370 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



layer, and, so far as yet discovered, they belong chiefly to 



the ruminantia The ivJwle of the bones have 



been shattered, except the joints and other solid parts ; on 

 these we observed marks as if they had been gnawed by 

 some animal. The only examples of the carnivora yet met 

 with are, the head of a wild cat, and the jaws of a fox or 

 wolf (or dog ?), with teeth belonging to animals of a larger 

 species. 



" About a foot from the floor we turned up part of the 

 left parietal bone of a human skull, extremely thin, but 

 compact, firm, and smooth as a piece of ivory. Two small 

 pieces of a pipkin were also picked up, bearing evident 

 marks of antiquity." 



When Mr Beattie had read his communication, Professor 

 Owen remarked that all the bones he had examined were 

 those of existing species. How the bones of the deer, the 

 sheep, the hog, the fox, the dog, the cat, and many other 

 quadrupeds, as well as birds, came to be mixed together in 

 that cave, he was unable to explain ; also by what animal 

 the larger bones could be so completely crushed, that the teeth, 

 joints, or other hard parts in which there icas no marrow, 

 alone remained. 



The descriptions of Mr Bryson and Mr Beattie differ, it 

 will be observed, in some points. Mr Bryson states that 

 the shelly deposit w r as found in an inner cave, while the 

 bones, &c, were in the outer or larger compartment. Mr 

 Beattie takes no notice of this inner cave. Mr Bryson's 

 account is likely to be the more correct of the two, for it 

 w T as written shortly after a visit to the cave, while it was 

 yet open ; whereas Mr Beattie wrote from the recollection of 

 what he had seen ten years before, his memory being un- 

 aided by notes. It must be observed, however, that both 

 these gentlemen had espoused different theories, and that it 

 is not unlikely that the attention of each was most strongly 

 directed to the points which best supported his views. 



At Mr Beattie's instigation, the proprietor, Captain J. 

 Fitzmaurice Scott, employed workmen to have the cave 

 cleared out; but, unfortunately, during their operations the 



