The labours of the late Admiral Spratt, R.N., and of the late Professor Leith Adams, F.B.S., in the cavern deposits of the Maltese Islands were rewarded by the finding of a unique and interesting land fauna, among which were Elephants, Hippopotami, Land-tortoises, gigantic Dormice, and aquatic Birds, the presence of whichinso limited an area was incompatible with the present existing physical conditions of the Islands. While carrying on his work of investigation in a cave in the Zebbug Gorge, Uied el Kbir,in1859, Spratt noticed that many of the remains of Elephants that were exhumed presented the appearance of having been fiercely gnawed, and later on when Adams was excavating the Mnaidra gap it was observed that many of the elephantine remains were in a similar condition.