OR, GREAT IRISH DEER. > 211 



Dublin Society, took advantage of one of the excursions organized 

 for the purpose of visiting the special attractions of the neighbour- 

 hood, to invite a party to explore an ancient habitat of the Irish 

 fossil deer, at the Ballybetagh Bog, in the parish of Kilternan, about 

 fourteen miles south of Dublin. The encouragement to research was 

 great, for on two previous occasions the bog had disclosed numerous 

 remains of the Cervus Tnegaceros, and during the earlier excavations 

 a fine specimen of the horns of the reindeer, now preserved in the 

 Museum of the Eoyal Dublin Society, was also found. 



Excavations made preparatry to the arrival of the excursionists 

 revealed enough to furnish ample encouragernent for further explor- 

 ation. Saturday (August 17th) was devoted to a tentative examina- 

 tion, with disclosures that abundantly encouraged renewed research ; 

 and on the following Monday a small party revisited the spot, under 

 the efficient guidance of Mr. R. J. Moss, and his brother, Dr. Edward 

 L. Moss, R. N., who most liberally undertook the entire charge of the 

 exploration. The results of this renewed investigation of the ancient 

 lacustrine depository of the remains of the fossil deer, though neces- 

 sarily limited to the labours of a couple of days, proved highly satis- 

 factory ; and prej^ared the way for a systematic exploration of the 

 site at a later date. Meanwhile a brief notice of the subject may 

 possess some interest for others besides those who shared in the 

 exciting operations of a busy but most pleasant holiday. 



Ballybetagh Bog lies at the bottom of a glen about 600 feet above 

 the sea, with hills of slight elevation -on either side. Here some 

 forty years ago, in making a cutting through the bog for the purpose 

 of turning the water of a springf known as the White Well, into a 

 stream that flows through Kilternan, the first discovery of the 

 i-emains of the fossil deer was made ; but as the excavations were then 

 carried on with no scientific object in view the chief value resulting 

 from them was the demonstration of the existence there of abundant 

 remains of the great extinct deer. 



In 1875, attention was anew directed to the locality; Professor 

 A. Leith Adams and Mr. R. J. Moss visited Ballybetagh Bog, and 

 the latter gentleman undertook a systematic investigation, in concert 

 with Dr. Carte, of the Dublin Society. No record had been pre- 

 served of the precise spot where the previous remains had been 

 found, and considerable labour and i-esearch had to be expended 

 before the proper site for renewed exploration could be determined. 



