J. MAGENS MELLO ON THE BONE-CAVES OF CRESWELL CRAGS. o87 



where the upper cave-earth (No. 3) was immediately succeeded by a 

 bed of red sandy earth (fig. 15). 



6. The Red Sand. — This red sand (No. 5) was present everywhere 

 in the cavern, below the previously described beds : it averaged from 

 3 feet to 4 feet in thickness, and contained many bones and teeth of 

 various animals, amongst them those of the Hyaena, Wolf, Bear, 

 R. tichorhinus, Mammoth, Horse, Bison, Reindeer, &c. One frag- 

 ment of Rhinoceros -jaw consisted of the anterior portion of both 

 rami, with two premolars in situ on either side ; there was also a 

 nearly perfect lower jaw of the Hyaena, one incisor alone being 

 absent. A few quartzite implements were found in the red sand, 

 and also a fragment of a bone which has some scratches, apparently 

 made by a flint. 



This bed, at a depth of about 8 feet from the surface, was not 

 above one foot wide, the cave at that depth being contracted to a 

 mere fissure, the lowermost stratum consisting merely of the decom- 

 posed limestone rock, forming a non-fossiliferous bed of white sand 

 similar to the corresponding bed in the Robin-Hood Cave. 



At about 120 feet from the door a small fissure was found opening 

 out of Chamber A to the right, below the original level of the floor. 

 As in the case of the fissure at the extremity of Chamber F in the 

 Robin-Hood Cave, this was filled with red sand nearly but not quite 

 in contact with the roof. The surface of the sand was also dry and 

 powdery, and it was destitute of fossil contents. The digging has 

 not been carried on beyond this point in Chamber A, the few 

 remaining feet giving little promise of having any thing of sufficient 

 value to repay the work of exploration. 



7. Chamber B. — Turning to Chamber B, which opens out from 

 the main chamber of the cavern near the entrance, a few words will 

 suffice to describe its contents. The greater portion of it was 

 examined in 1875, and similar remains of the Mammalia obtained 

 from this floor to those found in the main passage. At the back of 

 Chamber B a fissure was found, running parallel to Chamber A ; the 

 entrance to this was blocked up by a mass of stalagmitic breccia, 

 5 feet thick, containing bones and teeth of R. tichorhinus and of 

 other animals (fig. 16). Below this we found a bed of red 

 sand, filling a narrow but deep pothole-like fissure, running ap- 

 parently in two directions, viz. S. and "W. This fissure was not above 

 1 foot wide, but was at least 11 feet deep from the top of the 

 breccia. The sand contained the bones and teeth of Mammoth, 

 Horse, Bison, Rhinoceros, &c. Very few bones, however, were 

 found in its lower portion ; and it was not thought worth while to 

 dig it out completely. 



Conclusion. 



The Church Hole, as well as the Robin-Hood Cave, may now be 

 considered to have been worked out sufficiently for all practical 

 purposes. A detailed account of the valuable remains found in them 

 will be given, as has been stated, in the accompanying paper by 



