486 FOSSIL ELK OF IRELAND. 



NOTE. 



ACCOUNT OF THE IRISH ELK, FOSSIL ELEPHANT OR MAM- 

 MOTH, AND THE MASTODON. 



As the Irish Elk, the Fossil Elephant or Mammoth, 

 and the Mastodon, are among the most remarkable of the 

 fossil and extinct species of quadrupeds mentioned in the 

 preceding pages of this work, we, with the view of far- 

 ther gratifying the curiosity of our readers, now lay be- 

 fore them the following additional details from the writ- 

 ings of Cuvier, Goldfuss, and others. 



1. Fossil Elk of Ireland, Cervus megaceros *. 



(Noticed at p. 286. ) 



One of the most magnificent of the bisulcated animals 

 met with in a fossil state in the British Islands is the 

 Elk of Ireland, the Cervus megaceros. Bones and 

 horns of vast size of this species are almost daily dug out 

 of the bogs and marl pits of Ireland. Similar re- 

 mains have been met with in alluvial strata in Britain, 

 and also in the Isle of Man. 



" So frequently do these remains," Mr Hart remarks, 

 " occur in most parts of Ireland, that there are very few 

 of the peasantry who are not, either from personal ob- 

 servation or report, acquainted with them by the familiar 



* John Hart, Esq. Member of the Royal College of Surgeons in 

 Ireland, some time ago sent to me a copy of a very interesting tract 

 entitled " A Description of the Skeleton of the Fossil Deer of Ire- 

 land, Cervus megaceros ; drawn up at the instance of the Committee 

 of Natural Philosophy of the Royal Dublin Society." The details 

 in the text are extracted from Mr Hart's memoir, and the engraving 

 of the Elk is copied from Mr Hart's lithographic delineation. 



