THE ANTIQUITY OF MAN. 123 



bone-cave was discovered at Brixbaio, tbree or four miles west of 

 Torquay, to have a thorough and systematic examination made of 

 it. The Royal Society made two grants towards defraying the 

 expenses,* and a committee of geologists was charged with the 

 investigations, among whom Mr. Prestwich and Dr. Falconer took 

 an active part, visiting Torquay while the excavations were in 

 progress under the superintendence of Mr. Pengelly. The last- 

 mentioned geologist had the kindness to conduct me through the 

 subterranean galleries after they had been cleared out in 1859 ; 

 and I saw, in company with Dr. Falconer, the numerous fossils 

 which had been taken from the subterranean fissures and tunnels, 

 all labelled and numbered, with references to a journal kept during 

 the progress of the work, and in which the geological position of 

 every specimen was recorded with scrupulous care. 



" The discovery of the existence of this suite of caverns near the 

 sea at Brixham was made accidentally, by the roof of one of them 

 falling in. None of the five external openings now exposed to 

 view in steep cliffs or the sloping side of a valley, were visible 

 before the breccia and earthy matter which blocked them up were 

 removed during the late exploration. According to a ground-plan 

 drawn up by Professor Ramsay, it appears that some of the pas- 

 sages which run nearly north and south are fissures connected 

 with the vertical dislocation of the rocks, while another set, 

 running nearly east and west, are tunnels, which have the appear- 

 ance of having been to a great extent hollowed out by the action 

 of running water. The central or main entrance, leading to what 

 is called the reindeer gallery, because a perfect antler of that 

 animal was found sticking in the stalagmitic floor, is ninety-five feet 

 above the level of the sea, being also about sixty above the bottom 

 of the adjoining valley. The united length of the five galleries 

 which were cleared out amounted to several hundred feet. Their 

 width never exceeded eight feet. They were sometimes filled up 

 to the roof with gravel, bones, and mud ; but occasionally there 

 was a considerable space between the roof and floor. The latter y 

 in the case of the fissure-caves, was covered with stalagmite, but 

 in the tunnels it was usually free from any such incrustation. The 

 following was the general succession of the deposits forming the 

 contents of the underground passages and channels : — 



* When these grants failed, Miss Burdett-Coutts, then residing at Tor- 

 quay, liberally supplied the funds for completing the work. 



