132 The Irish Naturalist. 



The deposit is evidently a Chara-m2x\, for though the 

 calcareous stems are so much decayed as to be scarcely 

 recognisable, yet decalcified nucules of Chara are abundant. 

 The only other determinable remains consist of seeds of a few 

 aquatic and marsh plants, Pondweeds being especially 

 common. All of the species are of wide range, and throw no 

 light on the climatic conditions that held during the 

 Megaceros period. The plants found are as follows : — 



Ranunculus aquatilis. Eleocharis pahistris. 



Myi'iophylhim spicatu?ii. Carex ? 



Littorella laaistris Scirpus ? 



Potaviogeton crispus. Chara (several species). 



F. prczlongus. 



This examination of the matrix suggests a curious, and I 

 believe till now unrecognised, explanation of the occurrence 

 of whole skeletons, or of complete heads, of Cerviis megaceros 

 in such deposits. Those familiar with pools containing 

 Chara will be well aware of the appearance of shallowness, 

 and of a solid floor, which is so deceptive. The Chara and 

 Potainogeto7i ma)^ grow from a depth of several feet, but they 

 often appear to form a carpet of bright green turf a few inches 

 under the surface of the clear water. Any animal treading on 

 this turf would immediately plunge head- foremost into the 

 water, and the wide-branching antlers of Cervus megaceros 

 would become entangled amid the Chara stems, and still 

 tougher Pondweeds, so that the animal would have scarcely a 

 chance of escape. 



If this be the method b}" which the deer were caught, one 

 would expect to find the remains of stags far more abundant 

 than those of hinds, and old animals more abundant than 

 young, though the reverse was probably the case among 

 the living deer. This disproportionate number of skeletons 

 of stags has already been recorded by Mr. Williams and other 

 writers. It would also account for the abundance of heads 

 without other parts of the skeleton at certain localities ; for 

 the animal being caught by the antlers, the body might drift 

 away within the reach of carnivorous animals, while the 

 entangled head and heavy antlers would sink at the spot 

 where the deer died. 



