150 MAMMALS. 



exjiect, viz., a name for it. Singularly enough, notwithstanding this, Mr. Wilde tells us that, 

 while the opinion of naturalists is unfavourable to its co-existence with man, that of antiquarians 

 is favourable. 



Its primitive origin seems to have been European ; at least its remains have not been found 

 beyond the limits of Europe. If I am right in supposing nearly the whole animal and vegetable 

 life of Europe to have been extinguished by the glacial epoch, and to have been replaced by 

 immigration from Asia, it is possibly a modified descendant of one of the Asiatic species. From 

 the aj)pearance of the horns, we should most readily look to the Reindeer or Fallow-deer for its 

 relatives ; it is not an Elk, but a true deer, intermediate between the Fallow and tlie Reindeer, 

 and, according to Owen, is most closely related to the latter, both it and the Irish Elk having 

 more developed brow snags than any other species.* 



In Ireland remains have been obtained from the counties of Fermanagh, Cavan, Ijoitrim, 

 Monaghan, Roscommon, Meath, and from the Shannon. Tliey liave usually been found in one 

 of two kinds of localities, cither in peat-bogs, or in a blue clay or a marl below the peat, and 

 it has been observed that the largest specimens have all come from the latter, leading to the 

 inference that this animal had been degenerating and diminishing in size as it approached our times. 

 Professor Owenf recognises a bone of the left antler of this deer among some mammalian remains 

 from the red clay of Suffolk, ^\•hich he considered of modern date. This is a solitary instance, and 

 may not be well founded. 



Moose. (Cervus Ai.ces.) The Moose, or Elk, is found in the North of Europe, the North of Asia, 

 and the North of America ; so is the Reindeer, and as regards both we are met by the old difficulty, 

 viz. that of determining whether the individuals found in the Old World are of the same species as 

 those found in the New or not. It is well ascertained that the Elks found in Europe and Asia are 

 the same, and whether the Old and New- world animals are actually distinct or not, they are undoubtedly 

 very close to each other ; but the impression seems gaining groimd that they are distinct. Sir 

 John Richardson has instituted a very elaborate comparison between them, J and finds among other 

 specialties that the breadth of the face is greater in the European than in the -American indi- 

 viduals. Remains of this sj)ecies, as well as of the Reindeer, are found in Ireland. 



Fallow Deer. (Cervus pama.) The native habitat of this beautiful little ornament of 

 many of our English parks is the Mediterranean district, — Spain, Sardinia, Italy, Greece, Asia 

 Minor, Syria, Egypt, North Africa. Pennant says that it was introduced into this country by 

 James I. from Norway, where he passed some time when he visited his intended bride, Anne 

 of Denmark ; and that lie brought it first to Scotland, and thence to Epping Forest and Enfield Chase, 

 to be near his favourite palace Theobalds. But seeing that its native country is so far removed 

 from Norway, it is probable that if it was introdviced by James I., it must have been from some 

 other country than Norway. No fossil remains of this species have been found in Ireland or 

 England. 



Reindeer. (Tarandus rangifer.) Fossil remains of the Reindeer are found throughout the 

 whole of mid Europe. As I have mentioned in speaking of the Cave Lion, some authorities think 

 the fossil Rein different from the living. The remains, however, correspond very closely, and there 

 seems no sufficient reason for doubting their identity. That remains of the fossil sjiecies have been 



* Owen's " PaliEontology," p. 373. J Richardson on the Fossil Mammals in the " Zoology 



t Owen iu"Proc. Loud. Gaol. Soc." vol. xii. of the Herald," 1B54. 



