower Silurian 

 group. The author remarked that although these calcareous deposits had not yet 

 yielded identifiable organic remains, he did not despair, if they were properly in- 



