EXTINCT SPECIES, 35 



of a mild and peaceable disposition." — (Quoted by Scrope, p. 342. See also 

 Bell's British Quadrupeds, p. 241.) 



[For further information relative to the former abundance of wolves in 

 Ireland, and the means adopted to prevent the export of " wolf- 

 dogges," see O'Flaherty's West or H-Iar Connaught, published by 

 the Irish Archajological Society, and the Editor's notes. — Ed.] 



The Ox, Bos Taurus, Linn. 



The remains of a race of oxen, believed to be peculiar to Ireland, are 

 found in our bogs. The distinguishing characters are, " the convexity of 

 the upper part of the forehead, its great proportional length, and the 

 shortness and downward direction of the horns." 



[See an abstract of a paper by Dr. R. Ball, " On the remains of Oxen 

 found in the bogs of Ireland," in the Proceedings of the Royal Irish 

 Academy, January 28th, 1839. — Ed.] 



Dr. Scouler, in his paper already quoted, after referring to several of 

 the extinct animals, adds : — " If we now compare the account of the ex- 

 tinct animals of Ireland with the history of those which have disappeared 

 from Britain, we will find several remarkable deficiencies in the Irish list. 

 No mention has been made of the bear, the beaver, the triUl ox, or the 

 fallow-deer ; and if animals so remarkable from their size and habits have 

 escaped all notice on the i)art of the older writers, the legitimate conclu- 

 sion appears to be, that, like the adder and the blind-Avorm, they were 

 not indigenous to the country. * * Two races of oxen were formerly 

 inhabitants of Britain ; the one of great size, whose horns are found in 

 bogs, but of whose existence we have no traditionary evidence. These 

 horns have attracted attention for a long time, and a very good figure of 

 them is given by Gesner, who obtained his specimen from England. It 

 is remarkable that no indication of the former existence of this race of 

 oxen in Ireland has yet occurred, nor could I obtain any evidence that 

 they have ever been found in the bogs of this country." 



The second and smaller race is still pastured in England, and was 

 abundant in the Scotch forests at no very remote period, but, like the 

 greater race, we have yet no evidence that it ever was a native of this 

 country. 



The Elk, Cervus Alces, Linn. 



A horn of the true elk (C Alces), as noticed by me in the "Proceedings 

 of the Zoological Society of London" for 1837, p. 53, was some years 

 since presented to the Natural History Society of Belfast. It was given 

 to the donor by a relative residing at Stewartstown (County Tyrone), who 

 attached much value to it as a singular relic dug out of a peat-bog on his 

 own property in that neighbourhood. That it was so obtained I am as- 

 sured there cannot be a doubt. The horn is that of a very old animal, 

 and quite perfect. On removing the paint with Avliich it was besmeared, 

 the horn certainly presented a fresh apjjcarance ; but might not this be 

 attributed to the well-known preservative ])roperty of the soil in which it 

 is said to have been found ? There is not, that I am aware of, any record 

 of this animal having ever existed in a wild state in the British Isles ; 

 but as it inhabited a wide range of latitude on the continent of Europe, 

 it is within the bounds of probability to believe that it may have been a 

 native specieS. 



D 2 



