432 
Mr, Weaver on the 
masses of the marl, I found the whole of the shells referable 
to three species, two univalves, and one bivalve : namely, 
1. The helix putris of Linnaeus. See Donovan's British 
Shells, PL 168, fig. 1, and Lister, Conch, Tab. 123, 
ffg. 23. N. B. Of the two. Lister's figure is the more 
exact representation of the shell. 
2. The turbo fontinalis, Donovan, PL 102. 
3. The tellina cornea. Donovan, PL 96. 
Of these shells some prevail more in one spot than in ano- 
ther ; but generally speaking they appear distributed through 
the upper portion of the marl in nearly equal quantities ; in 
♦ 
the lower portion they are less frequent, if not altogether 
absent. 
The circumstances which 1 have related seem to remove 
all idea of these remains of the Irish elk being of any other 
than comparatively recent origin. In seeking a cause for 
the nearly constant distribution of these remains in Ireland in 
swampy spots, may we not conjecture that this animal often 
sought the waters and the marshy land as a place of refuge 
from its enemies, and thus not unfrequently found a grave 
where it had looked for protection 
The foregoing conjecture appears supported by the follow- 
ing details of circumstances, observed by the Rev. Mr. 
Maunsell in the peat bog of Rathcannon, situated about 
four miles to the west of the town of BrufF, in the county of 
Limerick. This bog covers a space of about twenty planta- 
tion acres, occupying a small valley, surrounded on every 
side by a ridge of the carboniferous or mountain limestone, 
except on the S. W., where it opens into an extensive flat. 
