C 499 ) 
Ifatural Hiflory of Staffardjhire, Chap. 3, Page 115. 
as for all fuch Heads that might chance to fall on high 
or bard Grounds, where they could not poflibly be co- 
vered or defended, thele muft of neceflity rot, perifl?, 
and be deftroyed by the. Weather : And for this Reafon 
it is, that never any of thefe Horns are difcovered in 
fuch fort of Ground, but always in a light Soil, and 
in (bme low Part of the Country. 
By what means this Kind of Animal, formerly (b 
common and numerous in this Country, fliould now 
become utterly loft and extinft, deferves our Confide-- 
ration : and feeing it is fo many Ages paft, that we 
have no manner ot Account left to help us in our En- 
quiry, the moft we can do in this Matter is to make, 
fome probable Conjeftures about it ; I know fome 
have been apt to imagine this like all other Animals, 
might have beeen deftroyed from off the Face of this 
Country by that Flood recorded in the Holy Scripture 
to have happened in the the time of Uoah ; which I 
confefs is a ready and lliort way to folvc this Difficul- 
ty, but does not at all (atisfy me : For (befides that 
that there want not Arguments, arid fome of them not 
eafily anfwer'd, againft the Deluge being Univerfal) 
if we cQnfider what a fragil, flight and porous Sub- 
ftanee thefe and the Horns of all Deer are^ we can't 
well fuppofethey could by any means be prefcrv'd en- 
tire and uncorrupt from the Flood , now above Four. 
Thoufand Years fince and I have by me fome of the 
Teeth, and one of the lower Jaw-bones of this Crea? 
ture fo perfeft, folid, ponderous and frelh, that no one 
that fees them can poffibly fufpeft they could have beea 
in. nature fo many Ages paft : And therefore it ftems. 
more likely to me, this kind of Animal might become^ 
extin<a here from a certain ill Conftitution of Air in> 
E e e e a. fcm^ 
