Examines the feasibility of identifying species used for making parchment manuscripts, and of discovering evidence in the skins for environmental information and disease. In five manuscripts ranging in date from 6th to 16th century, the number of animals represented in each ranged from 25-30 to 78. The preference was for calves up to three months old. A 70-skin manuscript would imply a herd of 343 cows (total adult herd 483). Sheep were not used for Irish manuscripts, unlike the practice in England and Europe.