THE BRITISH LION. 
155 
in the neighbourhood than have been proved to have lived in 
a similar area at any time in the past history of the earth. 
To the south of this district no leonine remains have been 
discovered as far as the outcrop of the Devonian limestones on 
the shores of Torquay and Plymouth. In the Brixham cave 
two phalanges were found along with flint-flakes and the 
remains of Hyaena, Bear, and other animals ; in that of Kent’s 
Hole an upper jaw, teeth, and bones ; and in that of Oreston, 
explored by Mr. Whidby, three canines, one humerus, one 
metacarpal, and two metatarsals. 
Nor were they less rare on the opposite side of the Bristol 
Channel in South Wales. The researches of Colonel Wood and 
Dr. Falconer have resulted only in the discovery of an upper 
jaw and five teeth in the cave of Eavenscliff, three canines and 
a fragment of skull in that of Northhill Tor, and a fragmen- 
tary remain from those of Spritsail Tor and Longhole. From 
a cave on Caldy Island, teeth have been obtained by the Eev. 
F. Smith of Gumfreiston. A cave at Kefn in Denbighshire is 
quoted by Dr. Falconer as containing the remains of Felis 
spelcea, and affords the only trace of the animal in North Wales. 
These are all the cases of the occurrence of the animal in 
Great Britain revealed by a careful search in every collection 
of note in the kingdom. Its absence, therefore, from certain 
districts cannot be accounted for on the supposition that the 
fossil remains have not been examined, and consequently its 
range through Biitain, so far as extant evidence goes, is fairly 
represented. Its Taetropolis was W'est Somerset, whence it 
ranged throughout England as far as the North Eidingof York- 
shire, being very rare in proportion to the other animals living 
at the time. Its absence from Scotland, Cumberland, and 
Westmoreland, and its extreme rarity in North Wales, may be 
accounted for by the fact, that the mountains in those districts 
were crowned by glaciers during the Post-glacial epoch, which 
would necessarily involve a climate unfitted for the great de- 
velopment of the Herbivora in regions much broken up into 
hill and valley, and the consequent absence of the Carnivores. 
Its absence from Ireland also may be attributed to the same 
cause. 
We have now to discuss the paleontological value of the 
remains of the animal in marking the age of the deposits in 
which they are found. We have seen that the animal occurs 
more or less abundantly in bone caves and river deposits that 
are beyond all doubt of Post-glacial age, that is to say, which 
eontain the remains of the Eeindeer, Musk-sheep, and Mammoth. 
Can it boast a higher antiquity in Britain ? So far as the 
extant evidence goes, it certainly cannot. It is found neither 
in the forest bed nor in the ancient land-surface underlying the 
