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NOTES ON THE CAVES OF YORKSHIRE. BY S. W. CUTTRISS. 
Read (htoher 1th, 1897. 
Introduction. 
Yorkshire holds a unique position in England for the number, 
size, and variety of the caves and allied physical phenomena which 
are contained within its boundaries. In no other part of the 
country, except the neighbouring county of Derbyshire, which is 
to a large extent a continuation of the same geological formation, 
is the rock structure so favourable to their formation. Seeing these 
caves form such a conspicuous feature of a large part of the county, 
it is a matter of surprise there has been no attempt until recently to 
explore them in a systematic manner, and study their formation and 
characteristics, in the relation they bear to the topography of the 
country. From time to time there have been careful examinations 
of such caves as were of interest from an archaeological point of 
view, principally by Dr. Buckland and Prof. W. Boyd Dawkins ; 
also several times within the last forty years attempts, with varying 
success, have been made to descend some of the deep chasms or pot- 
holes on Ingleborough and the neighbouring mountains ; but so far 
as the writer is aware, these investigations have been of a more or 
less spasmodic nature, without any apparent intention of following 
up the work to a complete study of the subject. Within the last 
few years cave exploration, as a sport, has received a large addition 
to its ranks, but even by the majority of these the science of 
Speleologie has been neglected. To the writer this branch of 
geographical research has had great attractions for many years, but 
the number of caves is so large, and the time available for explora^ 
tion so limited, that as yet only a comparatively small number have 
been thoroughly investigated and planned. In these notes, there- 
fore, there will be no attempt to deal exhaustively with the subject. 
The chief aim rather will be to indicate a few general conclusions 
arrived at from work already completed. At the outset I wish to 
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