34 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



he is no longer with us, and it is sad to think that this report has to be issued 

 without bearing the name of the one who bestowed such painstaking and 

 valuable work on the undertaking, ft is now four years since we have had to 

 mourn Mr. Ussher's death, and I may safely state that it will be impossible 

 t" tind anyone to devote more care and industry to work of that nature. 

 Cave exploration was with him a labour of love ; and, in spite of his advancing 

 years, he willingly exposed himself to the greatest hardships, and even dangers, 

 in order to gain ttie knowledge which was procured by his unremitting 

 activity. 



The Committee are much indebted to Professor H. J. Seymour, of University 

 College, Dublin, for his valuable services in connexion with this exploration. 

 Mr. E. I. Newton kindly undertook to name the bones of birds obtained in the 

 while Mr. Hintoii placed his special knowledge of the rodents at my 

 disposal, and wae slpful in determining the lemming remains. To all 



these gentlemen the Committee wish to express their thanks. No less than 

 •'54.'. parcels Dublin from the cave. As each of 



these contained on an average about 100 specimens, which had all to be 

 sort _ I, this alone entailed much labour. Of these 



34.D00 bones, "idy the small fraction of five or six thousand could be accurately 

 named. By fat tor number were fax> fragmentary for determination. 



The entire collection of animal remains and rocks procured during the cave 

 exploration has been I in the National Museum of Ireland. I have 



to ackii' _ valuable help given by I>r. Smith Woodward and 



l>r . . my examination of some of the cave bones at the British 



am. 



entrance to Castlepook e.r I about Ii00 feet above 



sea level (Plate VI >. It i to the road in a disused quarry, and not far 



fi^m ,i stream that falls into the Bregog - an Bows southward 



from the mountains, and carries with it tie oe detritus, tilling all the 



river valleys of the district. To the north and the cave is a marshy 



flat i former lake, and this is flooded at time- by the 



Ca< ... A Beries of low . -re extends in east-westward 



direction, and in partially quarrying the stone away for building purp. 

 one of the former entrances to the cave was thus laid bare. Mr. Usaher 

 refers to others, but these are blocked by detritus near their orifices. Some 

 of these may at time.-* have been used as stables forcattle. Before Mr. Ussher 

 explored the cave it had apparently been entered within recent years, and 



1 I reUin the original name as given above rather than that of " M mimoth Cave," a 

 t«rm more recently applied to thi9 cave by Mr. L'&sher. 



