ll'd iNSt'Hir.KI) liOMAX StoNKS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE. 



Scotica, vol. iii., Appendix, p. 1)2); presented to the Society of 



Antiquaries of Scotland by Dr (afterwards Sir) David Brewster in 



1810, and since in the National Museum, Edinburgh. 



A head sculptured in bas-relief, beneath which are some 



letters of an inscription, two oi them complete. 

 ''AP' ' . 



the rest incomplete. The stone is 11 in. by 9 in. 



The statement in the Archceologia conveys at first sight the 

 idea that this piece of sculpture was found on Birrenswark Hill. 

 It must, however, be borne in mind that Birrens and Birrenswark 

 Avere, and still are, very frequently confounded. " Burnswark 

 [/>., Birrenswark] Hill" is in Iloddam parish, but Birrens is in 

 Middlebie. In the printed catalogue of the Museum the head 

 is said to be " from Birrens," and there can hardly be a doubt 

 that this is correct. 



12. (Fig. 4.) Dug up by Mr Clow of Land in 1810 ou the west 

 of the station proper. For many years after 1813 the pedestal of 

 a sun-dial at Burnfoot House ; in a recess in the lobby there 

 (1896). 



A highly-ornamented altar, 4 ft. 2 in. in height and 1 ft. 



10 in. in breadth. Narrow beading's enclose the inscription, which 



is further separated from panels on the base and capital by heavy 



mouldings. On the upper panel are two dolphins, a concentric 



Pg^j, riug", and two birds ; on the lower, 



MiNERVAE two dolphins and one bird. On the 



coH . II . TVN ^Q ^j,g ^^Q volutes with rosettes on 



GRORVM ^ ^ ^ . , 



MIL . EQ . c . L . their ends and a crescent m the space 



cvi PR.EEST . c . siL between them. A bason-shaped pro- 



jection occupies the central portion of 

 the top. Sculptured on the sides are festoons of ivy leaves. The 

 letters of the inscription, though of different sizes, are all dis- 

 tinctly formed. The significance of the C.L at the end of the fifth 

 line gave rise at first to many conjectures ; but the letters are now 

 taken as standing for Civium Laiitiorum, probably because it is 

 difficult to say what else they can mean. 



Expanding, we have : — Deae Minerrae \sacrum\ Cuh(prs) II. 

 Tungrorum mil{iarhi) eq{iiitata\ c{iviuni) Liatmorum), citi praeest 

 C. Sil{vius) Aiispex, Pratf{ectus)\fecii\; i.e., "(Sacred) to the god- 

 dess Minerva. The Second Cohort of Tungrians, a thousand 

 strong, of which a due proportion is cavalry, and in possession of 



