230 Dr Fleming on the Geological Deluge. 
pable of bringing in the mud and bones from higher fissures, if 
such existed, and depositing both in their present situation. 
The existence of such fissures cannot be doubted, since Profes- 
sor Buckland has made the concession. 44 The fact already 
mentioned of the ingulfment of the Rical Beck, and other adja- 
cent rivers, as they cross the limestone, showing it to abound 
with many similar cavities to those at Kirkdale, renders it likely 
that other deposits of bones may hereafter be discovered in the 
same neighbourhood.'” But are there no open fissures in this 
bed of limestone still existing, as natural pitfalls for modern ani- 
mals, and furnishing intimations of the former state of the dis- 
trict ? 64 In Duncombe Park, in the immediate neighbourhood,, 
and in the same limestone rock, there is at present an irregular 
crack or fissure twenty feet long, and three or four feet broad, 
which is almost concealed and overgrown with bushes, and which 
being nearly at right angles to the edge of the cliff, lies like a pit- 
fall across the path of animals that pass that way. It descends 
obliquely downwards, and presents several ledges or landing 
places, and irregular lateral chambers, the floors of which are 
strewed over with angular fragments of limestone, fallen from 
the sides and roof, and with dislocated skeletons of animals that 
have, from time to time, fallen in from above and perished."” 
(Del. Dil. 55.) The fissure was found to fc4 contain the skeletons 
of dogs, sheep, deer, goats and hogs.” 44 The bones lay loose and 
naked.” A local inundation flowing into the fissure would trans- 
port the bones to the lowest chambers, and leave them in the same 
circumstances as the so-called antediluvian bones. The evidence 
thus appears to be in favour of that opinion, which supposes 
that the bones in the Kirkdale cave tvere brought to their pre- 
sent situation from caverns at a high level, by the agency of wa~. 
ter, which deposited at the same time the mud in which they are 
imbedded. I say imbedded, because the mud does not appear 
simply to have filled up the interstices or layers of bones, but to 
have suspended and enveloped many of them. 44 Most of them 
are broken into small angular fragments and chips, the greater 
the neighbourhood, which flow over the same bed of limestone, in which the 
cave is situate, and this rock is full of fissures. The reader, from these facts, 
will be able to estimate the value of a geological impossibility . 
