173 REPORT — 1875. 



The upper bed probably coutains remains from the Ecindeer period to 

 the present, those of later date being mixed up with the older in the mud at 

 the surface. But as distinguished from the lower bed, the chief characteris- 

 tics of the upper appear to be the presence of Eeindeer, and the absence of 

 Elephant, Ilhinoceros, Hippopotamus, and Hj'cena. It is true that by the 

 register there appears to be one specimen (a molar tooth) of Reindeer in the 

 lower bed. It is marked P 35, and as at a depth of 8 feet, which would 

 place it in the lower bed. It seems that this may be possibly a clerical 

 error, and that 8 inches would be the proper reading. The mere placing 

 the stop before or after the numeral would make the difference ; moreover 

 there are Ecindeer- remains in the same parallel at a depth of 1 foot, and in 

 the next parallel at a depth of 8 inches. If it was reallj* found at a depth 

 of 8 feet, it is a solitary instance of Reindeer in the lower bed, whereas in 

 the upper it is common. 



Of Hyaena, very common in the lower bed, there appears at first sight to 

 be one specimen (a humerus) in the upper ; but on examination this is not 

 quite so certain. It occurs in Parallel 37 at a depth of 2 feet, where the 

 two beds run together. This alone ought to put us on our guard. Rut 

 strangely enough it is at 2 feet higher elevation in the same parallel than 

 the great skull of Grisly Rear, which is proved by the situation of its lower 

 jaw on the surface to belong to the upper bed. It did not lie, however, 

 immediately above the Rear's skull, but 2 feet east of it ; so that it seems 

 quite possible that the apparent superposition may be only due to the un- 

 evenness of the floor at the time when the Rear's skull came into position, 'i 



It is also highly improbable that had the Hyaena lived at the same time as 

 this great Bear, he would have left so fine a skuU intact for the Committee 

 to exhume. 



These facts are of great interest and importance, as warning us against 

 the danger of assuming from the juxtaposition of objects their contempo- 

 raneity in all cases. In this case we have a fauna which we may confi- 

 dently assign to a cold climate, separated in some parts by an accumulation 

 of deposits twelve feet in thiclness from an earlier one, which is equally 

 characteristic of high temperatures ; whereas in another part of the cave 

 not far off, where the material to separate them is wanting, we have animals 

 from icy and tropical countries intermingled in a confusion which would 

 be puzzling did wc not get the clue hard by. It is evident that here the 

 separation is natural and regular ; the mixture is abnormal and accidental. 



It is probable that Rrown Bear occurs in both the beds ; there are many 

 Bear-remains in both ; but they do not, in most cases, admit of specific deter- 

 mination. Brown Bear has been found before in the higher beds in other 

 parts of the cave. 



Rhinoceros leptorhinus has not been found before in the cave, but its pre- 

 sence is well established now by teeth and bones*. It is interesting to note 

 that it is as usual accompanied by Elephas antlqims. Hippopotamus, as 

 already stated, has been found this year for the first time. 



In the upper bed, the only sign of man's presence consists of the spinous 

 process of a bear's vertebra, which has been hacked, apparently by some cutting- 

 instrument with a tolerably regular edge. It might have been done 

 with a bronze celt or a polished flint axe. It is probable that chamber D 

 was never the resort of man within the historic period. The soft wet mud of 

 the floor and the lowness of the roof render it most unlikely that any one would 

 take to it, except under the direst necessity or in the pursuit of science. 



* P.S. It would appear that the remains occurring iu the Care, formerly attributed to 

 R, tichorhinus, really belong to this species. 



