126 export— 1878. 



aid of hands and feet, as down a chimney, into a low space. They expand 

 into a low range of undervaultings. extending under the upper cave to a 

 considerable extent, but too low to be accessible to any extent. From the 

 first landing place there is a gradual descent, step by step, into a second 

 and even a third terrace, like so many stories. Broken flags of stalag- 

 mite — the debris of the successive formations — were strewed about and 

 partially inserted in the latest crust now actually accumulating. In one 

 place the crust went bodily down entire with the loam it covered ; in 

 another it may be seen extending across in the form of a bridge ; in more 

 places it was shattered to pieces and reversed." 



The observations made by the superintendents of the present explora- 

 tion harmonise well with Mr. Mac Enery's description just quoted. The 

 deposit found in the Undervault must be regarded as an uncertain mix- 

 ture of cave-earth and breccia, probably washed confusedly together by 

 water descending rapidly, and at intervals, to the lower levels. The total 

 number of "finds" met with was 35, of which by far the greater num. 

 ber were not more than 2 feet below the surface. They included 47 teeth 

 of bear, 33 of hyaena, and 2 of fox, numerous bones and fragments of 

 bone, 1 chert flake, and the greater portion of a large quartzite pebble. 

 Many of the teeth, of both bear and hyaena, were in jaws or portions of 

 jaws. 



Amongst noteworthy specimens may be mentioned the right lower jaw 

 of a hyasna (No. 7101), which contains all the teeth with the exception of 

 two of the incisors, the outer and inner, and is almost perfect ; whereas 

 most of the jaws of the hyaenine deposits in Kent's Hole are more or 

 less mutilated, having lost the condyles, or the lower border, or both. It 

 was found within a foot of the surface, with 1 tooth of bear, a vertebra 

 of the same hue as the jaw, and several bone chips, on November 3, 1877. 



No. 7129, also a right lower jaw of hyaena, and a fine specimen, has 

 lost its condyles and all the incisors, but is otherwise perfect. The teeth, 

 however, have seen more service than those in the jaw described pre- 

 viously. It was found with 4 detached teeth of hyaena, and several 

 bones, in the second foot-level, on November 4, 1877. 



In striking contrast to the two foregoing specimens is a portion of a 

 left lower jaw of hyaena (No. 7131), which, whilst it retains all the molar 

 teeth, has lost its condyles and lower border, and is thus in a condition 

 much more characteristic of the Cavern. It was found, with a canine 

 tooth of fox and several bones, in the first foot-level on November 7, 

 1877. 



The "find" No. 7234 included part of the left lower jaw of bear, 

 containing the canine and 2 molar teeth, and a detached tooth of bear ; 

 and was found in the second foot-level on December 11, 1877. This was 

 the last " find " met with in the Undervault. 



The chert flake (No. 7102) is of a dark grey colour, has a pentagonal 

 outline, and was in all probability produced artificially. It was found, 

 with a canine tooth of fox and pieces of bone, in the first foot-level, on 

 November 3, 1877. 



The fragment of a quartzite pebble mentioned above (No. 7119) is 

 more than half of a well-rounded ellipsoidal mass, weighing nearly 3 lbs. 

 avoir. It was met with in the second foot-level, without any object of 

 interest near it, on November 19, 1877 ; and does not bear any traces of 

 having been used as a li hammer stone." The exploration of the Under- 

 vault ended on December 17, 1877. 



