Explorations in the Bone Cave of Ballynamintra. 219 
That the gravel stratum in the cave was once at a higher level is shown by the 
gravel bench along the left wall in cross section A. That it was deposited in 
water is strongly corroborated by the absence of animal remains in it. 
Second Period.—The Cave ceases to be a River-channel ; 1s inhabited by Bears, 
and the Stalagmite Floor is formed on the gravel. 
The stream that flowed through the cave does not seem to have ceased all at 
once, giving place to the stalagmite deposit ; for not only was the gravel cemented 
by the calcareous material in places into a hard concrete mass for several inches 
in depth, but it contained thin seams of pure stalagmite, overlaid again by gravel, 
showing that the calcareous matter was coming in both during interruptions in 
the deposition of the gravel, and also while it was being deposited. 
At length no more gravel was deposited, and the cave ceased to be the channel 
of a stream, the ground in front, having probably been excavated by a broad river 
that ran down the Brickey valley, so as to leave the cave high and dry. 
Upon this change taking place, the cave seems to have become the habitation of 
bears, which died there, as the bones of one of these animals in their natural con- 
nexion were found embedded: in the lower part of the stalagmite masses that had 
been formed on the gravel. 
The digiti and teeth of deer, also found in the stalagmite, may have been 
carried in by the bears. 
When the gravel had ceased to be deposited, the stalagmite floor formed, layer 
upon layer, until it attained in places a thickness of 3 feet 6 inches, or more. From 
the way in which it rose, until it culminated under the great chimney on the right, 
shown in cross section F, it is probable that this upward opening, through which 
so much other material was subsequently intruded, was a chief source of the 
stalagmite. Stalactites also were doubtless formed on the roof, though of 
these no vestiges were found but a broken pendant embedded in subsequent 
deposits. | 
The high level of the stalagmite floor, a little beyond the 24th foot, where 
there was only an interval of 6 inches between it and the roof, formed a barrier 
to the entrance of any animal larger than a fox into the inner cavity, and, 
accordingly, no ancient animal remains were found in the latter situation. 
Third Period.—break-up of portion of the Stalagmite Floor and deposition of the 
Pale Sandy Earth. 
From whatever causes ancient stalagmite floors crystallize and break up, these 
phenomena are common in caves, and may be observed in three others close to the 
cave we are treating of. In Kent’s cavern much of the lower or crystalline 
2 N 2 
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