48 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



Within, the cave is distinguished by chambers, alternating with 

 narrow passages. The floor is generally not more than three feet deep, 

 at which depth the limestone is met with as at the roof and sides. 

 The entrance being conspicuous, it is often visited from curiosity, 

 but has never before been carefully explored for the definite purpose 

 of discovering works of ancient art. This search was prompted by 

 the recent discoveries in France and at Hoxne, strongly seconded by 

 the fact that above, on the Ridgeway, some six or seven barrows 

 exist, wlrich yielded to the reporter and others a few years since, not 

 only cinerary urns, but also well-shaped flint arrow-heads. 



So much by way of introduction. 



The Section will be glad to learn that the search in this cave for 

 flint weapons has been successful, and that the number found is 

 seventy-three, including the identical lumps of flint which remained 

 after the chips had been struck off, when from their reduced size 

 they were no longer capable of yielding flakes sufficiently large to 

 answer the destined purpose, whatever that might be. 



Some of these specimens are of ordinary flint, but a good many 

 are of a dull-green opaque chert. In size they vary from about four 

 inches in length, downward. In general form they are almost iden- 

 tical with the flakes found at Bed Hill. They were disseminated 

 through the soil, but much the most thickly scattered at the mouth 

 of a recess near the entrance, w T here the fabricator might be supposed 

 to have seated himself to take advantage of the light. 



Interspersed also through the soil, which in some places is almost 

 black, were a great many bones ; most of them those of ruminants, 

 such as are now domesticated ; some of them fish-bones, with the 

 shells of edible mollusks ; and some few unmistakably the remains 

 of cave-mammals, such as TIrsus spelceus, Equus cahaUus, Hycena 

 speltea, and the teeth of some species of deer. Of this last animal, 

 though apparently of a later age, there is one very fine front prong 

 of an antler, which measures 11 inches, and the circumference 4y 

 inches at the base, where there are long marks across as if done with 

 some tool. To these works of ancient art and animal remains must 

 be added some very modern articles ; one of them the half of a Shef- 

 field penknife, which, however, seemed to have been buried some 

 years. 



The conclusions and inferences which the author of this report has 

 come to will be comprehended in replies to the following questions : — 

 1st. What was the use of these flakes? 2, By what race of men 

 were they fabricated ? 3. "Whence was the material derived? 



First, the use of these flint, and chert flakes. The conviction ar- 



period between the pre-historical and the Celtic nations. He describes one of these 

 " celts " as " une hache a game ou demi-polie. Le tranchant Vest entierement. La 

 partie destinee a entrer dans la gaine ne Vest pas." 



In the British Museum collection of antiquities, an object, termed by Mr. Bollaert a 

 " stone club," is preserved from Cocina, in Peru, near Noria. Mr. Gilbert Brandon has 

 also preserved a " stone hatchet-blade used in the time of the lucas," from Cuzco ; whilst 

 amongst the Mexican antiquities presented by Lady "Webster, is to be found a " cincel de 

 los Iudios, encontrado en una sepidtura," — where, is not stated. 



