Adams — On the Histori/ of Irish Fossil Mammals. 99' 



The "Wolf (Cam's hpus). 



The "Wolf is included among the Irish pleistocene Mammals, as 

 shown by the discovery of bones and teeth in Shandon cave along 

 with the Mammoth, Eeindeer, Horse, &c.^^ It vs^as only exterminated 

 at the beginning of last century.''" 



Yulpine remains identical with the recent Fox, C. viilpcs, were 

 found in Shandon cave with the foregoing and the other extinct 

 mammals already enumerated. I found its teeth and bones also in 

 the more superficial deposits, accompanied by bones of Horse, Rein- 

 deer, Red Deer, Hare, &c. 



Alpine Hake {Lepus variabilis). 



A cranium and several bones of a Hare found in Shandon cave, along 

 with vertebrae and molars of the mammoth, show shorter and stouter 

 shafts of the long bones than appear in the fossil Hares from Kent's 

 Hole, and the recent Lepus timidus, which is not known to have been 

 indigenous to Ireland. The probability therefore is that, as the 

 same parts of Lepus varialiUs display similar characters, and the so- 

 called variety L. Hiherniciis being the Hare of the island, it has ap- 

 peared to me that the above might belong to the latter.^^ Traces of 

 the teeth of a Rodent of about the dimensions of a Rat were evident 

 on the Mammoth, and other remains from the cave of Shandon, but 

 none of its remains were found. 



A comparison of the Irish and Scotch lists of Post-tertiary mam- 

 mals shows an absence in Ireland of the Elk, Roebuck, Urus, Beaver, 

 Hare, Water Rat, Red Field Yale, Meadow Mouse, Common Shrew, 

 and Mole. 



The Bear of Scotland was presumably, and very probably, the 

 Ursus arctos, but none of its remains have been preserved ; consider- 

 ing, however, its affinities to Ursus fossilis, the absence of the Brown 

 Bear from the Irish fauna is not very important. The Wild Cat, 

 Weazel, and Foumart are also absentees. 



As compared with England and Wales, there is a marked absence 

 in both Scotland and Ireland of the two species of Rhinoceros, Hip- 

 popotamus (?), Bison, Musk Sheep, and ancient Elephant, pouched 

 Marmot Pika, Lemmings, Dormouse, Scandinavian Yole, Champagnol, 

 The Lion, Sabre-toothed Lion, Panther, Lynx, Caffre Cat, Arctic Fox, 

 Spotted Hyasna, Gkitton, and gigantic cave Bear. 



It is important to observe that all the living and extinct mammals of 

 Ireland, with the exception of the Ursus fossilis, have been recorded 

 also from Scotland ; that is to say, there is no mammal, recent or lost, 

 in the island which is not also found in Scotland. 



23 Author, Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy, vol. xxvi., p. 227. 

 *° The "Wolf was exterminated in 1710, and was very plentiful ia 1652 ; Smith's 

 History of Kerry, 173 ; Champion, Lombard, &c., &c. 



^1 Adams, Transactions of the Eoyal Irish Academy, vol. xxvi., p. 228. 



