32 DRT. B. SPRAGUE ON A KITCHEN-MIDDEN ON INCHKEITH. 
A bone, which I believe to be that of a seal, shows the 
marks of a fracture, caused, apparently, by a missile. The 
appearance seems to indicate that the missile entered the 
bone and remained there, while the bone, which had been 
broken by the impact, reunited. 
I collected among the shells and bones a few rounded 
stones, which had evidently received their form by rolling 
upon the sea-shore, and which had probably been carried to 
the kitchen-midden for the purpose of being used in some 
rough process of cooking. 
I am told that there are two other kitchen-middens on the 
island, of smaller extent, but these I have not seen. In 
one of them, described in the Zransactions of the Society of 
Antiquaries of Scotland, oyster shells were found; but I 
found no shells of this kind in the kitchen-midden I have 
visited. It seems fair to infer that the kitchen-midden con- 
taining the oyster shells is of later date, and was formed by 
persons who had learned the art of obtaining oysters by 
dredging or otherwise. Kitchen-middens are found in many 
parts of Scotland. There was a large one on Corstorphine 
Hill, which was removed in the process of quarrying, the 
contents being mixed up with a large quantity of soil 
removed at the same time. This is about three miles from 
the sea, but shells of limpets and periwinkles are still to be 
frequently found there, and worked stones have also been 
found. Dr Anderson, of the Scottish Museum of Antiquities, 
informs me that there was a large kitchen-midden on 
Dunsappie, which is now covered by a great quantity of 
soil. From what I have heard of the kitchen-middens on 
Dunsappie and Corstorphine Hill, I infer that these localities 
were permanent stations of the natives, while Inchkeith was 
only a place of temporary sojourn; also that elevated 
positions were chosen, because the country generally was 
swampy. 
