94 Correspondence — Mr. E. T. Neivton — Mr, A. B. Wynne. 



together with an additional 69 feet, mostly of clay, subsequently 

 cut through, were, for reasons given, assigned to the Wealden series 

 and probably to the Hastings beds. The results of these additional 

 details went to show (1) that, though the Lower Greensand itself was 

 rather thicker at Chatham than at Dover, comprising two divisions, 

 the Folkestone and the Sandgate beds at the former place, and only 

 the Sandgate at the latter, the Lower Cretaceous beds, as a whole, 

 were much thinner at Chatham, owing to the disappearance of the 

 Wealden series ; and (2) that in passing to the eastward the Weald 

 clay thinned out before the Hastings beds, instead of the reverse, 

 which was previously suggested. — The Strood and Lydd sections were 

 merely of importance as furnishing details. The paper concluded 

 with some remarks on the best site for additional borings at Dover, 

 in order to prove the deeper-lying rocks. 



coiiK-ssiPOisriDsisroE! 



THE FFYNON BEUNO CAYE. 



Sir, — So much interest has been shown in the Ffynon Beuno 

 Cave, and especially in the determination of the age of the bed from 

 which Dr. Hicks and Mr. Luxmoore obtained the flint implement, 

 that I trust you will allow me space in the Geological Magazine 

 for a few remarks on the mammalian remains which have been 

 found, and concerning which, as it seems to me. Dr. Hicks is under 

 a misapprehension. In a note to Dr. Hicks's paper, published in the 

 December Number of this Magazine (p. 667), he alludes to a 

 remark made by Prof. Hughes on the same subject (November, 

 p. 492), and says: "Prof. Hughes's palgeontological argument is 

 found on examination to be almost equally inapplicable, as a very 

 large proportion of the animals occur in the Norfolk Forest Bed, 

 which is acknowledged by all to be of Pre-Glacial age. The fact 

 that some others have not been found in the caverns probably indicates 

 that they did not migrate into the area." 



The evidence to be derived from the list of mammals given by 

 Dr. Hicks on p. 571 would certainly lead one to the conclusion that 

 the deposits, from which they were obtained, were of Pleistocene 

 age. It is quite true that most of these species have been found in 

 the Pre-Glacial Forest Bed of Norfolk, and it is probable that others 

 of them will yet be found ; although at present the Lion, Eeindeer, 

 and Woolly Ehinoceros are conspicuously absent from the Forest 

 Bed fauna. On the other hand, the whole of these Ffynon Beuno 

 cave mammals are met with in acknowledged Pleistocene deposits. 

 And further, it must be remembered, that the forms which are common 

 to the Ffynon Beuno cave and the Forest Bed are those which link 

 on the Forest Bed to the Pleistocene times ; and not those which are 

 characteristic of the Pre-Glacial fauna. This brings us to another, 

 and perhaps the most important point, and that is the entire absence 

 of characteristic Pre-Glacial forms from the Ffynon Beuno cave. 



Some of the most characteristic species of the Pre-Glacial Forest 

 Bed are Rhinoceros Etrusciis, Trogontlierium Cuvieri, Myogale moschata, 

 ElepJias meridionalis, and several large Deer such as Cervus Sedgivickii, 



