ON ARCH^OLOaiCAL INVESTIGATIONS IN MALTA. 



299 



stalagmitic formations and stalactites were embedded between them 

 and the whole was conglomerated by a loamy red earth, mmgled with 

 whitish dust and bits of clay. The animal remains met with in this 

 layer consisted of a few stag bones. 



We come now to the sixth layer, which may be the last. Its depth 

 cannot yet be given, as it still continues further down ;_ four feet or 

 more of it have, however, already been excavated. It is difficult to 

 give a good account of this layer, as, properly speaking, there is no 

 stratification in it. On one side we find pm-e clay, on another we 

 find dust and coarse sand intermingled with it; in some parts we meet 

 again with the usual red earth, which at this level is rather clayey, and 



so on. . 7 7- J 



In this layer the remains of the two hippopotami {Hip. •penilayidt and 

 H. minor) appeared; with them, however, v^ere associated the remains 

 of elephants (E. mnaidrensis) and stags. 



The remains of the hippopotami and elephants which can be well 

 identified consist chiefly of molars and tusks; those of the stags of 

 fragments of antlers. The other bones are in such a fragmentary state 

 that no more can be said about them than that they belong to either 

 the hippopotam.us or to the elephant. They are very black, very 

 heavy, and much rounded, and at first sight rather difficult to dis- 

 tinguish from the pebbles with which they are also associated. The 

 pebbles here are of various colours and consistency, and very much 

 like the pebbles found all along the beach of Marsascirocco harbour; 

 with them some bits of stalactites are to be met with; these, too, are 

 perfectly rounded, showing that, like the bones, they have undergone a 

 good deal of rolling about. Among these pebbles, the majority of 

 which are not more than four inches in diameter, some rounded 

 boulders of very hard stone were met with, some of these being as 

 much as 1-^ foot in diameter. 



This is, of course, only a preliminary report on the animal remains 

 found during these excavations, and as they consist of several thousands 

 of bones, it is quite clear that a considerable time is required for the 

 compilation of a detailed report. The want of specimens for com- 

 parison is also to be taken into consideration, as well as the fact that 

 consequently some of the specimens will have to be sent to the British 

 Museum for identification. Amongst these species hitherto unknown 

 in this locality might also be found. 



The most important fragments of pottery found during these excava- 

 tions were the following: — 



(1) A sherd of a reddish and poorly baked clay having two lines very 

 roughly incised upon it; its thickness is nearly f inch, and it was found 

 at 1^ foot from the surface. 



(2) Another fragment of a blackish and red colour, having a slip on 

 the inside and on the outside a line of very coarse ornaments, probably 

 done by means of the thumb nail. The thickness is the same as that 

 of (1), but (2) was found one foot lower down. 



(3) A fragment of very poorly baked clay having bits of shells in it ; 

 the inside is very rough and of a blackish colour on the outside; 

 however, there is a thin coating of a buff colour, which seems to be of 



