THE RECENT FOSSIL MAN. 
285 
together with the remains of birds. These were first noticed 
by M. Tournal in 1827, and subsequently by MM. M. de Serres, 
Christol, Dumas, P. Gervais, and Brinckmann, the latter two 
authors giving an account of their observations in the “ Mes- 
sager du Midi ” (Montpellier, 1864), and they remark that the 
occurrence of the reindeer does not indicate so great geological 
antiquity, although still remote, but that the climate of central 
and southern Europe was considerably colder, and became sub- 
sequently modified, so as in part to cause the retreat of this 
animal to the northern regions. 
In the bone caves of Dordogne, investigated by MM. Lartet 
and Christy, the most abundant animal was the reindeer, which 
evidently formed the principal article of food of the cave- 
dwellers, and, together with the ibex and the chamois, afford 
evidence that a considerable change of climate has taken place, 
for the former animal could not now exist in the south of 
France. “ These caves are particularly interesting, because, 
so far at least as we can judge from the present state of the 
evidence, they belong to M. Lartet’s reindeer period, and tend, 
therefore, to connect the later, or polished-stone age, with 
the period of the river drifts and great extinct mammalia, 
a period about w T hich we had previously very little informa- 
tion.” * 
The discovery, in the early part of this year, of a human 
skeleton in one of the great caverns ( Baousse-rousse) of the 
Italian frontier, has again drawn attention to the subject, and 
excited much public curiosity at Mentone when announced in 
“ Le Courrier de Menton,” of April 7, with a plate of “ Le 
Troglodite de Menton,” from which journal the following notes 
are abstracted.! The cave is one of a series which occur in 
a compact limestone, and are known as les grottes des roches 
rouges . The caves are from 50 to 150 feet from the sea, and 
40 or 50 feet above it, and all open to the south. 
The discovery was made by Dr. E. Riviere, who has been 
appointed by the French Government to examine and study 
the palaeontology and prehistoric period of Liguria. After ob- 
taining an immense quantity of bones and teeth of bears, 
gigantic stags, hyaenas, rhinoceros, and other animals, from 
the neighbouring quarries, Dr. Riviere commenced the ex- 
ploration of the caverns. The cavern above alluded to is near 
the line of railway from Mentone to Vintimille, and the skele- 
ton was found beneath a layer of earth several yards in thick- 
ness, and is in a very fine and remarkable state of preservation, 
* Sir J. Lubbock, “ Prehistoric Times,” p. 245. 
t The Plate has been reproduced from the “ Geological Magazine ” for 
June, whose Editors kindly lent it. 
