Dr Hibbert on the History of the Cervus Euryceros. 301 



Art. XVII. — Additional Contributions towards the History of 

 the Cervus Euryceros^ or Fossil Elk of Ireland: By S. 

 Hibbert, M. D., F. R. S. E., &c. Communicated by the 

 Author. 



The animal, which is the subject of the present memoir, is 

 the Cervus Euryceros of Aldrovandus ; the Irish Fossil Elk 

 or moose deer of many writers ; the Cervus giganteus of Blu- 

 menbach ; and the Cervus Megaceros of Mr Hart of Dublin. 

 As the name which is first given to an animal ought to be re- 

 tained, unless a sufficient reason can be shown to the contrary, 

 a priority is due to the appellation made use of by Aldrovan- 

 dus, which for this, as well as for other reasons, I shall persist 

 in using. The name of Cervus giganteus proposed by Blu- 

 menbach is very objectionable, as it is only the horns of the 

 animal which are gigantic ; and for this reason, the term Me- 

 gaceros^ which has been used by Mr Hart, is more appropri- 

 ate, if it could be proved that the Fossil Elk of Ireland is the 

 only known Cervus possessing horns of large dimensions, 

 which I have some reason to doubt. The original name of 

 Euryceros has, however, this advantage, that it points to the 

 most characteristic feature of this animal, which is the remar- 

 kable width of its wood. ,^ |.^^ ^ 

 In this paper, it is my intention to give a condensed view 

 of what is actually known relative to the history of the Cervus 

 Euryceros, including even what is less determined, in con- 

 nection with some additional investigations which I have made 

 respecting him, as a very late inhabitant of the wilds and 

 morasses of the temperate regions of Europe ; my remarks 

 being intended to serve as a sort of appendix to the geological 

 and historical proofs which I advanced in the third volume of 

 the last series of the Edinburgh Jo^irnal of Science, that the 

 Cervus Euryceros was of a race which had but very recently 

 become extinct. At the same time, I ought to observe, that 

 nearly synchronous with my own paper a dissertation made 

 its appearance, written by Mr Hart of Dubhn, who, from 

 a very different series of facts, advocated similar views. This 

 memoir, which I did not see until some months after my paper 



NEW SERIES. VOL. II. NO. II. APRIL 1830. U 



