32 Tra nsactions. 



causes are silently operating rather in effacing the old 

 markings than in creating new ones. 



Another explanation which may readily suggest itself is 

 that these depressions may have been formed by the falling 

 out of rounded pebbles and nodules of other kind of stones, 

 as may be seen every day in the rocks around vis. To make 

 this explanation plausible, however, we should expect to 

 find the same cause at work on the Holywood stone now as 

 heretofore, which is certainly not the case ; indeed the homo- 

 geneous structure of the stones precludes even the possibility 

 of such a cause. 



Doubtless many other similar suggestions and explana- 

 tions would arise from a consideration of the various 

 operations of nature in the wear and tear of material. I 

 should not, however, have thought it worth wloile to bring 

 this subject before the notice of the Society but for the 

 connection which I think will be seen to exist between the 

 Holywood markings and certain markings of a similar 

 character which have been found in other parts of the 

 country, whatever may be the importance which may be 

 attached to either. I allude especially to the figures de- 

 scribed by Mr Tate in his paper on " Ancient Sculptured 

 Kocks," pviblished in the last issue of the proceedings of 

 the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, which was laid upon 

 the table at our last meeting. On a considerable number of 

 the stones there described there are hollows and depressions 

 precisely similar to those on the Holywood circle. They are, 

 however, almost invariably found accompanying or forming 

 part of other figures, recognized as undoubtedly artificial 

 and symbolical. It is impossible, therefore, not to believe 

 that both are designed, and bear some relation to each other, 

 and if so in the case of those described by Mr Tate, we 

 may readily suppose that the same will hold good as regards 

 the Holywood circle. 



