Porte — On Remains of Cervus Megaceros. 741 



"When the antlers were fully grown, the males and females mingled 

 together again, and the rutting season commenced. 



Some of the remains present the clearest possible evidence that 

 the animals perished during the fall of the antlers; that is to say, during 

 the latter part of April, and part of May ; the burr and constriction 

 around the base of the antler marking the preparation for its fall being 

 in various stages of progress, from the first enlargement of the burr ; 

 almost to a perfect constriction : no douhf therefore can exist as to the 

 season of the year at lohich they perished. 



Of those not thus marked, no certain evidence of time exists, except 

 that the antlers were fully developed at the time of death : I think it, 

 however, extremely probable that all perished at the same time. 



I may observe here, once for all, that in speaking of months and 

 seasons, I have assumed that these were somewhat like what they are 

 at present ; and also, that the habits of the great deer did not differ 

 very much from those of existing species. 



Among the remains are three or four shed antlers, but the skulls 

 to which they belonged were not found, unless we assume them to be 

 castings of preceding years. 



It is worthy of remark that the find consisted almost entirely of 

 heads and antlers. All the other bones found with the thirty-six heads 

 and antlers would not be sufiicient to build up a single skeleton ; but it 

 is extremely probable that the smaller bones would be found in similar 

 quantities in the central parts of the valley answering to the deeper parts 

 of the ancient tarn, i. e., assuming the remains to have been brought 

 there by the agency of water. 



There is apparently no limit to the quantity of these bones that 

 might be obtained if necessary, but I do not see that any useful end 

 could be answered by exhuming cartloads of similar remains, and in 

 the same condition ; but I think that some additional knowledge of 

 this noble animal might be obtained by exploring the opposite margin 

 of the valley, and also the middle or deeper parts, in order if possible 

 to discover what has become of the herd of females, which we may 

 assume did not differ very much in number from the males. 



On the whole, I do not think the evidence at present before us 

 would enable us to decide where or by what means this magnificent 

 herd became extinct, though we may be able to say with reasonable 

 certainty ivhere and hoio they did not perish. 



Were I disposed to theorise, I might answer these questions with 

 reasonable probability, but I prefer laying before the Academy what 

 1 consider j?rot;ef?/«c^s, in order to have them placed on record for the 

 aid of future explorers in this field of science. 



