BY R. ETHERIDGE, .TUXR. 507 



width nine and a half inches. The outer surface, or front of the 

 shield, is fairly convex, but without any trace of a median angu- 

 larity. The back is practically flat, and the hand-hole is cut out 

 of the wood by counter-sinking, and is quadrangular, five and a 

 half inches wide hj four and a half long. On the front the 

 rounded apices are cut off b}' incised cross bars, and within these 

 spaces are two nearly equilateral triangles, also incised. No 

 other sculpture occurs on these terminal areas, but the wavy grain 

 of the wood adds a very pleasing ajDpearance to the surface of the 

 shield. The intermediate general sui'face is divided into eight 

 longitudinal sections, four broad central divisions, a marginal 

 area on each side, and an intermarginal, following the latter on 

 either hand. To all intents and purposes, therefore, although all 

 of the divisions are not of equal breadth, the front of the shield 

 exhibits a bilateral syfnmetry as to its ornamentation. The four 

 central divisions are occupied by irregular triangles, filled in with 

 equidistant incised lines of the herring-bone pattern. The longi- 

 tudinal sections are each bounded by two continuous lines. The 

 intermarginal zones are somewhat similai'ly sculptured except that 

 the triangular areas are defined by three incised lines, instead of 

 two. One of the marginal zones is devoid of ornamentation, the 

 other beais a series of small triangles succeeding one another 

 rapidly, against the edge of the contiguous intermarginal space. 



On the inner side of the shield the sculpture is of quite a 

 different chai-acter. It is divided into five horizontal divisions, a 

 central one embracing the handle, and counter-sunk hand-hole, 

 quite plain, and two above and below. The apical divisions each 

 bear six incised triangles, two immediately at the rounded apices, 

 and four in the second row. The intermediate divisions bear 

 eight of these incised triangular spaces four in every row. 



The result of this form of sculpture is that the intermediate 

 portions of the shield surface is left in its natural state as variously 

 shaped rhomboidal or diamond-shaped figures, with their sharp 

 angles cut off, the two horizontal rows at either end of the shield 

 being separated by a broad longitudinal belt. The grain of the 

 wood is visible on all the outstanding portions of the sux'face. 



