Adams — On. the History of Irish Fossil Mammals. 91 



these were only domesticated, animals run wild.^ Remains of JBos- 

 lonffifrons are very plentiful in bogs, river, and lake deposits, alone; 

 with Sheep, Goats, Horse, Red Deer, Dog, and Fox.^ It has also been 

 discovered in ancient dwellings, such as crannoges, raths, &c.,^° and 

 many crania showing their frontals battered in by the poll-axe from 

 these situations, and from other prehistoric dwellings, are preserved 

 in the Museum of Science and Art, Dublin, but I have failed in pro- 

 curing proofs of its existence as a feral species. 



The Ieish Elk (Cervus megaceros). 



Enormous quantities of remains of this Deer have been found in 

 sub-turbary deposits, and occasionally in river gravels throughout the 

 island. None of the bones, as far as I have seen, show that either 

 man or beast preyed on the animal. The remarkable incisions fre- 

 quently observed on its bones from the shell marl are, beyond doubt, 

 as pointed out by Carte, Jukes, ^^ and others, the result of friction of 

 opposing surfaces of bones during probable oscillations of the super- 

 incumbent bog. This Deer probably existed at the same time with 

 the Cave or Grisly Bear, seeing that remains of the latter have been 

 met with in shell marl under peat of possibly the same age ; and 

 there is evidence of its contemporaneity with the Reindeer. ^^ The 

 fact that heads of females and hornless heads of Stags are rarely found, 

 whilst cast antlers are hot uncommon, may be owing to the absence 

 of the stupendous appendages which would have always greatly inter- 

 fered with the animal when swimming, as it also assurely placed him 

 at a disadvantage in the forest. 



Perhaps, therefore, these accidents occurred at seasons when the 

 sexes were separated, and to all appearances when the horn was in its 

 jDrime, which would be at the rutting season. A fine head and horns 

 of Reindeer was found by Mr. Moss in lacustrine deposits under bog at 

 Ballybetagh, County Dublin •^■' and quite recently Mr. "Williams, Taxi- 

 dermist, Dame-street, showed me an antler discovered by him in the 

 above situation. In both cases they were associated with, or near to, 

 enormous quantities of remains of Cervus megaceros. Taking the ex- 

 plorations made by Messrs. S. & J. Moss, and the two years' explo- 

 rations lately carried out by Mr. Williams, it is estimated that, in a 

 space not exceeding one hundred yards, considerably over a hundred 

 crania of this Stag have been exhumed." 



^ Ball, Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy/, vol. ii. 541 ; and "\Yildo, 

 Idem, vol. vii., p. 183. 



9 Du Noyer, Journal of the Geological Society, Bublin, vol. i., p. 218 ; and 

 Eall, vol. i., p. 253. 



^^ Wilde, Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, vol. i., p. 426. 



'^ Journal of the Royal Geological Society of Ireland, vol. i. p. 152; and vol. x., 

 p. ]27. 



1- Oldham, Journal of the Geological Society, Bublin, vol. iii., p. 252. 



!•' Ibid. 



^^ Moss, Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, second series, vol. ii., p. 517- 



