ME. METCAUE 05f ELEPHAS PEnriGEmCTJS AT CEESTVELL CKAGS. 



5. Oil the DiscoYEET in one of the Boke-caves of Ceesweel Ceags 

 of a portion of the Uppee Jaw o/Elephaspeimigei!^ii7s, containing 

 in situ the first and seconc? Milk-imolaes (right side). By A. T. 

 Metcaeee, Esq., P.Gr.S. (Eead JN'ovember 19, 1884.) 



■ [Abridged.] 



I DESIRE to bring under the notice of the Society a portion of the 

 upper jaw of Elejohas primigenius, containing 2n situ the first and 

 second milk-molars, discovered by myself in one of the bone-caves 

 of Creswell Crags. 



It will be remembered that these caves have, during the last ten 

 years, through the exertions of the Eev. J. M. MeRo, F.Gr.S., been 

 systematically explored under the auspices of a committee of the 

 British Association, and that papers describing the caves and giving 

 the results of the explorations have appeared in the Society's Journal. 

 The specimen now on the table was obtained by me p)rior to these 

 explorations. In securing it, therefore, I in no way interfered with 

 any authorized investigations ; for none had then been set on foot. I 

 found the specimen in the red sand or cave-earth of the " Pin-hole 

 Cave," and quite at its entrance. This cave is the most westerly on 

 the north or Derbyshire side of the ravine, and has been fully 

 described by Mr. Mello, who gives the following section of its beds 

 (Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, vol. xxxi. p. 681): — 



1. Surface-soil, containing recent pottery, bones &c., 1-6 inches. 



2. Damp red sand, witli rough blocks of magnesian limestone, quartz, 



quartzite, and other pebbles, and numerous bones, 3 feet. 



3. Lighter-coloured sand, consolidated by infiltration of lime. 'No bones (?). 



Sir Eichard Owen has very kindly undertaken to describe my 

 specimen. He informed me some time ago that the j^ational Collection 

 had evidences of all the phases of dentition of the mammoth except 

 the earliest, which is exemplified in the small anterior tooth in the 

 portion of jaw discovered by me, and that the true value of my 

 specimen would be its completion of the series now arranged for 

 public instruction in the British Museum. I naturally feel that 

 a suggestion from such a high quarter cannot be disregarded, 

 and, in accordance therewith, I have undertaken to present the 

 specimen to the British Museum. 



