240 J. MAGENS MELLO ON THE HONE-CAVES OF CKESWELL CEAGS. 



28. The Bone-caves of Ceeswell Ceags. — 2nd Paper. By the 

 Rev. J. Magens Mello, M.A., F.G.S. (Read April 5, 1876.) 



I had the honour last June of reporting to the Society my dis- 

 covery of some interesting bone-caves and fissures in Creswell Crags, 

 in the Lower Magnesian Limestone of N.E. Derbyshire, which con- 

 tained a large number of species of Pleistocene mammalia, together 

 with some traces of the presence of man*. I was able on that 

 occasion to exhibit portions of some 15 or 16 species belonging to 

 no fewer than 12 genera obtained from one cave alone, locally 

 known as the Pin-hole, so called from a curious custom which 

 prevails amongst some of its visitors of dropping a pin into a small 

 water-filled hollow, removing at the same time a pin deposited by 

 some previous visitor. Amongst the animals which had left their 

 remains in this cave the most important were the Irish Elk, the 

 Glutton, and the Arctic Fox ; together with these were a large 

 number of Hyasna remains, and also bones and teeth of the Mam- 

 moth, the "Woolly Rhinoceros, the Brown Bear, the Reindeer, the 

 Urus, and of some other animals. During the past summer I have 

 been able to carry on the work of exploration, assisted by Mr. 

 Thomas Heath, F.R.H.S., Curator of the Derby Museum, who has 

 been able to devote a good deal of time to it, and whose skilful help 

 has been of great value in carrying on the researches ; and I must 

 also acknowledge the energetic assistance given us by Mr. F. Tebbet, 

 superintendent at the Creswell quarries, who from the beginning has 

 taken much interest in these discoveries. 



We commenced the renewed search by continuing the excavation 

 of the floor of the Pin-hole, trusting that amongst other remains we 

 might obtain some more evidence of the presence of the Arctic Fox ; 

 in this, however, we were not successful. All the front of the 

 cavern was thoroughly searched, the chief bones found being 

 two perfect pelves of Rhinoceros tichorhinus, and also two atlases 

 of the same animal, together with a few Reindeer- and other bones 

 of no particular interest. As we worked our way further into the 

 fissure the number of bones found was very small indeed ; the bed 

 of red sand, which at the entrance of the cave had proved so rich in 

 its contents, became filled with limestone fragments, and was nearly 

 destitute of bones ; and we determined, under these circumstances, 

 to desert that cave for the time and begin the exploration of a 

 neighbouring one a little lower down the ravine, and in the same 

 side of it. This, which is called the Robin-Hood Cave, is of moderate 

 size, containing several chambers communicating with each other, 

 the separation merely consisting of narrow walls of the limestone 

 rock (fig. 1). 



We began work here by making a section of the floor at the 

 entrance, cutting down to a depth of about 8 feet, where blocks of 

 limestone were met with, which probably form part of the original 

 * Quart. Jouru. Greol. Soc. vol. xxxi. p. 679. 



