TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION C. 885 



A. Cave nearly filled by torrents with local gravel containing water-worn 

 fragments of mammalian teeth. 



B. Formation of stalagmite floor. 



c. Last few yards of floor broken up and re-deposited further down the cave 

 by floods, which completely filled lower portion with sand and clay. 



D. Denudation of rock above, destroying roof of upper portion and depositing 

 limestone debris on floor in a matrix of clay. 



E. Introduction of striated stones and northern and western erratics, which are 

 deposited as one bed over the hill-side. 



5. Further Exploration of the Fermanagh Caves.^ 

 By Thomas Plunkett, Enniskillen. 



The original report above referred to having been drawn up and read by me at 

 Dublin in 1878, and in which I stated that ' the explorations were suspended after 

 the exploration of F cave, as the probability is that none of the caves in this 

 district will yield bones of extinct mammalia.' 



I spent three summers exploring the caverns which penetrate the Carboniferous 

 Limestone hills in Fermanagh, in which 1 found flint implements, bone, bronze, and 

 iron pins, a large cinerary urn inverted over burnt human bones, human skulls, 

 ancient hearths, &c., also quantities of the bones of the wild horse, red deer, long- 

 snouted pig, ox and remains of other animals not extinct. Having explored a 

 number of caves in this county previous to my reading thereportreferred to above, 

 I came to the conclusion that remains of extinct mammalia were not likely to be 

 found in this locality. Now, on the contrary, I am glad to be in a position to 

 report that I have been fortunate in finding an entire cranium of what I believe is 

 the great cave bear ( Ursjzs spelceus) in one of the Knockmore caverns which pene- 

 trates a clifl" not far from the caverns I formerly explored, and is a narrow cleft 

 with vertical sides. The height of the cave is about 40 feet, and length 90 feet. 

 When standing at the extreme end of this cleft-cavern one may observe at the top 

 of one of the sides an opening which is evidently the end of a horizontal cave 

 which runs at right angles into the top of the cave in question ; a good deal of 

 debris has been during heavy rains washed out of the higher cave down into the 

 lower one ; in this debris, the cave bear's head was found, and I have no doubt but, 

 when explored, the higher cave will yield more remains of the skeleton of the bear 

 and possibly other extinct animals. 



1 have commenced excavations on the top of the rock, and hope to find the 

 upper or horizontal cavern (which cannot be reached from the narrow cave below) 

 which formerly must have had an opening out to the surface of the ground, and 

 probably has been filled up level with the surface for the protection of cattle. 



I thought it well to have this find in Fermanagh recorded in the proceedings of 

 the British Association, and I shall be happy to report to the Association next year 

 the results of the cave digging which I am carrying on here at present. 



6. Meport on Remains of the Irish Elk in the Isle oj Man. 

 See Reports, p. 548. 



7. Report on the Erratic Blocks of the British Isles. — See Reports, p. 552. 



8. Report on Seismological Investigation. — See Reports, p. 179. 



See Report, 1878, pp. 183-185. 



