254 Prof. Harkness. — Elephant-remains in Ireland. 



This description of the circumstances under which these Elephant- 

 bones and teeth were found at Maghery leads to the inference 

 that an old and small lacustrine deposit was the source from whence 

 they were obtained. 



Concerning the teeth it is stated that " the two large ones are of 

 equal weight, 2flbs. each; the two small teeth are 6 ounces each; 

 but some of them are wasted, and some roots that enter the jaw are 

 broken off." 



These teeth are described by Dr. Thomas Molyneux, who regarded 

 them as "the four grinding teeth in the lower jaw of an elephant," 

 and he enters into a somewhat detailed description concerning them. 

 They are figured, and contrasted with the grinding surfaces of 

 molars of the African elephant in the volume of the Phil. Trans, 

 above alluded to. 



The figures of these teeth from Maghery appear to represent a 

 form of enamel plate, which is more nearly allied to ElepJias antiquus 

 than to E. primigenius, the greatest breadth being in the middle, 

 and possessing the somewhat lozenge-shaped outline which is char- 

 acteristic of E. antiquus. 



There is another reference to the discovery of Elephant-remains in 

 Ireland.^ It is stated 

 that "some years ago 

 was dug up, within a 

 mile of Whitechurch, 

 the rib of an ele- 

 phant, which was no 

 doubt such (vide Plate 

 the last, fig. 2), it Supposed rib of Elephant. 



agreeing with the description of that animal in De Moulins and 

 Blair." A sketch of this rib taken from the plate referred to is 

 here annexed. 



The rib above alluded to is regarded as belonging to a whale by 

 Dr. Oldham,^ and it certainly possesses much of a Cetacean aspect. 

 The locality, Whitechurch, mentioned by Smith as affording this 

 bone, is about six miles west of Dungarvan. From some information 

 which we recently obtained it would appear that, about fifteen years 

 ago, a considerable quantity of large bones were discovered in a cave 

 near Whitechurch. These were said to consist of leg bones, which 

 were described to us as being almost as thick as a man's body ; also 

 teeth, said to be six times larger than those of a horse ; and a skull 

 was mentioned, which was represented as having "four horns pro- 

 jecting from it." Most of these bones were probably those of 

 elephants ; and the skull with the four horns that of a reindeer, with 

 portions of the brow antlers and the main shaft preserved. 



The discovery of these bones recently at Whitechurch would tend 

 to render it probable that the rib alluded to by Smith was that of an 

 elephant, notwithstanding the Cetacean-like outline as figured in the 

 plate before alluded to. Unfortunately, these bones have all disap- 



1 Smith's Ancient and Present State of the County and City of "Waterford, 

 MDCcxLvi., page 81. ^ Journal of the Dublin Geol. Soc, vol. iii., page 70. 



