BRUNIQUEL, AND ITS ORGANIC CONTENTS. 
533 
cavern itself, in his property at Bruniquel, which is about twenty miles from Salette, 
and explored that cavern and three other cave abodes of a more recent (bronze-age) 
date in the same grand escarpment or precipice of Jura limestone. 
“ In a recess of the cavern I saw a human cranium (the calvarium or upper part) in 
situ ; a part of this had been exposed by M. de Lastic in his last visit, and he directed 
it to be left until my arrival : it was imbedded in the breccia about 4 feet below the 
level of the upper floor of stalagmite. Of the veritable original position in the firmly 
cemented mass of mud, hardened or petrified by infiltrated calcareous matter, with peb- 
bles and water-worn stones, and here and there portions of Reindeer’s bones, there was 
no room for doubt. The human remains in the Museum previously discovered are in a 
similar matrix ; the precise positions where they were found were pointed out to me by 
workmen and the Vicomte. Parts of the matrix show the moulding of the mud to the 
cranial dome before it became petrified. There are remains of women and children as 
well as of men. The animal remains which I have hitherto determined belong to the 
large Reindeer , the Red Peer , gigantic Ox, a large Horse, Fox, and three kinds of birds, 
all (save Fox) seemingly introduced by the cave-dwellers for food (bones evidently broken 
for the marrow, &c.). The fragments of such bones are in heaps to be counted by 
thousands, and I may come upon other species of animals. M. de Lastic, since the 
first rough and unauthorized diggings by the Toulouse explorers, has walled up the 
entry to the cave, leaving a doorway in charge of his keeper. He has had three skilled 
diggers and cleaners of the remains at work with frequent superintendence by himself, 
carefully exhuming every tool and fossil; and the Museum here shows the result 
of that system. Two implements exhibit an outline of an animal's head finely cut. 
M. de Lastic pointed them out to me as of a Horse ; but I discerned the Reindeer’s 
profile and made out faint traces of the antler. They are the earliest known works of 
graphic art representing a species now extinct in temperate Europe. The perfection of 
the barbed instruments, of other various tools, of delicate needles, See., is truly remark- 
able. Most of the specimens are in duplicate or multiples. 
“ The day was too far spent on Saturday to proceed with the extraction of the human 
calvarium and further exploration in that recess of the cave. On Tuesday, 26 th, we 
shall again proceed to Bruniquel on this quest; I, however, exhumed with my own 
hands, on Saturday, bones and tools demonstrative of the conditions in which the pre- 
vious acquisitions had been discovered and obtained by the Vicomte. 
“ Believe me, truly yours, 
(Signed) “ Richard Owen.” 
“ To the Principal Librarian, British Museum .” 
“I certify the above to be a true copy from the letter (No. 970 of Letter-book, Bri- 
tish Museum) of the date January 24th, 1864. 
(Signed) “A. W. E. O’Shaughnessy, 
Assistant in the British Museum 
mdccclxix. 4 c 
