Explorations in the Bone Cave of Ballynamintra. 205 
Toe Wo tr (Canis lupus). 
The old Irish wolf or stag hound, approached in size to the wolf ; consequently, 
there is considerable difficulty in eliminating its remains from the latter. The 
second upper molar (No. 167) from No. 8, and humerus (No. 554), which was asso- 
ciated with bones of Irish elk and bear in a breccia of cale tufa contained in a 
crevice ; also a proximal fragment (No. 372) of a femur, black and dendritic, from 
No. 2, might be referred to the wolf. The more trenchant and stouter cusps of the 
above-named molar seem to associate it rather with the latter. It was found at a 
depth of five feet, under the wall, close to a swallow hole, among pebbles. 
Tue Fox (Canis vulpes). 
This cavern hunter, like the rabbit, is so apt to leave its own remains, or the 
refuse of its food, among older relics of the superficial deposits as to make it diffi- 
cult or impossible to eliminate the former from the latter. Upwards of fifty bones 
referable to the fox were discovered in No. 1, but only four in No. 2, and none in 
the deeper strata. A few showed the discoloration of the ancient bones, but che 
majority had a recent outward appearance. 
Tur Dog (Canis Hibernicus *). 
Thirteen fragments of bones and three molars of a large variety of Canis, equal 
and even taller than the wolf, were met with in No. 1. The mandibles indicated 
a large hound ; the teeth were usually well worn and the jaws more slender than 
obtains ordinarily in the wolf, but especially pronounced in the large extinct Lrish 
wolfhound. 
The remains were frequently discoloured and blackened, and sometimes light 
yellow, and recent in appearance. 
Tue Marten (Martes sylvestris). 
The following remains of this weasel, still sparsely scattered over the more 
secluded parts of the island, were found in the upper portions of No. 2 and in 
No. 1 deposits. A right ramus of a mandible, with teeth in their sockets, but very 
fresh-looking, was derived from No. 2, whilst the distal end of a left femur was 
met with in No. 1, and a right femur and a left ramus of a mandible. The two 
latter were found at the distance of fourteen feet from the mouth of the cave ; also 
fragments of two left maxille, with teeth, were discovered from eighteen to twenty- 
one feet inwards in No. 1. The majority of the remains were fresh-looking, and 
had little of the appearance of old bones. 
Tue Hare (Lepus variabilis?). 
The fact that the Lepus tumidus has not been recognised as one of the recent 
mammals of Ireland, and that the remains found in Shandon cave with the 
mammoth bear and reindeer* appear to have belonged to the mountain hare, from 
the characters relating to the comparatively shorter long bones, which seemingly 
* Adains, Op. cit., vol. xxvi., p. 228. 
