THE FALLOW-DEER. 33 



of them congregated around the place where they Avere fed. We accom- 

 panied the keeper to see them feeding, and, whilst walking along, he 

 hallooed as the huntsman does to his hounds. The deer came tripping 

 from every quarter, and it was extremely beautifid to see them come filing 

 along. On looking in the direction from which most of them came, and see- 

 ing such a multitude, I Avas reminded of IIalliday"s description (in the United 

 SerAace Journal) of some of the herds of antelopes in South Africa. 



The keeper threw the beans about, as if soAving broad-cast, and the 

 deer folloAved us — the nearest being from twenty to tAventy-five yards dis- 

 tant. The old males occasionally butted at each other, and attracted our 

 attention by the rattling of their horns one against the other. The 

 severe cold of that season (1838) had not been fatal to any of the deer ; 

 but during the prcAdous Avinter, AA'hich Avas very Avet, great numbers died. 



When on a visit at Florence Court, in October, 1840, I learned that 

 many of the deer died there, in the course of the last wet winter, 

 although they had plenty of food. 



The destruction of a Avounded fallow-deer, by his companions, in the 

 deer-park, near Belfast, is referred to in a foot note on page 277 of the 3rd 

 volume of the present Avork. Vide " Birds of Ireland." 



Some observations on the red-deer and falloAV-deer Avill be found in Dr. 

 Scouler's paper, from which I have given an extract in reference to the 

 marten. , 



The Roe-Deer, Cervus Capreolus, Linn. 



I have not been able to learn that this species ever inhabited Ireland ; 

 nor have I knoAvn of its horns having been disinterred from our bogs. 



EXTINCT ANIMALS 



OF THE 



CLASS MAMMALIA. 



(Terrestria.) 



The Bear, Ursus Arctos, Linn. 



I AM not aAvare of any Avrittcn evidence tending to show that the bear 

 Avas ever indigenous to Ireland, but a tradition exists of its having been so. 

 It is associated Avith the Avolf as a native animal in the stories handed 

 down through several generations to the present time. 



[See observations by Dr. 11. Ball, in reference to the skulls of bears 

 found in Ireland. Trans. 11. I. Academy, 10th Dec, 1849.— Ed.] 



The Wolf, Cmds Lupus, Linn. 

 As Dr. Scouler has brought together the facts licaring on the Avolf 

 (Journal Gcol. Soc. Dub. vol. i. p. 22.5), I shall use his Avords :— " Great 

 numbers of Avolves formerly existed in Ireland, and they maintained their 



u 



