244: E. L. Furlong — Exploration of Samwel Cave. 



The area of deposit in chamber two when first viewed pre- 

 sented an interesting spectacle. Its surface was strewn with 

 skulls and limb bones. Near the foot of the ladder lay a 

 cougar skull. It was covered with stalagmite an inch thick 

 but showed the outlines of skull perfectly. Imbedded in 

 stalagmite, the limb bones of the same individual were lying 

 near it. Near the middle section the skeleton of the unfortu- 

 nate Indian woman was stretched on its side. The pelvic 

 girdle and skull had a thin film of stalagmite crystals over 

 them, and the remainder of the bones were covered by a soft 

 black mould. Near the human skeleton lay the type speci- 

 men of Euceratherium* . In the surface clay and lying 

 loosely about were several raccoon skeletons. Porcupine and 

 other rodent bones were plentiful. Mammal remains were 

 abundant from the top of the deposit to the hard floor below. 

 In the clay and on the stalagmite capping the fossil remains 

 of several Myriopods were found, the exoskeletal structure 

 and form being perfectly represented. 



On some of the higher slopes in chamber two and in most 

 of the grottoes there were a number of small skeletons. Of 

 these, several were porcupines and raccoons. An almost com- 

 plete porcupine skeleton with the bones lightly covered by 

 stalagmite was found in one of the grottoes. In most instances 

 the enveloping stalagmite tended to keep them in perfect con- 

 dition. A marked feature of the specimens deposited at this 

 place was the completeness of several skeletons and the 

 unbroken condition of skulls and limb bones. For this reason 

 the supposition of entrance through the opening 85 feet above 

 would be improbable. The presence of entire skeletons of 

 bear, cougar, Ereptoceras and small carnivores led to the 

 belief that the animals with the exception of the ungulates 

 had free access to the cave at some previous time. The later 

 work of excavating from the southeast grotto to the canyon 

 cave proved the belief to be correct. From the slope in the 

 grotto, where the tunnel was run, to within 8 feet of the sur- 

 face at the outside entrance, scattered parts of individuals like 

 the animals in the main deposit were found. The well-known 

 hibernating habit of bears readily accounts for their presence 

 in the chamber. At the present time hunters in that region 

 make the rounds of the known caves where bears are in the 

 habit of housing for the winter. It is not uncommon for 

 cougars to use such places for a lair. It is not improbable 

 that bears and cougars used chamber two when entrance was 

 possible. It is true such animals do not care to go far from 

 the light, but it would not have been necessary during the 

 time the cave was inhabited. The deposit filling the old 

 * Furlong and Sinclair, Bull. Dept. Geol. Univ. Calif., vol. iii, p. 411. 



