| Notice and Review of the Reliquiae Diluvianae. 159 
lay a coat of soft mud, or loam, ‘“‘ covering entirely its 
whole bottom, to the average depth of about a foot, and 
concealing the subjacent rock, or actual floor of the ca- 
vern.”” This mud is an argillaceous and slightly mica- 
ceous loam, composed of such particles as would easily be 
suspended in water, and is mixed with much calcareous 
matter. Above this mud, was a second crust, or plate of 
stalagmite, shooting over its surface, like ice upon water, 
or cream ona pan of milk. It did not extend, however, 
over the whole surface of the mud. In this mud, which 
contained no pebbles, and in the stalagmite beneath it, 
were found a large quantity of the bones of various ani- 
mals, mixed confusedly together, and, almost without ex- 
ception, broken into angular fragments and splinters of eve- 
ry size. They are in a high state of preservation, most 
of their-original gelatine being preserved. Those, how- 
ever, that lay at the bottom, and had probably been in the 
cave a long time previous to the introduction of the mud, 
were In various stages of decomposition. Not a fragment 
of the bones had the appearance of being worn by the ac- 
tion of water. | 
_ The genera of animals, identified in the Kirkdale cave, 
are twenty three : viz. the Hyaena, Tiger, Bear, Wolf, 
Fox, Weasel, Elephant, Rhinoceros, Hippopotamus, Horse, 
Ox, Deer, (3 species) Hare, Rabbit, Water-rat, Mouse, 
Raven, Pigeon, Lark, Duck and Partridge. Most of these 
belong to extinct species. 
Professor Buckland’s attention was drawn to this sub- 
ject by observing, that some of the hyzenas’ bones, pre- 
sented to him from this cave, were worn down in a very 
peculiar manner, very differently from the effect which 
would have been produced by water. He immediately 
conjectured that these bones came froma den of those ani 
mals, and that the wear and polish they exhibited, had. 
been produced by the repeated tread of living hyenas 
over them; and if so, that this animal, confined at present 
to warm climates, must once have been an inhabitant of 
Yorkshire. Invited by such interesting motives he has- 
tened to Kirkdale to examine the cave and not only did he 
find, in the local circumstances, abundant confirmation of 
this.opinion, but also many striking evidences of the Noa- 
chian deluge. If we fail in giving an abstract of the facts 
