496 FOSSIL ELK OF IRELAND. 



greatest breadth being in the centre. From the roots 

 of the horns to the occipital spine measures three inches 

 and an half ; the occiput descends at a right angle with 

 this, being three inches deep to the foramen magnum : 

 the greatest breadth of the occiput is eight inches. The 

 temporal fossae approach to within two inches of each 

 other behind the horns. 



Teeth. They do not differ from those of animals of 

 the ruminating class. The incisors were not found, ha- 

 ving dropped out ; there is no mark of canine teeth ; the 

 molares are not much worn down, and are twenty-four 

 in number. 



The skeleton measures, from the end of the nose to 

 the tip of the tail, ten feet ten inches. The spine con- 

 sists of twenty-six vertebrae, viz. seven cervical, thirteen 

 dorsal, and six lumbar. The size of the cervical ver- 

 tebrae greatly exceeds that of the other classes, and the 

 spines of the dorsal rise to a foot in height. The ne- 

 cessity of these bones being so marked is obvious, con- 

 sidering the strong cervical ligament, and powerful mus- 

 cles, required for supporting and moving a head which, 

 at a moderate calculation, must have sustained a weight 

 of three quarters of a hundred of solid bony matter. 



The extremities are in proportion to the different parts 

 of the trunk, and present a conformation favourable to a 

 combination of great strength with fleetness. 



It is not the least remarkable circumstance connected 

 with these bones, that they are in such a high state of 

 preservation as to present all the lines and impressions 

 of the parts which had been attached to them in the re- 

 cent state. Indeed, if we examine them as compared 

 with the bones of an animal from which all the softer 

 2 



