399 



Vertebrae possessing the peculiar characters^ of having the centre of 

 the body diminished one half in its transverse and vertical diameters 

 so as to resemble an hour-glass j of a suture connecting the annular 

 part or body with the processes 3 and in the extremities of the ver- 

 tebrae being deeply concave. These characters the author conceives 

 distinguish the fossil vertebrae from those of all recent Saurians. ' 



A nearly perfect chevron bone ; ribs, one flat and imperfect, the 

 other round with a double head and a deep intercostal groove ; a cla- 

 vicle ; portions of coracoids ; a humerus, the articulatory extremities 

 of which expand to nearly three times the diameter of the centre of 

 the bone ; a humerus 7 inches long, 2 inches broad at the superior 

 extremity, and 1^ at its inferior ; two femurs, one nearly perfect', 

 being 1 inches in length ; part of an ischium ; a tibia j a fibula • 

 metacarpal or metatarsal bones, with penultimate and ungueal pha- 

 langes. 



In conclusion the authors state that these remains afford further 

 proof of the truth that the more ancient the strata the more the ani- 

 mal remains differ from existing types. 



A memoir was afterwards read, " On the Ossiferous Cavern of 

 Yealm B idge, 6 miles south-east from Plymouth." By Capt. Mudge, 

 Royal Engineers, F.G.S., F.R.S., &c. 



This cavern is situated in a mass of limestone adjoining the village 

 of Yealmpton, near Yealm Bridge, and on the south side of the river. 

 It has been long known, and though large quantities of the bones 

 have been burnt in the limekiln, yet it was not till lately that its con-^ 

 tents attracted the attention of the scientific observer. Mr. Bellamy, 

 of Yealmpton, first detected their value, and Capt. Mudge in a visit 

 to Devonshire in the autumn of last year collected the information 

 detailed in the memoir. " There were originally three openings into 

 the cave, each about 12 feet above the river Yealm, and a few yards 

 distant from each other. Large portions of the rock being removed 

 for economical purposes, a considerable part of the cavern has been 

 destroyed, and at the time of Capt. Mudge's visit portions of only the 

 eastern and western chambers remained. The former consisted of a 

 descending shaft to the depth of 10 feet, which turned at right angles 

 and again ascended to the surface, both the descent and the ascent 

 being at an angle of 45°. Of the western cavern, a portion remained 

 uninjured. Prom the present opening it takes a northerly direction 

 for 43 feet, the height varying from 5 to 6 feet, and the breadth from 



4 to 5. It then turns westerly for 25 feet, the height varying from 



5 to 12 feet, and the breadth from 34- to 5. The cave contained five, 

 distinct, sedimentary deposits, and where they did not fill it to the 

 roof the uppermost bed was covered by a layer of stalagmite. The 

 order of the deposits was as follows : 



Top. Loam, containing bones and stones 34- feet. 



Stiff whitish clay 24- 



Sand 6 



Red clay 3^ 



Argillaceous sand 6 to 18. 



VOL. II. 2 D 



