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Port Eynon Point Cave THE EARLY HOLOCENE AVIFAUNA by C.J. O. Harrison Summary Bird bones collected from Port Eynon Point Cave by H. A. Cook in 1932 appear to date from circa 9,000-6,000 before present, prior to the final rise in sea level and climatic optimum. Over forty-three species are identified, four involving osteologically-inseparable pairs. The avifauna suggests a climate similar to the present or slightly warmer. Species of special note are Junglefowl Gallus sp., Great Bustard Otis tarda, Black Redstart Phoenicia- us ochrurus and Redbilled Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax. Port Eynon Point Cave is a sea-cliff cave on the southern side of the Gower Peninsula in South Wales. It has been briefly described, with a profile sketch, by Rutter and Allen (1948). They referred to it as Port Eynon Point Cave, and although the material studied here was simply labelled "Port Eynon Cave" and referred to as such elsewhere (Harrison in press) the former name is used here. Within the cave there are deposits containing bones but these are in scattered sites around the cave floor, with little good evidence of a sequential series. The material is relatively recent in origin. It appears to have accumulated in a period subsequent to the last glaciation but prior to the rise in sea-level at the beginning of the climatic optimum, when the cave seems to have become too wet for use. From this, the specimens in the cave appear to date from about 9,000-6,000 years before present. There is no evidence of human use or occupation. The deposits therefore provide some evidence of the very poorly documented period following the last glaciation but prior to the major period of human settlement. Except where such settlement occurs ma- terial may receive relatively little attention because it falls between the main spheres of interest of palaeontology and archaeology. While this may be less obvious in hominid studies the gap is noticeable in palaeo- zoological studies where continuity of occurrence may be important. Bones of both birds and mammals were collected in the cave by Rev. H. A. Cook in 1932 and are now in the collection of the Department of Palaeontology, British Museum (Natural History). They were not stu- died at the time and the bird bones have only now been examined and identified.