106 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



[May 4, 



tion. That subsequently, and within the human period, such a great 

 amount of change took place in the physical configuration of the 

 district as to have caused the cave to be washed out and emptied of 

 its contents, excepting the patches of material cemented to the roof 

 and since coated with additional stalagmite. 



List of Fossil Shells found in the " Grotta di Maccagnone, " as determined 

 by Padre Lebassi, Curator of the Museum of the " Collegio Massimo dei 

 Gesidti" in Palermo, IQih March, 1859. 



Where found. 



Remarks by Padre Lebassi. 



1. Helix Mazulii 



Roof -matrix, "I . ,., , u 



back part of I A solitary shell, 



r I partly broken, 



cave. J 



o f Helix aperta (Born.) 1 

 ' \ (H. naticoides, Drap.) J 



3. Helix vernriculata 



4. Helix cellaria (Miiller) . ( 



5. Trochus fragaroides (Lam) 



6. Patella ferruginea (Linn.) . 



Roof-matrix. 



f ! Very abundant 

 fix. -I 



Roof-matrix. -J shells in perfect 

 [ I integrity. 



Roof-matrix. 



A solitary spe- 

 cimen. 



J Very rare in Sicily in 

 \ the fossil state. 



{Very abundant in the 

 living state : like H. 

 Mazulii. 

 f Very common in the 

 < living state : rare 

 ■ fossil. 



( Very common in liv 

 ing state: not ob- 

 served fossil by 

 ^ Philippi. 

 Very common : living. 



I Very rare in the sea 

 around Sicily : very 

 common fossil. 



Note. — The author has lately received a letter from Baron Anca 

 di Mangalaviti, dated Palermo, the 12th of March, intimating that 

 he had followed up the Cave-researches which form the subject of 

 this communication, with important results. He had discovered 

 two caves, hitherto unknown to naturalists, — the one in Monte 

 Gallo, which forms the western boundary of the Bay of Palermo ; 

 the other in the north of Sicily, at the foot of Monte San Fra- 

 tello, near the village of Acque Dolci. In both caverns, but more 

 especially in the latter, Baron Anca found an immense accumulation 

 of fossil bones, among which there was " une prodigieuse quantite 

 d'os des Carnivores." This is the more remarkable, as in the Caves 

 of San Ciro and Maccagnone Carnivora were but very sparingly 

 encountered. 



With regard to the flint objects discovered in the Maccagnone 

 Cave, he adds, — 



" J'ai egalement rencontre dans les deux grottes une grande quan- 

 tite de Silex en armes, lesquels, chose remarquable, on ne voit gene- 

 ralement que la ou il y a des grands depots d'ossements de cerfs, et 

 jamais ailleurs. Enfin des Coprolites des Carnivores, et une autre 

 espece de Coprolite, que je suppose appartenir a des animaux herbi- 

 vores." 



The further development of Baron Anca's researches will, in all 

 probability, throw much light on the subjects discussed in this com- 

 munication. — H. F., 5th April, 1860. 



