47 8 Brixham Cave. 



jects often been years before his time, left but little in 

 the way of theory for subsequent observers, though 

 there still remains plenty of work in detail. 



All the flint instruments and flakes found in this 

 cavern below the upper stalagmite, are of palaeolithic 

 types, a fact of much importance l in relation to the 

 antiquity of man. 



The last cave that I shall mention is that of Brix- 

 ham, Devonshire, in the limestone that forms the south 

 side of Tor Bay. It was discovered in 1858, and Mr. 

 Pengelly at once saw the necessity of securing the right 

 of exploration, so as to ensure the most accurate possible 

 examination of its contents and the mode of their oc- 

 currence. Of this committee I happened to be one of 

 the members, and to ' Mr. Pengelly the committee are 

 indebted for the active and constant superintendence of 

 the work and for the record of each day's proceedings.' 2 

 In the same summer I visited the cave with Dr. Falconer 

 and Mr. Pengelly, and made a plan of it ; and at a later 

 date it was resurveyed by Mr. Bristow, whose plan is 

 published in the ' Philosophical Transactions,' to accom- 

 pany the report drawn up by Mr. Prestwich. At that 

 time the stalagmitic floor of the cavern was mostly undis- 

 turbed, and a Reindeer's horn was firmly cemented in 

 the stalagmite. In the first six weeks of the workings 

 about 1,500 bones were exhumed, a large number of 

 which belonged ' to skeletons of small animals, like the 

 Rabbit and Fox, found near the surface.' 



In part of the cave, which has many ramifications, 



1 See 'Ancient Stone Implements, &c.' by John Evans, F.R.S., 

 F.S.A. &c. pp. 442-466. 



2 Keport on the exploration of the Brigham Cave, ' Philosophical 

 Transactions of the Eoyal Society,' 1873, vol. clxiii. p. 475. 



