''24 PROF. W. BOYD DAWKINS ON THE OSSIFEROUS DEP08IT 



38. The Exploration of the Ossiferous Deposit at Windy Knoll, 

 Castleton, Derbyshire, by Kooke Pennington, Esq., LL.B., 

 F.G.S., and Prof. Boyd Dawkins, M.A., F.R.S. By Prof. W. 

 Boyd Dawkins, M.A., F.R.S., F.G.S. (Head June 20, 1877.) 



Contents. 



1. Introduction. 



2. Exploration. 



3. Association of Remains. 



4. The Rock-basin a Swallow-hole. 



5. A Pool formerly in the Rock-basin. 



6. Geographical Change since Accumulation. 



7. Remains of Animals. 



8. The Deposit of late Pleistocene Age. 



1. Introduction. — In the spring of 1876, by the courtesy of the 

 owner of the land, Mrs. Champion, we were able to carry on the 

 exploration of the ossiferous deposit at Windy Knoll, near Castleton, 

 begun in 1874 by Mr. Rooke Pennington, and described in the 

 'Quarterly Journal' (May 1875, p. 211), with the following re- 

 sults*. 



If reference be made to the above paper (p. 242) it will be seen 

 that the fissure in which the remains were first met with was traced 

 to a sort of basin filled with clay and packed full of bones of animals 

 and large and small blocks of stone. "We resolved to have this 

 thoroughly examined by a body of experienced miners, working 

 under the constant supervision of Mr. John Tym, of Castleton, while 

 we were, as far as possible, present during the six weeks spent in the 

 work. 



2. Exploration. — We began operations on the east side of the 

 mound of clay, and rapidly exposed the following section (fig. 1) in 

 descending order : — 



C. Clayey debris forming the summit, without bones, and probably 

 rubbish piled up when the quarry close by was worked at that 

 level 6 feet. 



B. Yellow clay with large blocks of limestone, fragments of Yoredale 

 shale washed down from the adjoining heights of Mam Tor, bits 

 of elastic bitumen or elaterite, and of fluor spar derived from 

 the deposits of those minerals close by, together with bones of 

 bison, reindeer, wolf, fox, and grisly bear 8 „ 



A. Below this a stiff yellow loam without any fossil remains rested 



on the surface of the limestone 4 „ 



3. Association of Remains. — The bones and teeth of the animals 

 from the ossiferous yellow clay are, for the most part, perfect, and 

 had been buried in their natural positions. The limb-bones of 

 bison, for example, and of reindeer had their proper articular sur- 

 faces together, and the sesamoids, tarsals, and carpals in place. The 

 dorsal vertebrae of a reindeer were found in one continuous chain. 



* This was done at the joint cost of Mr. Rooke Pennington and the Man- 

 chester Museum, the Owens College. 



