BRITISH ASSOCIATION, &C. 315 



LIVEEPOOL MEETING of the BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 



At this meeting, the " Sixth Eeport of the Explorations in Kent's 

 Caveen," was presented by Mr. Pengelly, F.E.S. 



It has been stated in previous reports that Kent's Cavern consists of an 

 eastern and a western division, each composed of a series of chambers and 

 galleries ; that it has two entrances, wliich are about 50 feet apart, 200 feet 

 above the mean sea level, from 60 feet to 70 feet above the bottom of the valley 

 in the same vertical plane, situated in one and tlae same low vertical cliff in 

 the eastern side of the hill, and which open at once into different branches 

 of the eastern division ; that the labours of the committee had been 

 restricted to the eastern division, the different branches of which were known 

 as the North-east Gallery, the Vestibule or Sloping Chamber, the 

 Gallery, the Lecture Hall, the South-West Chamber, the Water 

 Gallery, and the North and South Sally-Ports. In their fifth report 

 (Exeter, 1869) the committee stated that, with the exception of the 

 last two, the exploration of the entire series had been completed to 

 the depth of four feet below the stalagmitic floor, without, however, 

 reaching the bottom of the cavern ; and that some progress had been 

 made in the South Sally-Port. The Sally-Ports were so named by the late 

 Eev. J. M'Enery, who firmly believed that if excavated they would be 

 found to lead to new external openings in the eastern slope of the hill, 

 through which burrowing animals, foxes especially, found ready access to the 

 body of the cavern. The year which has elapsed since the last statement of 

 progress lias been spent in the exploration of these branches and their 

 ramifications, the characters and contents of which formed the topics of the 

 present report. The South Sally-Port has its entrance in the eastern wall of 

 the Lecture Hall, its direction being to the south-east. With its ramifica- 

 tions, it occupies a space of 80 feet east and west, and 40 feet north and 

 south ; its width varies from 21 to 2 feet, averaging about 10 feet. There is 

 no indication of its leading to any external opening. At 50 feet from the 

 entrance the succession of deposits was — 1, red cave earth, 12 to 21 inches ; 

 2, stalagmite floor, 1 to 24 inches ; Sheave earth of unknown depth, but ex- 

 ceeding 5 feet. Besides a large number of bones, including several of birds, 

 a few of fish, and portions of antlers, the yield of teeth amounted to 1 ,400 

 specimens, the percentages of which were : — Horse, 29 ; hyena, 27 ; rhino- 

 ceros, 11 ; bear, 8 ; sheep, 7 ; badger, 3 ; fox, 3 ; rabbit, 3 ; elephant, 2 ; 

 deer, 2; lion, 2; ox, 10; wolf, 1 ; hare, 1; dog, 1; pig, L In this part of 

 the cavern 21 flint implements were found, one at 55 feet from the entrance, 

 in association with remains of horse and rhinoceros, in the cave earth. The 

 North Sally-Port has its entrance in the east wall of the Great Chamber. All 

 that was known about it when tlie committee commenced its exploration 

 was the existence of a rude tunnel aboi^t 27 feet, and 8 feet by 6 feet in 

 height and breadth. The excavations have shewn that it had an external 

 as well as an internal mouth. The former, just discovered, is under the 

 debris of the hill-side, and 140 feet away from the inner mouth. The yield 

 of recognizable teeth is above 2,600, the percentages being : — Hyena, 31 : 

 horse, 31 ; rhinoceros, 16 ; deer, including Irish elk and reindeer, 6 ; badger, 

 4 ; rabbit, 2 ; elephant, 2 ; ox, 2 ; lion, 2 ; bear, 2 ; fox, 1 ; beaver, 1 ; wolf, 

 1 ; dog (?), 1 ; cat, 1 ; sheep, 1. Birds' bones and flint implements were 

 also found. Taken as a whole, the ' finds ' in these series of excavations are 

 considered to be superior to those found in any previous year. 



