440 
J. R. Dakyns — The Antiquity of Man. 
the Pleistocene mammals, the prejudice is that he should be considered 
post-Glacial. Yet, geologically, the question is practioally settled by 
the evidence afforded by the Yictoria Cave. There the usual Pleisto- 
cene fauna is found overlain by a true glacial deposit. Whether or not 
the bones of man have really been found there, is a question for 
osteologists to determine ; but though of great, this is not of the first 
importance. The fauna is that often associated with man ; therefore, 
without prejudice, we conclude that, what is true of them as to age, 
is also true of him : whether or not a human bone has been found 
in that particular collection is comparatively unimportant. As, 
however, owing to the reluctance shown in certain quarters to admit 
the evidence, tlie simplicity of the geological question is not generally 
known, a short summary of the facts and arguments may be of 
interest. At the Yictoria Cave the remains of Hyama, Fox, Brown 
Bear, Grizzly Bear, Eleplias antiquus, Rhinoceros leptorhinus, Hippo- 
potamus, Bos priviigenius, Bison, and Bed Deer, and a questionable 
fibula, have been found in the lower cave-earth. The ends of this 
deposit were covered by a mass of erratic boulders and of tili. 
This was a true glacial deposit, as I have myself seen. This glacial 
deposit immediately overlies the Cave-earth containing the Pleistocene 
mammalia, without the intervention of any talus; but it was itself 
covered by an enormous mass of talus, twenty feet and upwards in 
thickness, composed of limestone fragments, fallen frorn the cliff 
above, without the intermixture of any boulders whatever. 
This sequence of deposits, consisting of : — 
Modern screes, resting upon 
Glacial Boulder-beds, overlying 
Cave-earth, with the Pleistocene fauna, 
sufficiently establishes the fact that the animals, whose remains 
have been there found, lived in the country before the end of 
the Glacial period. This is perfectly simple : but it is contrary 
to the common opinion formed entirely upon the evidence 
gleaned in a very different part of the country, to wit, the Ouse 
and Thames basins, where the said fauna is post-Glacial. So 
prejudice sets to work and puts its votaries through remarkable 
contortions. First, it is suggested that the boulders are not a true 
glacial deposit in place, but have tumbled into their present position 
off the cliffs above. This is simply impossible, and therefore the 
Suggestion is absurd, for the following reasons : — Had the boulders 
fallen off the cliff in the course of its weathering, they would be 
mixed up with ordinary talus and screes. But they are not so ; they 
form a distinct deposit by themselves. Moreover, one cannot 
suppose, if one would, that a nest of boulders and a patch of 
Boulder-clay had been providentially, though most improbably, 
placed on the top of the scar above the mammalian remains, so as 
to fall in a lump and leave not a stone behind to mix with the sub- 
sequent screes. for this reason : restore to the cliff the amount of 
rock that has subsequently fallen as screes upon the boulder-bed, 
and make due allowance for the enormous amount that has been 
carried away in solution without leaving a trace behind ; restore all 
