258 ON THE MAMMALIA ETC. FOUND IN THE ROBIN-HOOD CAVE. 



the Chalk. He could not account, however, for the implement 

 fashioned out of ironstone, which is not found in the vicinity of 

 these caves. He had been under the impression that coprolites 

 were of frequent occurrence in the Hyaena-dens. The filling-in of 

 the cavern had doubtless been accelerated by the water overflowing 

 into it from the stream now flowing at the base of the Crags, but 

 which at that period ran at a higher level. There were slight 

 traces of a rearrangement of the bones such as would be effected 

 by water. 



Prof. Boyd Dawkins, in reply, stated that he had no intention 

 of generalizing from this single example ; but it was worthy of 

 note that here, as in M. Mortillet's classification, the ruder imple- 

 ments were older than the more highly wrought flint flakes. The 

 Hyaena, like other animals, takes refuge in whatever place will best 

 suit him, and round the mouth of his den bones and coprolites ac- 

 cumulate. The absence of coprolites in this cave was probably due 

 to moisture dripping from the roof, which would dissolve and wash 

 them away ; the caves in which coprolites are found were probably 

 dry. The evidence of the cave-Hyaenas having preyed on large 

 game, such as the Rhinoceros, rests on the fact that the bones of 

 those animals found in the caves show marks indicating that they 

 have been gnawed. A sick or wounded animal, even though of 

 large size, would easily fall a prey to their numbers. The occur- 

 rence of the remains of Hyaenas as far north in Siberia as the banks 

 of the Lena and Obi was an important fact and new to him. It in- 

 dicated a difference of climatal conditions in that country of a 

 marked character. 



