64 Naiurat-Historical Collections. 



4. " The Cervus Euryceros was an animal attached to a marshy state of the 

 fountry. 



5. " The chief use of the immense horns of the Cervus Euryceros was proba- 

 bly for his defence. 



6. *' The Cervus Euryceros was the ancient inhabitant of the temperate regions 

 of Europe, 



7' " The causes which led to the extinction in Europe of the race of the Cer- 

 vus Euryceros were various, while their action was gradual." 



^ Dr. Hibbert founds the opinion expressed under the third head, on the ex- 

 istence of a figure of a Cervus given by Sebastian Munster, in a scarce folio 

 work, entitled " Cosmographias Universalis Lib. VI. in quilms, juxta certioris 

 fidei scriptorum traditionem describuntur, omniu habitabilis orbis partium 

 ppriae'q. dotes. Regionum Topographicee effigies. Terroe ingeniae, quibus fit 

 ut tam diiFeretes et uarias specie res et animatas et inanimatas, ferat. Ani- 

 inalium peregrinorum naturae et picturae ; and dated M.D.L." &c. &c. 



" Though," says Dr. Hibbert, "in such of the remote regions as were imper- 

 fectly known to naturalists, the narratives of Munster partake of the popular fa- 

 bles of the times in which he lived, no objection can lie against his evidence in 

 regard to the productions of a country then so well known as Prussia. Ac- 

 cordingly, in enumerating the animals actually existing in this province in the 

 year 1550, he has given ttie figure of a Cervus, corresponding so precisely in 

 the form of his immense and wide horns witli those of the fossil Elk of Ire- 

 land, that it is impossible to confound him with any other Cervus ; — and that 

 there may remain no doubt wliatever that the same was an inhabitant of the 

 wilds or marshes of Prussia, he adds, ' / ordered tlie misshapen figure of this 

 animal to be here depicted to the life, as 

 well as can be expressed in a delineation.'' 

 A wood-cut accordingly appears in 

 Munster's volume, which is the only 

 good historical record of this animal 

 which I believe to be in existence." 



A copy of this figure, from the en- 

 graving accompanying Dr. Hibbert's 

 paper, upon precisely the same scale as 

 the original delineation, illustrates this 

 note. 



The written account which Munster 

 has annexed to his representation of 

 this Cervus is very brief. It may be 

 given in the author's own words. " Nu- 

 trit prseterea Prussia animalia quae pu- 

 tantur esse alces, Germanice autem vo- 

 cantur Elend, habeatque magnitudi- 

 nem asini aut mediocrisequi. Unguis 

 ejus dicuntur prodesse his qui caduco ; 

 laborant morbo, et pellis est tam du ' 

 ut nee confodi neque dissecari possit. ' 

 Caro ejus dicitur esse ex nobiliori vena- 

 tione. Color autem subrufus est, nonnihil nigricans, habetque albicantia crura. 

 -Figuram hujus animalis ad vivum deformatam et qualiter lineis exprimi po- 

 test, feci hie depingi." 



Munster afterwards translated his work into the German language, in whicli 

 , the only dilFerence in the description of this Cervus, is, that the animal is de- 

 scribed of a brownish instead of a reddish colour, and that in the Latin copy 

 the author states that he had the animal drawn to the life. 



While Munster was obtaining information about this Cervus, he found that 

 less was known of him than of any other of the genus. He therefore wrote 

 for additional inforination to a friend in Livonia, conceiving that in that coun- 

 try the animal was more abundant. His queries, however, so far from being 

 resolved, were answered by a description of a perfectly different animal, and 

 in such ambiguous language, that our cosmographer found it difficult to say 

 to what race the description was relative. But in order that the Cervus, re- 

 garding which he was so anxious to procure information, might not be mistaken, 

 ne not only ordered a sketch to be taken of this mysterious animal, but he like- 



