280 



NOTES OX GEOLOGICAL RESULTS. 



The promising cave was that known as the Dogs' Cave or 

 gully. It has been described already in the Transactions,* 

 hence a short account of the geological features and its present 

 condition is all that I need give. The cave is situate at the 

 back of a deep gully about 20 feet wide. The gully is 

 approximately from 150 to 200 feet in length. The first 

 third of the inlet is reached by the sea and covered by the tide 

 when full. Above and behind is a level some four or five feet 

 higher but still within the reach of storm waves. The whole 

 of this is filled up with huge stones, weighing from one hundred- 

 weight to several tons each, and interspersed are portions of 

 the rock in situ which has not so far been eroded away. 

 Behind all this is a face or wall of rock eight feet or more 

 above the rock-strewn floor above described and here there is 

 a worn rock platform which forms the floor of the cave. 



No measurements were taken on this visit, but there 

 seemed to be about 20 feet above O.D. as estimated on this 

 visit. 



On the floor and beginning some 2 or 3 feet from the 

 face of the rock, is piled an enormous number of angular 

 pieces of rock, some of which no doubt fell from the roof, but 

 there were some points which require examination to determine 

 the origin of the deposit, for it had the appearance of a head 

 and may have partly been derived from the cliff. These 

 angular pieces reach a height in the deposit of 5 feet and 

 present a clean cut section at the opening of the cavity. 



In a note of a former visit Mr. Derrick describes the 

 deposit as " An immense mass of stones embedded in earth 

 and rubbish resting on the original rock. The detritus has 

 somewhat the appearance of a raised beach." 



I did not see any beach stones, but I may have missed 

 them. The presence of an earth floor is doubtful if Mr. 

 Derrick is right that the deposit rests on the rock, but, of 

 course, it may happen that low down among and under the 

 rock debris, implements, even of paleolithic age, may be found. 

 For given a floor, since washed away by running water, the 

 implements will naturally have remained behind. It is on this 

 theory only that the cave justifies working. The original 

 cave must have been of enormous size, for high up on the 

 sides of the gully are parts of the cave with the same angular 

 stones but now standing far away from the existing cave. 



It appears to me that there was originally a cave of 

 enormous size, far exceeding any we know of now. This cave 

 had an opening much nearer to the sea and had a floor some 

 * Creux aux Chiens, 1883, folio 79. 



