508 OSSIFEROUS CAVES OF GOWER. 



B. hemitoechus. One of the lower jaw-fragments of this 

 species, from this deposit, exhibits a rolled Litorina and specks 

 of comminuted shells embedded in the encrusting gritty 

 matrix. Shells of Clausilia nigricans with Litorince were 

 yielded by other specimens. 



Working inwards the sand disappears, and the section 

 yielded : (1) above, a bed of loose strong breccia of varying 

 thickness ; (2) cave earth, 18 inches ; and (3) black unc- 

 tuous sandy loam, 1 foot. Nothing was met with correspond- 

 ing to the repeated alternation of the beds of stalagmite 

 with the other deposits, seen in ' Bacon Hole.' The stalag- 

 mite was accumulated in local masses and not spread out in 

 horizontal sheets. A large and very important series of 

 Mammalian remains was exhumed from the interior of the 

 cavern, chiefly from the shelving floor close to the western 

 wall, near the middle and back part of the cavern. They 

 occurred alike in the marine sand at the bottom and in the 

 black sandy loam overlying it. As a general rule, they were 

 closely analogous to those met with in ' Bacon Hole.' It is not 

 my intention, on the present occasion, to go into details on 

 the genera and species. As regards the Pachydermata, 

 Elephant remains were fewer, and Rhinoceros remains much 

 more numerous and important as specimens, than in ' Bacon 

 Hole.' 



(h.) Organic Remains. — Among the Elephant bones was a 

 specimen comprising the anterior two-thirds of the left 

 ramus of the lower jaw of a very young calf showing the 

 empty alveoli of the three milk molars. This specimen shows 

 superficial marks of gnawing. Among the molars were two 

 very perfect and characteristic specimens, both of Elephas 

 antiguus, the one being an upper true molar, presenting 15 

 ridges to a length of crown of about 8^ inches, and the 

 other a lower molar of the right side, showing 16 ridges on 

 a crown 10 inches long. These two teeth probably belonged 

 to the same individual. The discs of wear presented the 

 peculiar characters of Elephas antiguus in a very perfect 

 manner; namely, the discs of considerable width and the 

 enamel plates comparatively thick, with well pronounced 

 undulations. As in ' Bacon Hole,' not a specimen of Ele- 

 phant was here observed referable to Elephas primigenius. 



The remains of Rhinoceros in Minchin Hole were nume- 

 rous, and proved the presence of several individuals, of all 

 ages. Among these were two adult crania, of which one was 

 exhumed in a very perfect state of integrity, from the occi- 

 pital condyles to the incisive border. It had belonged to an 

 old animal ; the series of molars was present on either side, 

 and I am assured by Colonel Wood, in the most positive 



