4^2 



down between them. The interior of the chambers so formed 

 were filled with bones, and black moory earth, and the heap of 

 bones was raised up in some places within a foot of the surface. 

 It was generally found that the remains of each species of 

 animal were placed in separate divisions, with but Uttle 

 intermixture with any other; and the antiquities, &c., were 

 found along with them, without any order or regularity, but 

 for the most part near the bottom." 



The most numerous class of bones were those of oxen, 

 and of these Mr. Wilde exhibited the heads of several 

 varieties, in a state of great perfection. Some of these were 

 identical with those which formed the subject of Mr. Ball's 

 communication to the Academy, in January, 1839, and which 

 were discovered in the bogs of Westmeath, Tyrone, and 

 Longford; others bore a strong resemblance to them. 



There were other specimens of these oxen which, although 

 of rather diminutive size, equalled, as to beauty of head and 

 horn, the modern improved breed of the English short- 

 horned Durham, and the middle horned Devon and Ay re- 

 shire, — being distinguished by the peculiarities of the head, 

 and in particular of the slug or core on which the horn is 

 moulded, and which had remained quite perfect, although 

 the cuticular horn had been destroyed. 



A fourth variety was that which has been denominated 

 the true Irish cattle, — the long-horned, or crumple-horned, 

 the improved large breed of which still exists in some 

 of the midland counties of Ireland, particularly Roscom- 

 mon. In this variety there is a very remarkable pro- 

 jection of the upper portion of the frontal bone between the 

 horns, which latter turned downwards, and a little backwards, 

 somewhat in the manner of the Craven or Lancashire stock. 



There were also several heads of the polled or hornless 

 variety, called in this country mhaoly exhibiting some slight 

 differences as to the fineness of their heads, but in general 

 resembling the Galloway and Angus breeds. 



