ORIGIN OF DILUVIUM. HARMONY OF CAVES AND FISSURES. 145 
roofs; whilst on the other hand, its perfect agreement with the dilu¬ 
vial loam that abounds on the surface of the adjacent countries, added 
to the fact of the materials within the cave being often sorted, or 
drifted, as if by water into distinct deposits of loam, and sand, and 
pebbles; and the still more irresistible argument, arising from the 
almost universal presence of the pebbles themselves, renders it im¬ 
possible to refer the earthy matter in question to any cause acting 
exclusively within the interior of the caverns, or indeed to any other 
origin, than one violent movement of waters over the land without: 
the effects likely to have been produced by such an inundation on 
the interior of caverns having communication with the then existing 
surface, are precisely such as we find to have actually taken place, 
and to be attended by circumstances, all of which are consistent with 
the hypothesis of the mud and pebbles having been superinduced 
upon bones already existing in the caverns, by the waters of a tran¬ 
sient deluge. 
The facts I have enumerated in the above descriptions go to 
establish a perfect analogy, as far as relates to the loam and pebbles 
and stalagmitic incrustations in the caves and fissures of Germany 
and England, and lead us to infer an identity in the time and manner 
in which these earthy deposits were introduced; and this identity is 
still further confirmed by the agreement in species, of the animals 
whose remains we find enveloped by them, both in caves and fissures, 
as well as in the superficial deposits of similar loam and pebbles on 
the surface of the adjacent countries: viz. by the agreement of the 
animals of the English caves and fissures, not only with each other, 
but also with those of the diluvial gravel of England, and of the 
