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PROF. B. DAWKINS AND REY. J. M. MELLO ON 
55. Further Discoveries in the CresswEtL Caves. By Prof. Boyp 
Dawsrns, M.A., F.R.S., F.G.S., and the Rev. J. M. Mero, M.A., 
F.G.S., with Notes on the Mammatra by the former. (Read 
June 11, 1879.) 
CoNnTENTS. 
Introduction. 
The Exploration of Chamber A. 
The Exploration of Chamber B. 
Relation of these Deposits to those in other Caves at Cresswell. 
Notes on Pleistocene Mammalia. 
Classificatory Value of Hippopotamus and Leptorhine Rhinoceros. 
Prehistoric and Historic Mammalia. No Evidence of Paleolithic Interments 
in Caves of Britain or the Continent. 
General Conclusions. 
InTRODUCTION. 
WueEn the exploration of the Robin-Hood and Church-Hole Caves 
at Cresswell Crags was brought to a close, in 1876, one of the lesser 
caves remained for further examination, known under the name of 
Mother Grundy’s Parlour, from a certain old gipsy who is said to 
have chosen it for her home. It had evidently been disturbed by 
previous diggings, some of which are said to have been carried on 
by a resident at Cresswell in search of treasure revealed to his wife 
in a dream ; and this fact, coupled with an unsuccessful trial which 
we made down as far as the unfossiliferous sand of the other caves, 
discouraged us from digging it out at that time. We haye to thank 
Mr. John Young for calling our attention to the fact that there still 
remained in the Cresswell Crags an undiscovered chapter in the 
history of the cave-fauna of the district. He had purchased a tooth 
of Hippopotamus in London, which had been obtained from the 
Cresswell Crags by Messrs. Duffy and Gain, of Tuxford; and as this 
animal had not been met with in our previous explorations, we 
resolyed to dig out Mother Grundy’s Parlour without further delay. 
Accordingly in November last the exploration was begun, under the 
careful supervision of Mr. Knight, of Owens College, while we visited 
the place from time to time to direct the work. 
Mother Grundy’s Parlour is a shallow semicircular chamber 
(plan, fig. 1), in a low crag at the eastern extremity of the ravine and 
on its northern side: it might almost be described as a shallow 
rock-shelter, being 35 feet deep by 22 feet wide. On its eastern 
side, near the back (see fig. 1), was a small cavity about 4 feet wide 
by 2 feet 6 inches high, blocked up to the roof with fragments of 
rock and earth; this proved ultimately to be the mouth of chamber 
B of the ground-plan. 
We began the exploration by cutting a trench in the floor on the 
eastern side of the cavern, aud after penetrating through the dis- 
turbed soil found that the underlying beds were in situ, and contained 
bones and teeth in considerable abundance. 
