494 OSSIFEROUS CAVE OF BRIXHAM. 



of confounding the remains of different levels, which is apt 

 to take place in excavating cave-bottoms vertically down to 

 the rock-floor, and which has vitiated the results obtained in 

 many other cave explorations, more especially in regard of 

 the contested position of human industrial remains. The 

 excavations were commenced on the 14th July, by Mr. 

 Keeping, of the Isle of Wight, deputed by Mr. Prestwich for 

 the purpose ; and they have been conducted with such vigour 

 and success, that within six weeks the stalagmitic floor of 

 the ' Reindeer Gallery,' together with the ochreous cave- 

 earth deposits below it, was entirely broken up, and the floor 

 of the ' Flint-knife Gallery,' explored from its interior 

 termination at (G) to the external ' Central Entrance ' (B) . 

 The ' Pen Gallery ' (H H) was also laid open from its com- 

 mencement on to the ' Big Chamber ' (I) ; and on a rough 

 estimate, about 1,500 bones were exhumed between the 14th 

 July and the 23rd of August. 



3. Successive Floor-deposits. — We are able to enter on 

 this part of the subject only in a general way, having taken 

 no precise measurements of the incomplete sections at differ- 

 ent intervals in the galleries. Where all the deposits are 

 present, the following section was yielded : 



1. Layer of Stalagmite, of irregular thickness. 



2. Cave-earth (ochreous) with Limestone Breccia. 



3. Ochreous Cave-earth, with comminuted Shale. 



4. Rounded Gravel ; depth undetermined. 

 Occasional waterworn pebbles were found mingled with the 

 organic remains in the upper deposit of Cave-earth No. 2. 

 The drip from the roof, in wet weather, is copious in all the 

 fissure galleries (like E E), and the floor in these cases is 

 covered with a cake of stalagmite ; while in the intersecting 

 tunnel-gallery (F F), there is little or no drip from the roof, 

 and the surface of the cave-earth is uncovered. 



4. Organic Remains. — Mr. Pengelly estimates that about 

 1,500 bones had been exhumed during the first six weeks of 

 the workings. A large number of these, however, belong to 

 skeletons of small animals, like the rabbit and fox, found 

 near the surface. We consider that the great harvest of 

 remains will be found hi the low-level deposits, which have 

 not yet been penetrated. Remains of the following animals 

 were identified by Dr. Falconer. 



Rhinoceros tichorhinus. Detached upper and lower molars, 

 in considerable numbers, of young and old animals, and an 

 astragalus, bearing distinct marks of superficial gnawing, 

 dug up in our presence. 



Bos. Species undetermined ; teeth, jaws, and other 

 bones. 



