344 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



Dr. Falconer and Capt. Cautley, in the Proceedings of the Geological Society 

 of London) and a small horn core may, it is presumed, also indicate the presence 

 of an animal allied to a species of this interesting quadruped.* 



Amono- the bones of large oxen were teeth, some characteristic fragments of 

 the metacarpal and metatarsal bones, and two or three specimens of astragalus. 



Of the carnivorous animals, canines and molar teeth of the bear pre- 

 dominated, indicating the existence of two or more species, among which may 

 doubtless be included JJrsiis spelmis and JJ.^ priscus. 



The interesting though fragmentary canines of the cave lion or tiger, and of 

 the still larger and probably undescribed species before refen-ed to, were for 

 the most part met with very near to the large grinders of the mammoth before 

 described. Among the specimens referred to the wolf or large dog were many 

 of dilFerent magnitude, and I suspect that there may be good evidence of the 

 existence of carnivora intermediate in size between that of the wolf and the 

 larger feline animals. 



Of the gnawing animals there were evident traces of small incisor teeth of a 

 quadruped about the size of a mouse diffused through some of the upper parts 

 of the clay, and one tolerably perfect ramus of a jaw was found loosely attached 

 to the side of a small cavity laid open on breaking a large mass of stalagmite. 



There also occurred a very few hollow conical teeth of two kinds, some of 

 wliich are possibly those of very immense reptiles, a cast in the stalagmite of 

 the abdominal rings and elytra of a supposed coleopterous insect, some bones 

 of bii'ds, and, indeed, many other specimens, some of which may still be in- 

 cluded in masses of clayey stalagmitic matter that I have not yet had time to 

 examine. 



Li concluding this portion of my paper I beg to say that I should not have 

 presumed to attempt this necessarily hasty and imperfect description of the 

 fossils so lately met with, but that 1 hoped it might be of interest, and at the 

 same time give me an opportunity of gaining from competent authorities further 

 information respecting specimens, some of which it appeared not unlikely be- 

 longed to undescribed species of animals. It is right, moreover, in this place 

 for me to say that I have been informed by the manager of the quarry that a 

 great number of bones and teeth were discovered before my arrival in Plymouth, 

 and that most of these were sold to the bone merchant. Many also of the re- 

 maius have been unavoidably dispersed in various other dii-ections dui-ing my 

 conduct of these investigations. 



In beds of limestone existing further to the east of those in which the just 

 now mentioned fossil bones occurred, and which are evidently a continuation of 

 the same scries of rocks, little or no dolomite is included ; they are also par- 

 ticularly free from caverns and generally from stalactitic deposits, presentiug 

 us with similar limestone rocks, for the most part unaltered- by those changes 

 which produce the plienomena of dolomizatiou and caverns. These rocks are 

 coloured black by the oxides of iron and manganese, and are traversed by 

 numerous white calcareous veins ; they form a part of the black marble so fre- 

 qiHMitly rm])loyed for statuary purposes in this part of England. Distinct 

 bluish bhick slate and argillaceous hydraulic limestone beds are of very fre- 



* Siiicc the above lias liccn I have had an opportunity of comparing- these frag- 



ments with teeth of similar form, from t'le Se\valik; kills, in the north of India,"contained in 

 the Musoiiin of Marischal C'ollc,;-:e, Aberdeen ; and I am indeV)tcd to tlie kinihiess of Professor 

 Owen Ibr liu ilior CdnhrnKuiun of the opuuon that the teeth nre really those of a species of 

 fossil .nirnlll\ The ^Lusoum :u Aberdeen contains nnmerous other fo'sshs and casts of jaws 

 with tei.'tli, fror.i tlie same loc ality. From an inspection of these. 1 i'eel also jnstificd in con- 

 cludiug that two other prc-ni(a;r; I'ouud ni (h-eston beloiiu- to a species of fossil camel. These 

 facts will, if fidly ccnihniud, pl;;co ^ ^w record tlic (I bi,'lievc) hrsr instance of remains of these 

 interesting genera having been found in Hritain, and also tend to inihcate their extensive 

 geogruplucal range dui-ing the geological period under consideration. 



