Royal Society. 211 
Several of thefe heads were found in leveral parts of Ireland, an 
argunnent that this animal was formerly common in Ireland, and 
an indigenous animal, not peculiar to any territory, or province, 
but univerialJy met within all parts of the kingdom j we may 
alfo reafonably gather, that they were a gregarious animal, or 
luch as afFe6t keeping together in herds, feveral heads being found 
within a fmall compals of each other. 
That thele heads ihould be conftandy found buried in a fort of 
marie, i'eems to intimate, as if marie was only a foil that had been 
formerly the external furface of the earth, but in proccls of time, 
being covered by degrees with many layers of adventitious earth, 
has, by lying under ground, a certain number ofages, acquired a 
peculiar texture, coniiftence, richnels or maturity, that denomi- 
nates it marie 5 for we mull: neceflfarily allow the place, where 
thele heads are now found, was certainly once the external furface 
of the earth, otherwiie it is hardly poflible to fuppofe how they 
ihould come there. And that they ihould be lo deep buried, 
appears to have happened by their accidentally falling where it 
was foft low ground 5 Co that the horns, by their own gravity, 
might eafily inake a bed, where they fettled in the yielding 
earth, and in a very long courfe of time, the higher lands being 
by degrees diflolved by repeated rains, and wafhed and brought 
down by floods, covered the lower grouxid wnh many layers of 
earth 5 for all high grounds, and hills, unlefs they conhft of a 
rock, by this means naturally lole a little every year o{ their 
height, and fometimes become fenfibly lower even in one age. 
How this Ipeciesof animals, formerly ib common and numerous 
in this country, fliould now become utterly loft and extmd:, 
delerves our confederation. Some have been apt to imagine, that 
they were deftroyed by the general deluge in Noab's days; but it 
is not probable, that fuch a flight and porous lubftance as thefe 
horns, could be prelerved entire from the time of that flood ; and 
therefore it is more likely, that this animal might be deftroyed 
here by fome epidemic diiiemper, or peftilential murrain. 
It remains that we enquire, what Ipecies of animals it was, to. 
which thele ftately horns belonged j it is an opinion generally 
received, that they belonged to the Akhe, Ekbe, or Elende, arid 
therefore they are vulgarly called Elches, horns.; but they differ 
extremely from them, both in figure and fize ; and the delcription 
of that majeftic horned animal in the iVeft-Lidlcs, called a Aioofey 
much better agrees therewith, than that^ of the Ekbe, as haying 
the fame fort of palmed horns, cf the fame fize and largenels, as 
well as figure, and the bulk of their bodies correlponding exadtly 
D d 2 113 
