Schakkf, SEYMUUK, and Nkwton — Castlepook Cave. 69 



the formation of the cave lias most probably taken place before the Glacial 

 Period. Due consideration, no doubt, should be given to the evidence derived 

 from the bones of animals which occur in such abundance. They are of great 

 importance in establishing the age of the cave. Yet even this evidence is by 

 no means conclusive. The very nature of the Glacial Period is still shrouded 

 in mystery. Some geologists maintain that there were several Glacial 

 Periods during the Pleistocene Era ; others are of opinion that there was 

 only one. If we accept Dr. Hoist's view, 1 which is strongly supported by 

 Mr. Kennard 2 on palaeontological grounds, there was only a single Glacial 

 Period in the British Islands. They believe that it occurred towards the end 

 of the Pleistocene. The deposits laid down during the earlier part of the 

 Pleistocene Era would then be regarded as pie-glacial. If the climate during 

 the Glacial Period was as severe as we are led to believe, no mammals could 

 have wandered to Ireland at that time. And since there is no evidence to 

 show that Ireland and Great Britain were connected with one another by 

 land after Pleistocene times, we must assume that Ireland received its fauna 

 before the Glacial Period. Considering that during the Forest Bed or 

 Cromerian stage of geological history, which is generally looked upon as 

 belonging to late Pliocene, the fauna of the British Islands contained some 

 species which survived to the present time, there is really nothing surprising 

 in this view. On the other hand, Dr. Hoist's opinion has not been generally 

 adopted by geologists, for it would tend to prove that the existing Irish fauna 

 has maintained itself in Ireland since pre-glacial times. If Ireland had been 

 completely covered by an ice-sheet, how could the Bed Deer, Giant Deer, 

 Beindeer, and Bear have found sustenance in the country to enable them 

 to survive the hardships of an Arctic climate ? Thus it must be evident 

 that the animal remains found in Castlepook Cave do not prove that the cave 

 or the fossiliferous sands we meet with are necessarily of pre-glacial origin 

 And yet it seems as if this cave, with the main part of its contents, is far 

 older than any other cave that has been explored in Ireland. The animal 

 remains are represented by two very distinct sets. The first portion was 

 introduced into the cave long ago when it formed the home of Bears and 

 Hyaenas. The second set is apparently of late origin, having been brought in 

 by pitfalls from the cultivated fields above the cave, and partly by means of 

 recent Fox and Babbit burrows. A very long interval of time, possibly 

 amounting to many thousands of years, elapsed between the introduction into 



1 Hoist, N. O. : "The Ice Age in England." Geol. Mag. (N.S.), Dec. VI, vol. ii. 

 1915. 



- Keunaid, A. S. : "The Pleistocene Succession iu England." Froc. Prehist. Sue. 

 East Anglia, vol. ii, pt, 2. 1916. 



