6 REPORT — 1876. 



Before directing the workmen, however, to remove any of these stalagraitic 

 accumulations, the Superintendents carefully examined them for inscriptions. 

 Nevertheless, one inscription was overlooked — that already referred to as the 

 only specimen of the kind within the Labyrinth ; and it was not until a 

 portion of the largest boss was blasted oif that it was found to have on it 

 " G. Knight, June 1, 18.36." 



The upper surface of both the Cave-earth and the Breccia rose, with some 

 irregularities, 38 inches from the mouth of the Labyrinth to its innermost 

 extremity, giving a mean ascending gradient of about 1 in 17. 



The total number of " finds " in this branch of the Cavern was 135, and 

 the specimens they included were as follow : — 



Lying on the surface. — Three portions of ribs and two other bones (No. 

 6780), the two latter having been cut with a sharp tool, perhaps by an 

 existing butcher, and one bone of Bat in a heap of " Pipes " of Stalactite, 

 probably collected by man. 



In the Granular Stalagmite. — One tooth of Lion. 



In the Cave-earth. — 32 teeth of Hyoena, 7 of Bear, 6 of Fox, 3 of Horse, 

 2 of Rhinoceros, 3 plates of a molar of a young Mammoth, 1 of Lion, 1 of 

 Ox, and 1 of Sheep (of doubtful position) ; several bones and portions of bone, 

 including a tarsus of Bird, and two pieces of bone apparently charred ; 1 

 coprolite; and 1 small chip of f jit. 



In the CnjstaUine Stalagmite. — 6 teeth of Bear, of which 5 were in one 

 and the same jaw. 



In the Breccia. — 215 teeth of Bear, and a considerable number of bones, of 

 which many are good specimens. 



As in all other parts of the Cavern where he had made researches, IVfr. 

 MacEnery simply cast aside the material he dug up, without taking it to the 

 exterior for final examination. The Superintendents took outside the 

 Cavern the " broken ground " met with in the Labyrinth and examined it 

 carefully by daylight, as in all previous cases of the kind. It yielded 17 

 teeth of Bear, 14 of Hya3na (three of them in pieces of jaws), 2 of the Gigantic 

 Irish Deer (in part of a jaw), 1 of Deer, 1 of Horse, 1 of Sheep ; bones and 

 pieces of bono ; and i^art of a Crab's claw, no doubt quite recent. 



The exploration of the Labyrinth, commenced on October 28, 1875, was 

 completed on July 10, 1876, upwards of 8 months having been spent on it. 



MattJieivs^s Passage.— Having finished their researches in the Labyrinth, 

 the Committee proceeded at once to explore the small branch leading from it 

 to the Bear's Den, and termed, as already stated, Matthews's Passage, thus 

 leaving the two other and adjacent small ramifications to be undertaken on 

 some future occasion. To this course they were tempted partly on account 

 of the severe and protracted labour which, from their very limited breadth 

 and the character of their deposits, must attend the excavation of these 

 branches, and partly by the wealth of osseous remains which, from Mr. Mac- 

 Enery's description, they are likely to find in the Bear's Den. 



Matthews's Passage consists of two Reaches : the first, opening out of the 

 Labyrinth, extends for about 14 feet towards the south-east, where the 

 second turns sharply towards east-north-east, and after a somewhat tortuous 

 course for about 15 feet, enters the Bear's Den. Their height is from 9 to 

 10 feet almost everywhere (measuring, as usual, from the bottom of the 

 excavation, which nowhere reaches the limestone floor), and they vary from 3-5 

 feet to 7 feet in width. The walls and roof, the latter especially, bear evident 

 traces of the erosive action of a flowing stream, succeeded by the corrosion 



