Scharff, Seymouu, and Newton — Castlepook Cave. 51 



Arctic Fox (Alopex lagopus). 



The former presence of the Arctic Fox in Ireland was proved by the 

 discovery of its remains in the Clare Caves. In the Castlepook Cave the 

 right and left rami of a lower jaw (M.D. 175) could be identified with 

 certainty as belonging to this species. The Arctic Fox, no doubt, was 

 associated with the Eeindeer, Lemmings, and other northern forms of animal 

 life that invaded Ireland in past times. All the other remains, such as long 

 bones, pelvis, and vertebrae, which resemble the corresponding parts of the 

 modern Arctic Fox present less characteristic specific characters than the 

 teeth and are not readily discriminated from those of the smaller forms of 

 the Common Fox. 



Wolf (Canis lupus). 



As I have stated on previous occasions, undoubted Wolf-remains are rare 

 in Ireland. It is generally very difficult to discriminate between the Wolf 

 and a large dog. Professor Eeynolds 1 lays special stress on this fact in his 

 monograph on the Wolf. The position of the bones in this cave made it 

 easier to identify them because the remains of dogs and other animals were 

 practically confined to surface deposits which had recently been intruded 

 into the cave. 



The most important piece of evidence of the occurrence of the Wolf in 

 Castlepook Cave was a large fragment of a skull (M.D. 238) embedded in 

 stalagmite, and containing the first and second unworn molars. A ramus of 

 a lower jaw (M.D. 236) with three teeth probably belonged to the same skull. 

 There were also a number of bones near at hand which indicated the presence 

 of an exceedingly powerful wolf. This creature probably did not exceed the 

 famous Irish wolf-hound in size or speed, for the skull and limb-bones of the 

 latter are larger than the corresponding parts of any wolves I examined. 

 But the teeth of the ancient Irish Wolf were much larger and stronger than 

 those of the wolf-hound. Two first lower molars found in this cave measured 

 34i mill, and 30 mill, in length. In a modern Wolf-skull from Sweden, in 

 the National Museum of Ireland, the same tooth was only 27 mill, in length, 

 and in another European Wolf of unknown locality 28i mill. In an Arctic 

 Wolf (Canis occidentalis) from Vancouver the first molar measured 30 mill, in 

 length, while in two skulls of a modern Irish wolf-hound this tooth was only 

 24^ mill, and 25i mill. long. In the lower jaw from the Kesh Cave the same 

 tooth measured 3l| mill., and in that of the Shandon Cave it was about 



'Reynolds, S. H. : "British Pleistocene Mammalia," Paiaeontographical Society, 

 vol. ii, pt. 2. 1909. 



[G2] 



