705 
posite coast of Barbary; on the table summit of the Gebel Ataka 
range, on the west coast of the Red Sea, and in the granite rocks 
of Mount Sinai; and he refers them to diluvial action. Lastly, he 
refers to a remarkable funnel-shaped cavity at Malta, described by 
the Hon. Mr. Frere*, and ascribed by that author to a rush of water 
pouring down the cavity, though there are now no signs whence 
such body of water was derived. 
Three Notices by.Mr. J. Phillips, and communicated by J. Taylor, 
Esq., Treas. G.S., were then read. 
1. The first of these communications gives an account of the Cave 
of Cuernavaca or Cacaguamilpas, thirty-two leagues S.S. W. from the 
city of Mexico, or sixteen from the town of Cuernavaca. It is si- 
tuated in a range of limestone hills, and is of vast extent. A de- 
scent of fifty feet conducts from the entrance to the floor of the ca- 
vern, which for some distance is tolerably level, though covered with 
the debris of the limestone to a considerable depth; but the pro- 
gress of the visitor is afterwards greatly impeded by huge piles of 
rocks apparently fallen from above. Enormous and fantastic sta- 
lactites and stalagmites abound on every side. At a spot where 
the cavern separates into two great branches, the height was esti- 
mated by means of rockets to exceed 200 feet; and ‘the depth of 
the left branch is stated to be at least half a ville but the right 
branch had not been explored. 
With reference to the statement of a writer on Mexico + that he 
did not expect to see many caverns, if any, and that he had met 
with very little limestone, Mr. Phillips observes, that besides the 
great cavern of Cacaguamilpas, there are several in the district of 
El Doctor ; and that limestone abounds in various parts of Mexico, 
occurring, besides the range of hills noticed above, at Atotomilco el 
Grande, north of the city of Mexico; at La Calera, on the road to 
Guanaxuato ; also near Xeres in the state of Zacaticas, and at Bo- 
lanos in the state of Xalisco. Fossils are said by the author to be 
very rare in Mexico, but he obtained a species of Astrza in the 
limestone of El] Doctor. 
2. The second notice was on the remains of elephants, and on an 
ancient causeway near Mexico. The waters of the lake having 
permanently subsided to some distance from the Hacienda of Cha- 
pingo, the proprietor commenced a canal to restore the communi- 
cation. ‘Twelve feet below the surface an ancient causeway was 
discovered, and two or tbree feet lower the fossil elephant; and other 
similar remains are said to have been afterwards obtained. Hum- 
boldt, in his ‘ Essai Politique,’ mentions the discovery of fossil bones 
of elephants in cutting the great drainage canal of Mexico ; the only 
new fact therefore, the author states, ieee his communication con- 
tains, is the finding of the causeway, an indication of difference of 
level in former times. 
* Edin. Phil. Journ., January 1837, p, 23. 
+ Silliman’s Journal, vol. xvi. p. 159. 
VOL, U1, PART II. FNM! 
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