496 OSSIFEEOUS CAVE OF BKIXHAM. 



into the cavern by different agencies. Schmeriing discovered 

 in the caves of Engis and Chokier, near Liege, well-marked 

 ' flint-knives ' and arrow-heads, mingled in the ochreous 

 mud and gravel with the bones of extinct Mammalia, which, 

 he inferred, had been washed in by the agency of running 

 water ; these included Mammoth, Rhinoceros, and Hycena. 

 Delpon and Jouanet have made corresponding observations 

 as to a similar mixture in the caves of Quercy and Perigord. 

 Marcel de Serres, De Christol, Tournal, and Dumas have 

 inferred the same in numerous caves in the south of France. 

 The attention of Mr. Pengelly has been closely directed to a 

 careful and minute observation of the circumstances of the 

 association in the Brixharn Cavern. The results of the 

 exploration of each day are carefully put aside and labelled ; 

 and it may be anticipated that data will be arrived at for 

 settling the disputed question of the contemporaneous intro- 

 duction, or otherwise, of the supposed human industrial 

 objects into the cavern along with the remains of the extinct 

 Mammalia. 



6. One result of great interest has already been brought 

 out, namely, the superposition of undoubted remains of the 

 Reindeer, above the so-called ' Mint-knives,' from which 

 the inference arises that the Reindeer continued to be an 

 inhabitant of Britain after the appearance of man in the 

 island. A fine horn of a Reindeer, nearly perfect, from the 

 basal ' burr ' to the terminal branches of the beam, and 

 presenting a bez-antler 17 inches long, terminating in pal- 

 mated snags, was discovered superficially embedded in the 

 stalagmite, close to the ' Ebur chasm' ; near the same place 

 a ' flint-knife ' was brought up from the ochreous earth, thirty 

 inches below the stalagmite. Professor Owen has noticed 

 the occurrence of Reindeer remains in the ' Ash-hole 

 Cavern,' of Berry Head, explored by the Rev. Mr. Lyte. 

 Dr. Falconer has identified skulls of the same species, found 

 in the Mendip Caverns ; and Major Wood, of Stout Hall, has 

 discovered skulls of it, in the caves of Spritsail-Tor and 

 Paviland, in Gower. In these instances there was no indica- 

 tion of their association with man ; but in the Brixharn 

 Cavern the evidence, so far as it goes, clearly tends to show 

 that tbe antler in question was one of the latest introductions 

 into the cavern, before the ' Dyer's Entrance ' was blocked 

 up by rubbish, and long subsequent to the entombment of 

 the objects called ' Flint-knives.' 



7. On the whole, we consider the progress made to be 

 highly satisfactory, and the promise of future result to be so 

 encouraging- as to merit the best efforts of the committee to 

 provide the means for following up the excavations. The 



