98 
JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
surface communication in a perpendicular plane, in an earth -crusted 
joint face, which extended from the roof of the cave to the top of 
the quarry. The portion of the cavern which remained was twenty- 
five feet in length, from four to six feet in height, and it had 
probably averaged three to four feet in breadth. At its inner 
extremity it continued downwards, but was there filled with lime- 
stone debris mixed with clay. The bones had been found at the 
innermost point of the cavity, immediately above this downward 
continuation, embedded in a matrix of very dense, tough, red clay, 
of that peculiarly fatty character which has been attributed to the 
decomposition of the fleshy portions of the carcases. Some of this 
clay remaining in situ beneath an overhanging part of the east wall 
of the cave, was full of fragments of bone, mostly small, while 
the larger pieces were as a rule so tender that the effort to extract 
them intact was almost hopeless. 
Mr. Goad consented to have the cave, so far as that was prac- 
ticable, worked out independently ; and while this was in progress 
I visited the quarry, and received the bones, carefully examining 
also the clay removed. The quantity found, however, after the 
first day or two was not large, and at last the supply seemed ex- 
hausted, the clay having been all worked out, and only coarse, 
rubbly limestone debris remaining. The same care, however, con- 
tinued to be exercised, and it was eventually rewarded during my 
absence for a few days by another find — in clay beneath this 
debris — small in quantity, but important in character, and evidently 
a portion of the same deposit. Altogether bones were then found 
at intervals for about two months. 
The remains are chiefly those of the aurochs, Bison prisms, which 
was not recorded as having occurred previously in the bone caves 
of Oreston (though its bones had certainly been found there), and 
which I had therefore the pleasure of definitely adding to our cave 
fauna. There are other bovine bones (Bos longifrons), some of the 
red deer (Cervus elapJius)* and several obscure fragments. All, 
however, are of the ruminant order, with the exception of a 
canine of bear, fragments of a second, and a few bones of birds, 
about the size of those of a duck. The whole are now in our 
Museum. 
* Mr. Davies, f.g.s., of the British Museum, kindly identified a number of 
the bones which I submitted to him, including those of the red deer, and a 
sacrum of a small cqnus (ass ?) found in the Mill quarry adjoining. 
