104 PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [May 4, 



the " Ceneri impastate " immediately below the superficial earth, 

 and corresponding exactly with the " Ceneri impastate" seen in the 

 section outside below the principal aperture. The attempts at making 

 a section of the floor were frustrated by the great blocks of lime- 

 stone, which impeded the operations throughout. In the superficial 

 layer, besides Elephas antiquus, horns of two extinct species of 

 Cervus were found, besides other bones of Ruminants, but all in 

 small quantity : in the ochreous cave-earth below the mouth, abun- 

 dant coprolites of Hycena, with fragments of detached bones of Hip- 

 popotamus, and some astragali : in the " Ceneri impastate " below 

 the main aperture, metacarpal and metatarsal bones of a species of 

 Felis as large as F. spelcea, but not yet specifically identified ; some 

 remains of a large Ursus, and numerous remains of small Rumi- 

 nants, all broken or splintered, but none of them bearing marks of 

 gnawing. In the " bone-breccia " below and outside the cavern, 

 the bones of Hippopotami very largely predominated. The author 

 dug up an enormous quantity of these remains within an area of 12 

 or 14 feet square. In an angular recess in the rock outside the cave, 

 and near the small opening, a very large quantity of coprolites of 

 Hyaenas were observed, superficially imbedded in the " ochreous 

 earth." The quantity collected together would indicate that this 

 spot had been used as a common cloaca of Hyaenas. 



The author next described some remarkable conditions in the roof 

 of the cave. About halfway in from the mouth (fig. 1, /) and at 

 10 feet above the floor, a large mass of breccia was observed, denuded 

 partly of the stalagmitic covering, and composed of a reddish-grey 

 argillaceous matrix cemented by a calcareous paste, containing frag- 

 ments of limestone, finely preserved entire land-shells of large size, 

 splinters of bone, teeth of Ruminants and of the genus Equus, 

 together with comminuted fragments of shells, bits of carbon, specks 

 of argillaceous matter resembling burnt clay, also fragments of shaped 

 siliceous objects, of different tints, varying from the milky or smoky 

 colour of chalcedony to that of jaspery hornstone. This brecciated 

 matrix was firmly attached to the roof, and for the most part covered 

 over with a coat of stalagmite. In the S.S.E. expansion of the ca- 

 vern near the smaller aperture, a considerable quantity of coprolites 

 of Hycmce was found similarly situated, in an ochreo- calcareous ma- 

 trix, adhering to the roof, mingled with some bits of carbon, but 

 without shells or bone-splinters. In the back part of the cavern, 

 where the roof shelves towards the floor, thick masses of reddish 

 calcareous matrix were found attached to the roof, and completely 

 covered over by a crust of ochreous stalagmite (fig. 1 , //). It con- 

 tained numerous fragments of the siliceous objects mixed with bone- 

 splinters and bits of carbon. In fact, all round the cavern, where- 

 ever the stalagmitic crust on the roof was broken through, more or 

 less of the same appearances were presented. In some parts the 

 matrix closely resembled the character of the "Ceneri impastate" 

 with a larger admixture of calcareous paste. 



With regard to the fragments of the siliceous objects, the great 

 majority of them present definite forms, namely long, narrow, and 



