of the Balearic Islands. 341 



a number together. This condition of the bones in a soft matrix 

 pointed to their not being in their original place of deposition. 



In the extreme east of Mallorca lies a considerable tract of 

 uninhabited and mountainous country. It is composed of a Jurassic 

 Limestone and culminates in Cabo de Faruch, which forms the 

 eastern horn of the Bay of Alcudia. A little to the south-east of this 

 a rocky point jutting into the sea has its face pierced by about six 

 or seven grottoes and cavities known as Cuevas de los Colombs, 

 No. 5 of the list. The lowest of these, shown in PI. XXV, Fig. 1, 

 was not more than 15 feet above the sea, and the series of openings 

 continued in a steeply ascending line for a distance of 50 or 80 yards. 

 The floors of the uppermost ones were covered with dry sand, but 

 it was only in the lower that any ossiferous remains were observed. 

 It can be seen from the accompanying photograph that the cliff 

 face had evidently broken away, leaving the caves exposed to the 

 action of the waves. In winter these break in with great violence 

 and have effectually destroyed the stalagmitic and ossiferous flooring 

 formerly present. Fragments of this were found only in holes and 

 crevices protected from the full force of the breakers. 



The highest point at which mammalian remains occurred was 

 in the only portiou left of the main cave floor deposit. A section 

 showed this to consist of a layer of earth and some bones 4 to 5 feet 

 thick surmounted by one of red earth a foot or more in depth ; its 

 surface was protected by 4 to 6 inches of stalagmitic crust. Almost 

 all the remains obtained were procured from two 'pockets' in the 

 inner wall of one of the chambers. The openings to these were 

 small and insignificant and gave no indication of the enclosed 

 deposits. On the entrance to one being enlarged, it was found 

 to run in for a distance of slightly over 6 feet, and was filled almost 

 to its roof by a deposit of mammalian remains in a wet red earth 

 covered by stalagmite f of an inch thick. The second ' pocket ' 

 was entirely filled with a very similar deposit, though here bones 

 of birds and rodents were more plentiful, especially in the upper part 

 of the cavity. The remains were chiefly those of Ifi/otragus ; raany 

 scattered fragments of pine charcoal ' occurred and several pharynges 

 of the wrasse with their rows of teeth were also obtained. 



Two days were spent on the small island of Cabrera off the south 

 coast of Mallorca, where several caves were visited, but no ossiferous 

 remains were encountered. 



II. Menoeca. 



A third visit to the Balearic Islands was made possible in the 

 autumn of 1911 by the receipt of a grant from the Trustees of the 

 Percy Sladen Memorial Fund. On this occasion the primary object 

 was to search for Pleistocene mammalian deposits in the suudler 

 islands of Menorca and Ibiza, from which no ossiferous remains 

 had been previously reported. 



Ten days were first spent in Ibiza, which is a hilly island with 

 a greatest length of 41 and a breadth of 20 kilometres. Many 

 caves were visited, but no trace of any ossiferous deposit was 

 discovered here. 

 ^ These were kindly examined and identified for me by Miss E. Loraine Smith. 



