136 PROF. T. m'kexnt hughes 



That against the wall of the cave, where it approached nearest to 

 the face of the cliff, the drift lay thick, as we now see it close by. 



That by swallow-hole action the cave was first partially filled, 

 and then the thinnest portion of its wall gave way gradually, bury- 

 ing the bone-earth below it, and letting down some of the drift and 

 newer superficial deposits above it, so that some of it now looks as 

 if it might have been laid down by the sea upon pre-existing cave- 

 deposits. 



Discussion. 



The Peesidext regretted the absence of several who were well 

 qualified to speak on this question. 



Dr. Hicks said the Author had acknowledged that he was 

 thoroughly biassed against the views of the other members of the 

 Committee when he began to criticize them. Prof. Hughes had not 

 been present during the most important stages of the explorations. 

 Dr. Hicks protested strongly against the arguments of the Author, and 

 complained that the subject was treated by him quite differently from 

 last year, when he insisted that the whole of the drift in front of the 

 entrance was remanie, that it contained no shells, that it was quite 

 unlike the drifts in the valley, showed no evidence of sea- sorting, and 

 resembled only rain-wash, j^ow that bands of marine shells had been 

 found, Prof. Hughes was obliged to admit that it is a true marine drift, 

 and correlate it with the St. Asaph drifts. Dr. HiclvS exhibited 

 photographs and diagrams in explanation of the points at issue, and 

 said it was quite impossible for the enormous amount of deposit 

 which they had removed from the cavern to have been carried in 

 through a swallow-hole which had left no evidence whatever of its 

 existence. Mr. Luxmoore had also shown to Prof. Hughes, in 

 the cavern near the entrance, and before it was known that they 

 were approaching the entrance, sands and gravels similar to those 

 in the section in a stratified condition overlying the laminated clay 

 and bone-earth. There was also a most distinct and undisturbed 

 section to be seen all round the pit when it was first dug out, and 

 when it was only five feet across at the bottom, as could be testi- 

 fied by several witnesses. He stated that he had explained to Prof. 

 Hughes that the land-shell was found at a spot which had been 

 disturbed last year, and where fallen material had been thrown in. 

 He distinctly denied that the looping down of the surface-deposits 

 was to be seen when the section was first exposed, and regretted he 

 had been absent when this appearance, an entirely recent change, 

 was indicated to Dr. Evans and General Pitt-Rivers. It would 

 not do to rely upon a drift section after a heavy shower. The 

 bone-earth had been proved to pass under the drift section at all 

 the points examined. Dr. Geikie, who had been asked to give his 

 opinion on the section, found himself obliged to dissent from the 

 Author's ^-iews, and Dr. Hicks believed that Dr. Geikie's views, as 

 stated in his report to Prof. Hughes and himself, were the correct 

 ones. The disturbance near the large block of limestone, which is 

 imbedded in the sandy clay with bones, proved to be of no conse- 



