ON THE EXPLORATION' OF THE SETTLE CAVES. Ii7 



Chamber A, may still, perhaps, contain some relics of that period ; but Ave 

 have not worked in that chamber for some years ; our finds of articles of 

 that age are consequently rare and exceptional. On the i2th of Tebruary, 

 1876, whilst blasting and removing a portion of the huge fallen mass of lime- 

 stone already referred to, a bronze harp-shaped fibula was found, in good 

 preservation, with traces of its iron pin. It was in Parallel 10, 5 feet left 

 of the datum-line, and at a depth of 9 feet, below a chink in the limestone 

 block ; and, as Mr. Jackson suggests, there is every probability of its having 

 fallen down the crack from above. Whether dropped there by one of vhe 

 cave refugees, or fallen down a crack which had been enlarged by the settle- 

 ment of the blocks consequent on the explorations, is immaterial. It was 

 certainly far below its natural level, and the block of limestone beneath which 

 it was found extended up to the Eomano-Celtic floor. 



Another object in bronze was found during the year upon the old upper 

 tip. It is in the form of an ovate leaf, with a broad midrib and rude vein- 

 ing ; the apex of the leaf is broken off. Where the leaf-stalk would be is 

 a quadrate expansion pierced with a rivet-hole. It is 1-5 inch long and 

 I'l inch broad, and cui-ved in the direction of its length. 



Animal Remains. — Professor Busk has again kindly examined the bones, 

 and given their determination in a register. He remarks : — 



" As usual, the collection is chiefly interesting on account of the large pro- 

 portion of Ursine remains, some of which, as you Avill perceive, I am inclined 

 to assign to Ursus spela:us ; but most belong to the ferox type, whilst some few 

 could not be well distinguished from Vrsus arctos. Some of the bones arc 

 remarkably perfect, and have the same polish as that already recorded. The 

 only addition to the former fauna, if I remember rightly, is Mustela martes. 

 There is also a remarkably small fox, but not Canis lagopus. 



(Signed) G. Btjsk." 



Amongst the remains returned by Prof. Busk is a lower jaw of Weasel. 

 This was found in the Lower Cave-earth, beneath the boiilders ; so that that 

 is another addition, besides the Marten, to our list of animals from the early 

 Pleistocene layer. 



In speaking of the animals found, the place of honour necessarily falls to 

 the Hycena — not by reason of the number of his remains discovered, but because 

 to him we are indebted for by far the larger number of bones of other animals 

 introduced. It is, indeed, singular to note that, notwithstanding the abun- 

 dant evidence of his presence, from the characteristically gnawed and cracked 

 bones of other animals, we have hardly any remains of him this year except 

 teeth. There can, indeed, be scarcely a doubt that a dead hyrena was as 

 acceptable to his survivors as the carcass of any other beast. 



Of Bear we have found a fine series of tusks. We have already given 

 Prof. Busk's remarks upon them. A very large humerus, which he attri- 

 butes to the Grisly Bear, was found in Parallel 21, at a depth of 12 feet. 

 From the way in which its proximal extremity has been gnawed off, and 

 some of its more prominent ridges removed, there can be no doubt that it 

 was coexistent with Hy.xna. Some remains of very young Bears have been 

 found — so young, indeed, as to make it doubtful whether they ever had an 

 independent existence. 



Of Bhinoeevos we have a femur, found in Parallel 30, at a depth of 7 ft. 6 in. 

 It has been gnawed, as such bones always are, by the Hyajna, and to the usual 

 extent. Several exceedingly fine teeth of Rhinoceros have been found since 

 the bones were submitted to Prof. Busk, and their determination must be for 

 the present postponed, A lower premolar 4 of Rhinoceros, which was the 



