BRIXHAM CAVE. 259 



rhinoceros, ox, deer, horse, bear, hyaena, and a feline ani- 

 mal of large size." 



The value, he truly adds, " of such a statement must rest 

 on the care with which a collector may have explored; I 

 must therefore state that my own researches were constantly 

 conducted in parts of the cave which had never been dis- 

 turbed, and in every instance the bones were procured from 

 beneath a thick covering of stalagmite ; so far, then, the 

 bones and works of man must have been introduced into 

 the cave before the flooring of stalagmite had been 

 formed." These statements, however, attracted little atten- 

 tion ; and the very similar assertions made by Mr. Yivian, 

 in a paper read before the Geological Society, were con- 

 sidered so improbable that the memoir containing them was 

 not published. 



In May, 1858, Dr. Falconer called the attention of the 

 Geological Society to a newly- discovered cave at Brixham, 

 near Torquay, and a committee was appointed to assist him 

 in examining it. Grants of money were obtained for the 

 same object from the Royal Society and Miss Burdett Coutts. 

 In addition to Dr. Falconer, Mr. Pengelly, Mr. Prestwich, 

 and Professor Ramsay were intrusted with the investigations. 

 In September, 1858, a preliminary report was made to the 

 Geological Society, but it is very much to be regretted that 

 the results have not yet been published in extenso. 



The deposits in the cave were, in descending order 



1. Stalagmite of irregular thickness. 



2. Ochreous cave earth with limestone breccia. 



3. Ochreous cave earth with comminuted shale. 



4. Rounded gravel. 



The organic remains belonged to the following species : 



1. Rhinoceros tichorhinus. Teeth in considerable numbers 

 and an astragalus. 



