D)\ R. F. Scharjf, etc. — Exploration of Kesh Caves. 509 



Hence it becomes a point of much importance to determine 

 whether the caves contain any deposits of older date than the Glacial 

 Period, and this point deserves especial prominence in any future 

 exploration. The yellow clay with chert, the lowest deposit 

 discovered, is not a true ' Boulder-clay.' It seems to be such 

 material as miglit be derived from the solution of the limestone 

 mixed with sand and mud from the waters entering the cave from 

 without. We were not satisfied that this clay was older than the 

 gravel deposit. No fossils having as yet been found in the yellow 

 clay, the question as to its relation to the Glacial Period is at present 

 of geological interest only, and no palseontological point is involved. 



If a fossiliferous deposit were discovered below the yellow clay 

 it would be of much scientific interest. That pre-glacially filled 

 fissures may occur in the Carboniferous Limestones in this country 

 is shown by the presence of an earth-filled fissure overlain by 

 Boulder-clay in a limestone quarry at Howth, which one of us 

 examined recently, but without noticing any fossils in it. 



A block and cone of crystalline stalagmite were found in the clay 

 in the Water Gallery, but these were the only examples noticed 

 of this ancient form of stalagmite which had evidently been broken 

 up in this cave. 



The lower portion of the clay seemed to be devoid of bones as 

 well as of any relics of man, but in the upper portion of this deposit 

 we found animal remains, including a human tooth ; and a little 

 charcoal was met with in four different spots. This strongly 

 contrasted with the abundance of the latter material, which was 

 everywhere present in the upper stratum ; and even these few traces 

 of it must be mentioned with caution, as burrowing animals may 

 have penetrated into the clay, and thus might have transmitted into 

 it some bits of charcoal from the upper stratum. Remains of 

 domestic animals, so abundant in the latter, were virtually absent 

 from the clay, a bone or two of ox and of goat being all the relics in 

 it assignable to those mammals. The pig was, however, represented 

 in four places. 



The characteristic animal throughout this stratum was the brown 

 bear, whose bones and separated teeth numbered sixty at least, and 

 occurred in all parts of the cave, becoming more frequent in the 

 inner galleries. Fox was found in fourteen places, hare in seven, 

 red deer in four, rabbit in three, wolf in at least one instance, 

 and lemming once (at the entrance), while frog and field-mouse 

 occurred repeatedly. 



We sank deep sections in several parts of the cave, with the result 

 that it was found to narrow downwards and was filled in that 

 direction with barren clay, which became yellow and tenacious as 

 the rock was approached in our excavations. Near the cave's mouth 

 large quantities of yellow clay were found, and it may be proper to 

 treat it as a separate deposit distinct from the brown sandy clay. 

 No drift stones have been noticed in the yellow clay. 



It will be seen from this report that during the deposition of the 

 upper strata the Plunkett Cave was inhabited for a long time by 



