J. MAGENS MELLO ON THE BONE-CAVES OF CRESWELL CRAGS. 585 



Robin-Hood Cave, the upper beds of the fore part of the Church Hole 

 were also examined, and the main passage (A), up to a wall built 

 across the narrow part of the fissure 25 feet from our door, was dug 

 up, as well as part of Chamber B. A large number of bones and teeth 

 of the Woolly Rhinoceros, the Mammoth, the Horse, the Reindeer, 

 the Bison, the Brown Bear, and the Hyaena were obtained, the teeth 

 of the Horse being particularly abundant ; and no fewer than 27 tibiae 

 and 18 femora, as well as other parts of the skeleton of the Rhino- 

 ceros, were found here. Amongst these bones there were also a 

 perfect ulna of a bear, and several milk-teeth of the Mammoth, besides 

 one large fourth molar which Mr. Heath was fortunate enough to 

 find near the old wall : this measured 11 inches in length by 9 inches 

 in height. 



1. The Talus. — When we resumed work this year we began, as 

 we had done at the Robin-Hood Cave, by making an examination of 

 the talus at its mouth (fig. 10). This consisted of surface-soil 

 a few inches in thickness ; in this, on the left-hand side, close to the 

 extreme edge of the entrance, a very fine and perfect bronze fibula 

 was found ; this was the only trace of Roman civilization found 

 outside the cave. Under the surface-soil was a bed of reddish earth 

 or sand, 1 foot 7 inches thick, with blocks of limestone in it. This 

 bed contained a few teeth and bones of the Rhinoceros, Bear, Hyaena, 

 Badger, Horse, Reindeer, and Cervus megaceros, and also some frag- 

 ments of the lower jaw of a large Wolf. Below the red bed was one of 

 white calcareous sand containing a black layer, probably of oxide of 

 manganese ; in this we found no bones. 



2. Deposits in Interior. — Our first work in the interior of the cave 

 was to clear out all the front part as far as the wall already men- 

 tioned, so as to get a good road for the barrows, and also to make a 

 complete section of the various beds. Beneath the previously 

 examined material, undisturbed red sand was found, containing 

 various bones and teeth, but nothing of great importance. Close to 

 the wall in the long passage (A) the total thickness of the floor- 

 deposits was about 9 feet, gradually narrowing downwards, the 

 bottom of the cave being a mere fissure about 1 foot wide. A very 

 complete section was obtained at this point, all the beds of this 

 cave being well developed here (fig. 11). It will be noticed that 

 they are almost identical in general character and arrangement with 

 those already described in the Robin-Hood Cave, and were doubtless 

 deposited at the same period and under similar circumstances. 



3. The Breccia. — We have first a stalagmitic breccia (1), averaging 

 1 foot in thickness. At one or two places in Chamber A this breccia 

 was as much as 5 feet thick ; but it only attained that thickness 

 close to the side of the cave, and it was then mostly of a very open 

 character, having numerous cavities in it filled with stalactites 

 (figs. 12, 13). There was evidently at some former time a con- 

 siderable amount of breccia in the front part of the cavern, although 

 now nothing remains of it but masses of stalagmite projecting here 

 and there from the sides. At about 31 feet from the door, where 

 Section II. (fig. 11) was taken, the upper part of the breccia was 



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