ON Kent's cavebn, Devonshire. 37 



The excepted locality, just mentioned, was a part of the Vestibule, where 

 a layer of black soil, apparently identical with that found almost everywhere 

 above the Stalagmitic Eloor, occurred beneath the floor. This layer, termed 

 the " Black Band," was of irregular outhne, and covered an area of about 

 100 square feet. It contained numerous bits of charcoal, and varied in 

 tliickness from 2 to 6 inches. Tliroughout about half of its area, it 

 immediately underlay the Stalagmite, but elsewhere it was separated from 

 the nether suj-face of the floor by a layer of ordinary Eed Cave-earth, 

 from 3 to G inches in thickness. At its nearest aj^proach, it was 32 feet 

 from the northern entrance ; but as a great part of the intermediate ground 

 had been broken up by the early explorers, it is impossible to say whether 

 or not it formerly extended further in that direction. No trace of such 

 material beneath the Stalagmite has been encountered by the Committee 

 elsewhere. The floor immediately overlying the Black Band was loaded 

 with fallen blocks of limestone, which were heaped one on another, and 

 cemented by stalagmitic matter into a firm grotesque pile. This mass rose 

 to the roof of the Cavern, and originally extended from its eastern almost 

 to its western wall, thereby dividing the Yestibule into two separate cham- 

 bers. Mr. M'Eneiy states that when he first visited the Cavern, before some 

 of the impediments were removed, the only passage — on the west side — was 

 "accomplished on all fours"*. A few years ago. Sir L. Palk had a more 

 convenient passage cut through the pile on its eastern side. In the course 

 of their researches the Committee have had to remove the entire mass. 



The Black Mould overlying the Stalagmitic Floor has, during the last twelve 

 months, yielded a large number of objects, such as were described in the 

 lieports of 1865 and 1866, as well as several of which no examples had 

 been previously found. Marine shells occurred everywhere in this accumula- 

 tion, but in the Vestibule they were very abundant ; those of the common 

 oyster sometimes forming considerable heaps. It does not appear that in all 

 cases they are necessarily to be regarded as evidence of a molluscous diet, 

 since many of them, chiefly pectens and oysters, were certainly " dead " 

 valves, as serpula; and other smaU shells are attached to their inner surfaces. 



Potsherds also have been numerous ; but though some of them are of con- 

 siderable size, nothing approaching a perfect vessel has been found. Judging 

 from the varied forms of ornamentation on, them, the pieces represent a 

 largo number of utensils. In most cases they are composed of a coarse clay, 

 having an admixture of small stones. 



Three spindle-whorls have been added to the collection. One of them is 

 composed of coarse grit, and, unlike all the others which have been met ■with 

 in the Cavern, its upper and lower surfaces are curved, and give it an oblate 

 spheroidal form. Either for ornamentation or some uuguesscd purpose of 

 utility, a groove has been cut round its greatest circumference. The two 

 remaining whorls are of slate, and have numerous ornamental lines. In 

 this connexion may be mentioned an Amber " bead," larger than some of 

 the whorls, and in form resembling the grit whorl just mentioned. 



Flakes of both black and white flint, but chiefly the former, have occurred 

 in large numbers. During the last twelve months, not fewer than about 220 

 were found in this overlying Black Mould. Almost aU of them were met 

 with in the Vestibule, and it seems not improbable that, at least, some of 

 the wliite specimens were dug up from the Red Cave-earth, and either lost 

 or neglected by the earlier explorers. 



* Cavprn Researches, page 5. 



