Fossil Elk of the Isle of Man. 31 



I shall, in the second place, notice the basins of white marl 

 in which no shells now appear. These lie lower down the 

 plain, nearer to the deposits of common clay-marl. 



In one of these basins, distant upwards of a quarter of a 

 mile from that described, the marl lies at a depth of from four to 

 six feet only, being covered by a hard, sandy, blackish earth. 

 The field in which it is situated is crusted over with a wet 

 soil. Before the surface of this basin was broken up, it had a 

 thin layer of turf upon the middle or deepest part of it, but 

 there is none now to be seen. Between the alluvial covering 

 and the marl there is a bed of dark turfy fibrous earth, from 

 two to four inches thick, each horizontal layer showing differ- 

 ent degrees of shade. The marl itself is darkest near the top, 

 continuing thus to the depth of eighteen inches. In this up- 

 per part of the marl slight veins or rents occur. 

 . This marl is also fibi'ous, and somewhat slaty, and exhibits 

 between its layers white delineations like grass. It likewise 

 contains bones, but they are few in number, and much decay- 

 ed ; of these are pieces of ribs, condyles of bones, and stems of 

 large horns, &c. 



This deposit of marl, though near the surface, and in a 

 field almost level, is basin shaped, like that last described, va- 

 rying in depth from seven to ten feet in the middle, and pass- 

 ing out to the thinness of a few inches at the margin. The 

 extent of it has not been determined. Excepting a rib and 

 some small fragments, I have not myself seen any of these 

 bones in situ. * * * * 



I have never heard of or seen any specimens of the head of 

 the beaver in this island, but have learned that large specimens 

 of the head and horns of the common deer have been occa- 

 sionally met with, and that fragments of ribs of a smaller 

 size than those of the elk usually are, have been sometimes 

 found. ***** 



I have the honour to remain, 

 My Lord Bishop, 

 Your Lordship's very obedient humble servant, 



Douglas, May 29, 1824. 



To the Hon. and Right licv. \\. R. Oswald. 



J 'he Lord Bishop (if S odor and Mann. 



