CAVERN NEAR THE RYH0PE COLLIERY. 149 



the side of the glen, which was once undoubtedly steep and 

 precipitous, though the accumulation of debris at the base has 

 subsequently transformed it into a bank of half crag, half bram- 

 ble-covered slope, like those which so often characterize the 

 minor vallies of limestone regions. 



The rock in which the cave is excavated is described by Mr. 

 Howse as the Middle Limestone of the Permian series of Durham ; 

 by Professor King it would be called the Pseudo-brecciated Lime- 

 stone. It varies greatly in hardness and general structure, and 

 thus offers a more than usually favourable material for the for- 

 mation of caverns. There are indeed indications of several other 

 eaves of limestone in the immediate neigbourhood. 



The cave appears to have run in from the old face of the rock 

 as a narow passage, about two feet high and three wide, descend- 

 ing gently as it advanced : it then enlarges somewhat, both 

 laterally and in height, though, so far as we have been able to 

 examine it, it is never more than between three and four feet 

 high. On the east it is connected by a small opening with 

 another passage smaller than the first. As the whole of the 

 debris had not been removed at our last visit we are not quite 

 in a position to say that the end of the cave has been reached, 

 though from appearances it is probable that such may be the case. 

 The sides and top of the cave are somewhat irregular ; but where 

 the rock is hard it is worn smooth, or coated with calc-sinter. 

 The cave earth is composed of soil mixed with marl from the 

 sides. It does not seem to have been washed in ; at least there 

 is no trace of its deposition by water. The bones — those belong- 

 ing to human subjects excepted — are scattered without any order 

 through the cave earth. All of them contain more or less animal 

 matter, the great majority having apparently lost very little of 

 it. A few however have lost considerably more than the others ; 

 these may be older, or they may have been less favourably placed 

 for preservation than tbe rest. None of them are in the least 

 degree fossilized. "With the bones occur numerous shells of Helix 

 nemoralis, Littorina Uttorea, and Patella vulgata. Fragments of 

 small branches of trees are also common ; and in one instance we 

 observed a few small pieces of charcoal. 



