W. Pengelly—Cavern Exploration in Devonshire. 807 
In a letter to Sir W. C. Trevelyan, dated December 16th, 
1825, Dr. Buckland states that Mr. MacEnery had found in 
this cave “ bones of all sorts of beasts, and also flint knives and 
Roman coins; in short, an open-mouthed cave, which has been 
inkabited by animals of all kinds, quadruped and biped, in all 
successive generations, and who have all deposited their exuvize 
one upon another” (ibid., p. 69). 
Yealm-Bridge Cavern.—About the year 1882 the workmen 
broke into a bone-cavern in Yealm-Bridge Quarry, about one 
mile from the village of Yealmpton, and eight miles E.S.E. 
from Plymouth ; and through their operations it was so nearly 
destroyed that but a small arm of it remained in 1835, when it 
was visited by Mr. J. C. Bellamy, who at once wrote an account 
of it, from which it appears that, so far as he could learn, the 
cavern was about thirty feet below the original limestone sur- 
face, and was filled tu from one foot to six feet of the roof (see 
‘Nat. Hist. S. Devon.,” 1889, pp. 86-105). In the same year, 
but subsequently, it was examined by Capt. (afterwards Col.) 
Mudge, who states that there were originally three openings into 
the cave, each about twelve feet above the river Yealm; that 
the deposits were, in descending order :— 
1. Loam with bones and stones ._-.-.-... 3°5 feet. 
2: Stiff whitish olay: 2205 oi -avee.ek. aac 2h. :# 
8. Bam cs ad. eee el oes tees pe oa: * 
4. Red clay-.--- bp inne OD oe 
6. Argillaceous sand... <...-...-.-- 6to180 “ 
and that, where they did not reach the roof, the deposits were 
covered with stalagmite. 
On the authority of Mr. Clift and Prof. Owen, Capt. Mudge 
mentions relics of elephant, rhinoceros, horse, ox, sheep, hysena, 
og, wolf, fox, bear, hare and water-vole. The bones, and 
especially the teeth, of the hysena exceeded in number those of 
all the other animals, though remains of horse and ox were 
very abundant. Mr. Bellamy, whilst also mentioning all the 
foregoing forms, with the exception of dog only, adds deer, pig, 
glutton, weasel and mouse. He also speaks of the abundance 
of bones and teeth of hysena, but seems to regard the fox as 
being almost as fully represented; and next in order he places 
horse, deer, sheep, and rabbit or hare; whilst the relics of ele- 
phant, wolf, bear, pig and glutton are spoken of as _ rare. 
Phe bones, he says, were found in the uppermost bed only. 
They were frequently mere fragments and splinters, some being 
undoubtedly gnawed, and all had become very adherent through 
oss of their animal matter. Those of cylindrical form were 
without their extremities ; there was no approach to anatomical 
juxtaposition ; and the remains belonged to individuals of all 
