376 REPORT—1899, 
Trish Elk: Remains.—Report of the Committee, consisting of Professor 
W. Boyp Dawkins (Chairman), His Honour DEEMSTER GILL, 
Rev. Canon Savace, Mr. G. W. Lampiucu, and Mr. P. M. C. 
Kermonpe (Secretary), appointed to examine the Conditions under 
which Remains of the Irish Elk are found in the Isle of Man. 
As soon as possible after our reappointment last September we commenced 
excavating at the Loughanruy in Ballaugh, where, as stated in our first 
Report (1897), the Edinburgh specimen was found in 1819. 
We reached the undisturbed white marl at a depth of 9 feet, and 
penetrated through it at 18 feet, uncovering an area of about 12 yards 
by 2, in a line parallel with and about 6 feet north of the boundary hedge 
where the original example had been discovered. Unfortunately the 
weather broke, and though we had shored up our trench with timber the 
water burst through and prevented further work. 
Samples were forwarded to Mr. James Bennie, who again kindly 
assisted the Committee by preparing the material. 
Mr. Clement Reid examined and reported on the remains thus 
obtained. The plants, as he points out, include singularly few species, 
and there is no trace of dry soil species among them. In the silt, the 
large number of leaves all belonging to a single species of willow suggests 
that we are dealing with a poverty-stricken flora, such as might occupy 
the island soon after the ice had passed away, and before there had been 
time for many plants to be introduced. 
The question whether the megaceros marl may not show a milder 
climate than the succeeding deposit must still remain an open one. All 
the plants in the marl have an exceedingly wide range, both northern and 
southern, and there is nothing in any way characteristic except the 
fragments belonging to Lepidurus (apus) glacialis, Mr. Reid, however, 
fairly points out that this is only a single specimen, and, the species being 
abundant in the overlying bed with Arctic Willows, it would not be safe 
to found much on it—a light thing of this sort might so easily fall in 
and be taken out with the lower bed. 
The species found were :— 
Silt (Bed C of ow first Report). 
Lepidurus glacialis (abundant). Salix herbacea (abundant). 
Ranunculus aquatilis. Carex. 
Marl (F of first Report). 
Lepidurus glacialis (one fragment). | Hmpetrum nigrum. 
Ranunculus aquatilis. | Potamogeton natans, 
~ flammula, | 3 ? sp. 
repens. Carex. 
Littorella lacustris. | 
No trees are found in either deposit, and this circumstance, perhaps, 
shows that a mild climate did not exist during the deposition of the marl. 
