Caverns in Germany and Hungary^ 
places, which are less numerous, there 
«re none of these remains; sometimes 
the sand or marl, which covers them, 
contains only fresh-water shells. 
“No well-authenticated accountproves 
that they have been covered by regular 
beds of stone, filled with sea-shells; 
and, consequently, that the sea has 
remained on them, undisturbed, for a 
long period. 
The catastrophe which covered them 
was,^therefore, a great, but transient, in¬ 
undation of the sea. 
“ This inundation did not rise above 
the high mountains; for we find no ana¬ 
logous deposits covering the bones, nor 
are the bones themselves there met 
with, not even in the high valleys, un¬ 
less in some of the warmer parts of 
.I'lmerica, 
** These bones are neither rolled nor 
joined in a skeleton, but scattered, and 
in part fractured. They have not then 
been brought from afar by inundation, 
but found by it in places where it has 
covered them, as might be expected, if 
the animals to which they belonged had 
^iwelt in these places, and had there suc¬ 
cessively died. 
Before this catastrophe, these ani¬ 
mals lived, therefore, in tlie climates in 
which we now dig up their bones ; it 
was this catastrophe which destroyed 
them there ; and, as we no longer find 
them, it is evident that it has annihilated 
those species. The northern parts of the 
globe, therefore, nourished formerly spe¬ 
cies belonging to the genus elephant^ hip¬ 
popotamus^ rhinoceros^ and tapiPy as well 
as to mastodorty genera of which the four 
first have no longer any species existing, 
except in the torrid zone; and, of the last, 
none in any part.'^ 
CAVERNS IN GERMANY AND HUNGARY, 
CONTAINING fOSSIL BONES. 
Among the most remarkable of these 
caverns are those of Gaylenreuth, on the 
confines of Bayreuth. The opening to 
these, which is about seven feet and a 
half high, is at the foot of a rock of lime¬ 
stone of considerable magnitude, and in 
it-s eastern side. Immediately beyond 
the opening is a magnificent grotto, of 
about three hundred feet in circumfer¬ 
ence, which has been naturally divided 
by the form of the roof into four caves. 
The first is about twenty-five feet long 
and wide, and varies in height from nine 
to eighteen feet, the roof being formed 
into irregular arches. Beyond this is th^ 
No, 
second cave, about twenty-eight feet 
long, and of nearly the same width and 
height with the former. 
A low and very rugged passage, tba 
roof of which is formed of projecting 
pieces of rocks, leads to the third grotto! 
the opening into which is a hole three 
feet high and four feet wide. This grotto 
is more regular in its form, and is about 
thirty feet in diameter, and nearly round; 
its height is from five to six feet. This 
grotto is very richly and fantastically 
adorned by the varying forms of its sta- 
lactitic hangings. The floor is also co¬ 
vered with a wet and slippery glazing, in 
which several teeth and jaws appear to 
have been fixed. 
From this grotto commences the de¬ 
scent to the inferior caverns. Within 
only about five or six feet an opening in 
the floor is seen, which is partly vaulted 
over by a projecting piece of rock. The 
descent is about twenty feet; and occa¬ 
sioned to M. Esperand his companions 
some little fear lest they should never re¬ 
turn, but remain to augment the zoolithes 
coritained in these terrific mansions. 
This cavern was found to be about thirty 
feet in height, about fifteen feet in width, 
and nearly circular; the sides, roof, and 
floor, displaying the remains of animals. 
The rock itself is thickly beset with teetli 
and bones, and the floor is covered with 
a loose earth, the evident result of animal 
decomposition, and in which numerous 
bones are imbedded. 
A gradual descent leads to another 
grotto, which, with its passage, is forty 
feet in length, and twenty feet in height. 
Its sides and top are beautifully adorned 
with stalactites. Nearly twenty feet further 
is a frightful gulf, the opening of which is 
about fifteen feet in diameter ; and, upon 
descending about twenty feet, another 
grotto, ♦mut the same diameter with tha 
former, but forty feet in height, is seen. 
Here the bones are dispersed about; and 
the floor, which is formed of animal earth, 
has great numbers of them imbedded iij 
it. The bones which are here found 
seem to be of different animals; but in 
this, as well as in the former caverns, 
perfect and u!ibroken bones are very sel¬ 
dom found. Sometimes a tooth is seen 
projecting from the solid rock, through 
the stalactitic covering, showing that 
many of these wonderful remains /may 
here be concealed. A specimen of this 
kind, which I possess, from Gaylenreuth, 
is rendered particularly interesting, by 
the first molar tooth of the lower jaw, 
^ U witlii 
