J 34 



Damine Group 



4. The Giant Fallow Deer — Cervus giganteus [Extinct] 



Alee gigantea, Blumenbach, Beitrage Naturgeschichte, 1st French ed. vol. 

 ii. p. 407 (1803). 



Cervus islandicus, de Blainville, Journ. Physique, vol. xciv. p. 261 (1822). 



Cervus hibernus, Desmarest, M annua logic, vol. ii. p. 446 (1822). 



Cervus euryceros, Hibbert, Edinburgh Journ. Sci. vol. viii. p. 129 (1825) ; 

 Pohlig, Paheontographica, vol. xxxix. p. 217 (1892). 



Cervus megaceros, Hart, Descript. Foss. Deer Ireland (1826) ; Riitimeyer, 

 Abh. schweiz. pal. Ges. vol. x. p. 108 (1883). 



Megaceros hibernicus, Owen, Rep. Brit. Assoc. for 1843, p. 237 (1844), 

 Brit. Foss. Manim. and Birds, p. 444 (1846). 



Cervus euryeerus, Giebel, Fauna Vorwelt, p. 145 (1847). 



Cervus [Megaceros] hibernicus, Johnson, Trans. Norfolk Soc. vol. ii. p. 288 

 (1877) ; Ball, Trans. Dublin Soc. ser. 2, vol. iii. p. 337 (1885). 



Cervus giganteus, Lydekker, Cat. Foss. Ma mm. Brit. Mus. part ii. p. 82 

 (1885) ; ScharfF, Mem. Soc. Zool. France, vol. viii. p. 453 (1895) ; Ward, 

 Records of Big Game, p. 45 (1896). 



Characters. — When fully developed, probably the largest of the brow- 

 antlered deer, males standing fully 6 feet in height at the shoulder when 

 in the flesh. Antlers very variable, but always with at least three tines on 

 the front border, of which the one above the trez is the longest, the beam 

 much expanded, and the brow-tine often flattened and bifurcated. 



As represented by the Irish race — popularly but incorrectly known as 

 the Irish elk — this splendid deer was first described just two centuries ago, 

 an account of a skeleton being given by Dr. Molyneux in the Philosophical 

 Transactions of the Royal Society for the year 1697. It was then regarded 

 as indicating the former existence of the American elk in Ireland, the 

 author prefacing his description with the following observation : — "That 

 no real spcxies of living creatures is so utterly extinct as to be entirely out 

 of the world since it was first created, is the opinion of many naturalists; 

 and it is grounded on so good a principle of Providence taking care in 

 general of all its animal productions, that it deserves our assent." 



Since that date skeletons and skulls have been dug up by hundreds in 

 Irish bogs, while more imperfect remains have been discovered in many 



