1826.] Scientijic Notices — Zoology, 311 



The palm of the elk's horn is directed more backwards, while 

 the fossil one extends more in the lateral direction. The antlers 

 of the elk are shorter and more numerous than those of the 

 fossil. 



As the horns of the fossil animal exceed in size those of the 

 felk, so on the contrary does the skull of the latter exceed in size 

 that of the former ; the largest heads of the fossil species not 

 exceeding one foot nine inches in length, while the head of the 

 elk is frequently two feet. The fossil head is broader in propor- 

 tion ; its length being to its breadth as two to one ; in the elk 

 they are as three to one, according to Parkinson.* The breadth 

 of the skull between the roots of the horns is but four inches in 

 the fossil skulls ; in that of the elk in the Society's Museum it 

 is 6i inches. 



Cuvier thinks it probable that the females of the fossil species 

 had hornSji" an opinion to which I am very much disposed to 

 subscribe, from having observed that these parts present differ- 

 ences in size and strength, which appear not to be dependent on 

 differences of age ; for instance, the teeth of the specimen in 

 Trinity College are much more worn down, and the sutures of 

 the skull are more effaced than in the specimen described in this 

 paper ; yet the horns of the latter are much more concave, and 

 more expanded than those of the former ; and on comparing a 

 single horn of each of these specimens together, that belonging 

 to the Society exceeds the other by nearly a sixth in the length, 

 and litlle less than a third in the breadth; it is not therefore 

 unlikely that the animal whose horns were larger and more 

 curved was a male. Something similar to this is observed in the 

 rein-deer, both sexes of which have horns, but with this differ- 

 ence, that they are smaller and less branched in the female. 

 Hence we find that this animal possessed characters of its own 

 suflScient to prove it of a species as distinct from the moose or 

 elk as this latter species is from the rein-deer or any other ; 

 therefore, it is improper to retain the name of elk or moose deer 

 any longer ; perhaps it might be better called the Cerviis mega- 

 ceros, a name merely expressive of the great size of its horns. 



That this animal sheds its head furniture periodically is proved 

 by the occasional occurrence of detached horns having the 

 smooth convex surface below the burr, similar to what is observed 

 on the cast horns of all deer. Specimens of this are to be seen 

 in the Museum of Trinity College, and I possess one myself, of 

 which i have had a drawing made. As every other species of 

 deer shed their horns annually, there is no reason for supposing 

 that that process occurred at longer intervals in this. 



The skeleton measures as follows: 



• Organic Remains, vol. iii. + Qssemeu's Fossils, torn. iv. 



