The plateaux of the Northern Limestone Alps underwent uplift between Miocene and Pliocene times due to pressure from the Central Alps. The run-off from the Central Alps took a linear northerly direction to the Northern Foreshore. Subsequent dissection separated the plateaux physically and local radial drainage patterns developed. The surface features of the plateaux are dependant on glaciation, solution and weathering. The plateaux show good conditions for cave formation. This has occurred in two major phases, late Tertiary northerly phreatic tunnels and post glacial vadose development.

An account is given of the discoveries made by a joint University of Bristol Spelaeological Society and Cambridge University Caving Club expedition to the Totes Gebirge, Austria, in 1980. It includes descriptions of four caves 1623/41, 87, 113 and 115, together with surveys of two of them, 1623/41 and 115. The caves consisted of a mixture of vadose passages and old phreatic systems and the potential for further discoveries is great.

Recent intensive study of the sequence of deposits in a small area of the cave, using primarily sedimentological and palaeontological techniques, has revealed the presence of three main units, dating from the Late Devensian, from a full glacial episode (probably Devensian) and from an interglacial episode (possibly but by no means certainly Ipswichian). Re-examination of the finds and literature associated with the old excavations generally supports these conclusions. New radiocarbon dates suggest that the brief Palaeolithic intrusion, evidenced by flint artefacts and human bones from the old collections, occurred very near the end of the Devensian Glacial. Multidisciplinary work continues at this site.

Light and electron photomicroscopy were used to study variability in eye regression of populations of a cavernicolous gryllid cricket from Northern Venezuela. Statistical analysis suggests there are two distinct types or subspecies each with a separate habitat preference. The micropthalmic type is probably better adapted to life in low-energy, deep-cave environments but is outcompeted in high-energy environments (e.g. Guano beds) by the macropthalmic type.

Three underground streams were dye traced as many as twenty-four times, at various flows between the extremes of flood and drought. This systematic study, the first of its kind to our knowledge, has shown that: 1. Travel time (the time between input of dye at the swallet and its first arrival at the resurgence) is inversely proportional to mean resurgence output over the same period. This is characteristic of simple phreatic streams, which should be distinguishable using graphic analysis from vadose and complex phreatic streams. 2. Rhodamine WT dye, the most stable of the common fluorescent dyes, is progressively lost, to a significant and unpredictable extent, in transit from swallet to resurgence. Succesful tracing therefore requires more dye at low flows than at high flows.

The position of four underground points in G.B. Cave, Charterhouse-on-Mendip, Somerset (ST 476 562), in relation to the surface was checked by radiolocation. The horizontal differences, as well as differences in depth between the points marked on the survey and those determined by radiolocation, were less than 5 metres.

During field walking near the village of Mells a series of Neolithic-Beaker flint implements were found by the author. Reported here is the site upon which they were found and comparable sites in the area. The threat from quarrying and the need for field study is noted.

THis addendum to Vranch’s paper [Proceedings 16 (1)] provides further evidence of surface finds of flint and chert implements from a neighbouring area.