NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 5 



PAPER READ. 



On a specimen of the lower portion of the horn of the Reindeer 



(Cervus tarandus), now extinct in the British Islands. 



By Mr John Young, F.G.S. 



This interesting relic of an animal, which seems to have existed 

 in Scotland from pre-glacial times down to a period as recent as 

 the twelfth century, was found embedded in boulder-clay at Rae^s- 

 gill, near Carluke, Lanarkshire, about the year 1849, during the 

 open cast working of the clayband ironstone at that place. Since 

 that time it has been in the possession of Mr William Grossart, 

 Surgeon, Salsburgh, in the parish of Shotts, and it was by him 

 recently presented to the Hunterian Museum. This is only the 

 fourth recorded occurrence of the remains of Reindeer in the West 

 of Scotland, and it appears to be equally rare in other parts of the 

 country. The other three localities in which it has been found 

 are — 1st, Kilmaurs, near Kilmarnock, where its remains were dis- 

 covered in beds under the boulder-clay, and associated with those 

 of the Mammoth. The stratum in which it occurred at this place 

 was overlaid by another bed containing marine shells of Arctic 

 species. 2nd, The valley of the Endrick, near Kilmaronock, where 

 it was found with Arctic shells underlying the till; and 3d, in the 

 silt of the river Clyde, nearly opposite Jordanhill. The Rae's-gill 

 horn bears evident marks of transportation, and was probably 

 derived from the denudation of strata more ancient than the 

 boulder clay. Its whole surface is smooth, and its extremities are 

 rounded. The striations on its surface also bear out the evidence 

 of its having been obtained out of the till. These are generally in 

 the direction of the longest axis of the horn, and in appearance 

 they exactly correspond with the scratched and ice-worn stones 

 of the till. 



The Librarian announced as a donation to the library. The 

 Entomologist's Monthly Magazine, 3 Vols., from Dr Hugh 

 Colquhoun. 



November 30th, 1869. 



Mr David Robertson, F.G.S., Vice-President, in the chair. 

 Messrs John Young, jun., William MacEwan, CM., and James 

 Lothian, were elected resident members. 



