282 Reports and Proceedings. 
portions of the horns of Deer occur. These latter are much broken, 
and do not afford sufficient character to make out the species abso- 
lutely. They seem, however, to belong to two forms, one of which 
had the beam and branches smooth and subcompressed—features 
which indicate the antlers of the Reindeer; and the other with the 
horns rounded and rough, a form of surface which marks the antlers 
of the common Stag. Of these antlers two portions, which appear 
to have appertained to the Reindeer, have been cut while in a fresh 
state; and, the faces of the cuts being almost smooth, this cutting 
seems to have been effected by a fine regular-edged instrument, ~ 
rather than by a serrated tool. The leg-bones which occur in this 
clay have all been broken, for the most part longitudinally, except the 
carpal, metacarpal, tarsal, metatarsal, and small bones of the foot. 
This longitudinal fracturing of the long bones of the leg is not 
known to occur in any mammalian remains which belong to a period 
previous to that when we have evidence of the existence of the 
human race; and these broken bones afford evidence of the occur- 
rence of man, who, for the purpose of obtaining the marrow, divided 
these bones in the direction most available for this object. Besides 
evidence of the existence of Man as afforded by the cut antlers and 
longitudinally split bones, there are other circumstances indicating 
his occurrence in connection with these remains—one of these, the 
presence of charred wood, which is equally disseminated through 
the clay with the bones and teeth. This charred wood is the 
remains of the ancient fires by means of which former human 
beings cooked their food; and there also occur equally scattered 
through the clay detached valves of the common Oyster, upon which 
Man also had fed. 
The circumstances and conditions under which the several animal 
remains and charred wood are found here fully justify the inference 
that the cavity in the limestone, in which the clay is now seen, was 
formerly an open cave, frequented by an ancient race of Men, whose 
food consisted of a wild, and now extinct, form of Ox; and also of 
two species of Deer, one of which is now confined to a colder cli- 
mate than now prevails in the British Isles. This food seems also 
to have been varied by Oysters. The clay which now fills up this 
cave appears to have been introduced from above by means of water 
percolating through the fissures which are so abundant in the lime- 
stone here. 
We met with no remains of the implements belonging to this 
ancient Cave-race. This is, however, easily accounted for, as merely 
the contents of the upper portion of the mud have been brought to 
light. Future excavations towards the floor of the cave would most 
probably afford the stone instruments and weapons of this ancient 
people. 
Several objects of antiquity were exhibited and described, by the 
President and others. 
Mr. Robert Day, jun., was elected President for the ensuing year; 
Mr. Joseph Wright, F.G.S., and Professor Harkness, F.R.S., Vice- 
presidents.— Cork Constitution, May 5, 1865. 
