204 
formed celt handles, and were also sharpened, and used as spears and as 
points for making holes, and for several other purposes. 
O’F laherty, in his “‘Iar-Connaught,”’ written in 1684, says, speaking 
of the Joyce Country mountains, ‘‘ Next Mam-en are the mountains of 
Corcoga, on the confines of Balynahynsy, Ross, and Moycullin coun- 
treys, where the fat deere is frequently hunted : whereof no high moun- 
tain in the barony of Ballynahynsy, or half barony of Rosse is destitute.” 
Mr. Hardiman, the learned editor and commentator of O’F laherty’s work, 
says that he “heard from an old native of the barony of Ross, in Iar-Con- 
naught, that in his youth large red deer were common there; that he 
frequently saw them grazing among the black cattle on the hills.” And 
Molyneux, writing in 1715, has left on record the following remark- 
able passage :—‘‘ And here I cannot but observe, that the red deer in 
these our days is much more rare with us in Ireland than it has been 
formerly, even in the memory of man. And though I take it to be a 
creature naturally more peculiar to this country than to England, yet, 
unless there be some care to preserve it, I believe, in process of time, this 
kind may be lost also like the other sorts we are now speaking of,”’-— 
that is, the gigantic extinct deer, the loss of which he attributed to some 
great pestilence. Pococke said the mountains of Erris were ‘‘full of red 
deer, which are very indifferent food, being never fat. However, the 
hunting of them affords good diversion to those who traverse mountains 
on foot, but they frequently escape the dogs.” 
The following is a list of the remains of red deer :— 
- No. 1. A head and horns, complete, with 8 tines on each antler; it 
measures 84 inches across the extreme breadth of the widest part of the 
antlers ; it was ‘‘found in the townland of Ballymore, barony of Ballin- © 
tubber, South, county of Roscommon,” and presented by the Drainage 
Commissioners. : 
No. 2. Head and antlers, 83 inches across, with 6 tines on right, 
and 8 on left horn; ‘‘found 8 feet below the surface of the water in Ballin- 
derry Lough, near Moate, county Westmeath, on 3rd May, 1849.” See 
. 200. 
: No. 3. Head and horns, the latter slightly imperfect, but showing 
that there were originally 10 tines on each side; it is 31 inches across 
the widest part. See engraving, Fig. 6, p. 201. 
No. 4. A head and antlers very perfect, with 7 tines on each side. 
No. 5. Head and antlers, with 7 tines on right horn, the left imper- 
fect; found in the townland of Clonfree, county of Roscommon, in an old 
river-course at the mouth of Lough Flaskey, Strokestown district. 
No. 6. A head and horns, the antlers imperfect at their tops. 
No. 7. A head and antlers, the right imperfect, 9 tines on the left; 
found in deepening an old river-course in the townland of Foxborough, 
near Elphin, county of Roscommon. 
No. 8. A right horn, with 8 tines, ‘‘ found in 1847, in excavating in 
alluvial soil and mossy peat, about 4 feet under the surface, adjacent to 
the River Clare, in the townland of Lehid, parish of Kilbannon, barony 
of Dunmore, and county of Galway.” 
No. 9. A right horn, imperfect. 
