I9I4- Stokks. — Irish Elk Rctnains Jrotn Co. Dub/ in. 113 
ON IRISH ELK AND OTHER ANIMAL REMAINS 
FOUND AT HOWTH AND BALLYBETAGH, 
CO. DUBLIN. 
BY HENRY STOKES, M.D. 
My first attempt to search for the remains of Irish Elk 
(Cervus giganteus) was prompted by the accidental discovery 
of the head and antlers of that creature in the Bog of the 
Loughs at Howth in 1906. Anxious to know whether 
further remains could be unearthed, some friends and myself 
commenced operations shortly afterwards which resulted in 
our finding in this locality an almost perfect skeleton of an 
Irish Elk, and also three vertebrae which have since been 
identified as belonging to the same species. Encouraged 
by this satisfactory result of our labours, and knowing that 
the head and skeleton of a female Elk had been taken in 
this bog about twenty years previously, I engaged a labourer 
in 191 1 to renew the excavations and discovered a second 
skeleton close by. In the following year operations were 
conducted on a more extensive scale. Three men were 
engaged to dig for five weeks continuously, but except a 
few odd vertebrae, a few shed antlers and a nearly pulverised 
skull, nothing was found. 
The experience thus gained in the explorations of peat 
deposits however proved of much benefit in subsequent 
researches which were commenced in 191 3 on Ballybetagh 
Bog, near Kilternan, Co. Dublin. Thirty-five years 
previously, Mr. Moss and later on Mr. Williams had 
discovered there a large quantity of Irish Elk remains, 
and it seemed likely therefore that the ground should yield 
further material. The land on which this bog lies belongs 
to Mr. Roe, and arrangements were made with his per- 
mission for further excavations. After consulting Dr. 
Scharff, he allowed James Duffy, one of his staff in the 
Museum, to superintend the work, and the latter conducted 
the operations with skill and great care. The exceptionally 
dry summer aided us in our work, which proved not only to 
