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churches in England, that many such dials of a remote period, 
with their primitive markings, might be discovered. 
An ancient stone relic, supposed to be a portable sun dial, was 
found in an encampment in Herefordshire, near Cleobury 
Mortimer. 
The greatest diameter is 33 inches, and the probable date of 
the construction not later than the twelfth century. 
Besides the hole for the gnomon it is perforated by seven 
smaller holes ranged in a semi-circular position round the lower 
portion, and by these it was intended to mark the seven canonical 
hours. 
Portable dials, made of metal, but of a much later date, are not 
uncommon ; several are preserved in the British Museum. 
Several such dials exist in England in private hands. 
A drawing of a pocket dial is given in the Archzolegical 
Journal, vol. xxxvii., p. 110. It was found about 60 years ago in 
Dumfriesshire. It consisted, like the ‘one I have the honour to 
place before the Club, of a brass hoop about two inches in 
diameter, and half-an-inch in breadth, having two holes through 
which a string might be passed for suspension. In the centre of this 
hoop is a traversing hoop with a notch, moving in a groove, which 
could be placed at any point. At the sides of this, on the brass 
outside surface, in an ascending series are the letters I. F. M., in 
the descending D. N. O (marking the winter months). On the 
other side of the point of suspension, 7.¢., on the summer half of 
the dial, are the letters A. M. I. ascending, I. A. 8. descending. 
On the concavity of the ring are the markings of the hours, the — 
space being divided into three portions, in which are the letters 
M. N.S. In the traversing ring is a hole for the admission of a — 
ray of light, this by means of the notch is brought into any 
position under the letter and space allotted to the month of the 
year, and being thus adjusted to the time of the year, the ray of 
light tells the hour on the inner surface. 
