Description of the Cave of Ki rkdale in Yorkshire, 59 
and sides are partially studded and cased over with a coating of 
stalactite, which descends to the surface of the mud, as at CC, 
and forms over it a plate or crust, spreading horizontally over 
its surface like ice over a surface of water. The thickness and 
quantity of this crust varied with that on the roof and sides, in 
some places covering the mud entirely, when the stalactite on 
the sides was most abundant, and in other places being totally 
wanting, both in the roof and the surface of the mud. A 
great part of this crust had been destroyed in digging up the 
mud to extract the bones ; but Professor Buckland saw several 
places where the stalactitic crust was very thick, and formed a 
continuous bridge across the mud. In some cases insulated 
stalagmites, like that shewn at D, have been formed on the sur- 
face of the sediments, by drops from the roof, but they are com- 
monly not larger than a cow’s pap, the name by which the work- 
men distinguish them. 
The bones have been found enclosed in the stalagmites, such 
as B, formed before the introduction of the mud, but principal- 
ly in the lower part of the sediment. A few perfect bones have 
been obtained, but most of them are broken into small angular 
fragments and chips, lying separately in the mud, whilst others 
are wholly or partially invested with stalactite. The action of 
this mud in preserving the bones from decomposition is very 
remarkable, and Professor Buckland found that almost the 
whole of their gelatine was preserved. The following Table 
will shew the nature of the bones which have been discovered, 
and the animals to which they have belonged. 
Hygena, 
Tiger, 
Bear, 
Wolf, 
Fox, 
Weazel, 
Unknown animal, of 
the size of the 
Forty fragments of jaw-bones ; several 
hundred canine teeth, which must 
have belonged to more than 100 in- 
dividuals. 
Two large canine teeth, 4 inches long, 
and one under tooth. 
One tusk, like that of the Ursus spelscus 
of the German caves. 
Many teeth. 
Many teeth. 
A few jaws and teeth. 
wolf, 
Several teeth. 
