106 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 
a blueish grey color, and shows scarcely any stratification, except 
some thin seams of fine quartz sand, and has hardly a trace of 
vegetable matter, unless where the roots of the plants in the peat 
had penetrated it and left their remains. Having passed through 
it, we come on clay No. 2, which is evidently a true ordinary 
lacustrine deposit, stratified, and full of seams of sphagnum and 
other aquatic plants. In this we find the remains of the Megaceros, 
resting on the bottom of the lake, which is formed of a clay (No. 1) 
which is evidently the lower boulder clay. It is exceedingly 
tenacious and tough, of a blueish color, and of a lustrous or silvery 
appearance, owing to the comminuted fragments of mica with 
which it abounds. It is mixed with sub-angular stones, and is 
of considerable depth, as we sounded it with an iron rod six feet 
long and got no bottom 
Having thus briefly described the clays of the locality, and as 
we know that about one hundred Megaceros’ heads have been taken 
out of the place—the question arises, what caused their death ? 
Various theories have been put forward to account for it. It has 
been suggested that, pursued by wolves (these being the largest 
predatory animals that seem to have existed in the island), they 
took to the water to avoid them, and were drowned. Again, it 
has been supposed that they took to the water to escape human 
enemies; but we have no evidence that man existed here at that 
early period, although he seems to have existed then in England. 
Others suppose that the animals may have taken shelter in snow- 
drifts in similar depressions, and that the weight of the herd broke 
the ice, and they were drowned. It is quite possible that any or 
all these causes may have conduced to their destruction; but I 
agree with Professor Adams that they were likely a courageous 
animal, and that they were used to swim rivers and small lakes 
when crossing the country. Ballybetagh may have been a drinking 
place or crossing place. 
As soon as I made a few pits and saw the nature of the ground, 
I concluded at once it was a natural trap into which the animal 
could easily find his way, but out of which he could not escape. 
The difficulty arose— 
1st—From the form of the bed of the lake. It sloped from 
the margin to the centre at an angle of 45 degrees. 
