d that it led into a cavern, broad in some parts, but low
throughout. There were only a few spots where a man could stand upright;
but it was quite extensive, with branches opening out from it, some of
which have not yet been explored. The whole floor was strewn, from one
end to the other, with hundreds of bones, like a huge dog-kennel. The
workmen wondered a little at their discovery, but, remembering that
there had been a murrain among the cattle in this region some years
before, they came to the conclusion that these must be the bones of
cattle that had died in great numbers at that time; and, having so
settled the matter to their own satisfaction, they took little heed to
the bones, but threw many of them out on the road with the common
limestone. Fortunately, a gentleman, living in the neighborhood, whose
attention had been attracted to them, preserved them from destruction;
and a few months after the discovery of the cave, Dr. Buckland, the
great English geologist, visited Kirkdale, to examine its strange
contents, which proved indeed stranger than any one had imagined; for
many of these remains belonged to animals never before found in England.
The bones of Hyenas, Tigers, Elephants, Rhinoceroses, and Hippopotamuses
were mingled with those of Deer, Bears, Wolves, Foxes, and many smaller
creatures. The bones were gnawed, and many were broken, evidently not by
natural decay, but seemed to have been snapped violently apart. After
the most complete investigation of the circumstances, Dr. Buckland
convinced himself, and proved to the satisfaction of all scientific men,
that the cave had been a den of Hyenas[A] at a time when they, as well
as Tigers, Elephants, Rhinoceroses, etc., existed in England in as great
numbers as they now do in the wildest parts of tropical Asia or Africa.
The narrow entrance to the cave still retained the marks of grease and
hair, such as one may see on the bars of a cage in a menagerie against
which the imprisoned animals have been in the habit of rubbing
themselves constantly, and there were marks of the same kind on the
floor and walls.

[Footnote A: Among the other facts showing that Kirkdale Cave had been
the den of these animals, and not tenanted as their home by any of the
other creatures whose remains occurred there, were the excrements of the
Hyenas found in considerable quantity by Dr. Buckland, and identified as
such by the keeper of a menagerie. Any one who may wish to read the
wh