Fune 30, 1870| 
NAT ORE. 
167 
an elongated alice couverte, nearly due east and west, mea- 
suring 35 feet in length. Its sides, about four feet apart, 
areas nearly as possible parallel, although there are indi- 
cations of the avenue being narrowed towards its eastern 
extremity, as we should expect to find. The side blocks 
of stone average from 4 to 5 feet in height, and number 
eleven on the northern and seven on the southern side, 
the western end being closed by a fine single slab. The 
interstices between these blocks are roughly filled up with 
irregularly shaped smaller stones, evidently built in to 
prevent the exterior earth and soil of the superimposed 
tumulus from falling into the sepulchral grotto. 
There must have been formerly at least nine cap-stones; 
of these, two have been removed, as observed above, 
whilst the whole fabric appears to have been tilted, with 
an inclination to the south, probably caused either by the 
unequal pressure of the accumulated sand-drift on the 
northern side, or by the removal of the ballast from its 
southern supports. It is difficult to determine whether 
all the cap-stones are in their original positions, or 
whether some of them have not slipped between the 
side blocks from their summits. 
Several urns, tulip shaped, &c., with acylindrical stone 
muller, were brought back to Guernsey from this crom- 
lech, and are now deposited in Mr. Lukis’s museum, 
Not far to the north of this spot is a semicircle of 
stones, which presents a suspicious appearance. 
It is much to be wished that the tenant of this field 
would prevent the causes of the filthy state in which this 
cromlech is at present. The stones themselves have not 
been disturbed since the last exploration. 
Entering St. Laurence’s parish, to the right of the road, 
on the hill above the vineries, is La Blanche Pierre, a 
menhir which is fortunately still preserved. The route is 
next taken to the north-west, through St. Peter’s parish to 
St. Ouen’s, and the small hamlet of Trodais. Here the 
party visited M. Lefeuvre, who in the course of agricultural 
operations, has removed a large portion of tumuli on his 
property, and who, six years ago, found within one of 
them, and hasin his possession, a remarkable cinerary urn 
with four handles, evidently for suspension. The upper 
portion of this urn, which is hand-made, not turned, is 
likewise decorated with an ornamental border, consisting 
of horizontal lines, so arranged as to form three triangles 
between each handle. It is of a different and later type 
than the urns discovered in the cromlechs of these islands. 
M. Lefeuvre accompanied his visitors to the sites of the 
tumuli. These curious mounds are in two groups, one 
group being called Les Hougues de A/illais, on one spur. of 
the hills overlooking L’Etac and St. Ouen’s bay, to N.W. of 
La Robveline, and the other on a similar spur to the S.E. of 
the former, about 800 yards distant, in a line with St. 
Quen’s windmill; these last are called Les Afonts de 
Grantez. A portion only of one of the Hougues remains, 
and exhibits a series of cap-stones, five in number, of 
which four remain, supported by a dry-walling of smaller 
slabs, forming a tunnel about 18 feet long, which lies east 
and west, and was blocked at either end witha broad 
stone, of which the west one alone is 77 sz¢#. It presents 
an exact parallel to the Crewx des Faias, which existed 
till lately in*St. Peter’s parish, Guernsey, a few hundred 
yards west of the menhir at Les Paysans ; but which has 
been swept entirely away. A granite muller was picked 
up here by the visitors, which also resembled, in a remark- 
able manner, a similar one picked up but a day or two 
before by the same gentleman, on the site of the Crewx 
des Faias, in Guernsey, showing an identity of manufac- 
ture and a contemporaneity of construction of the tumuli 
in both islands. : 
Leaving Les Hougues, and after visiting Les Monts de 
Grantez, St. Ouen’s church, which is being magnificently 
restored, was examined, and a worked stone of the Neo- 
lithic period picked up in the churchyard. Pursuing the 
circuit of ancient remains, the route descends towards the 
) 
sea by St. Ouen’s pond, where, in the Val de la Mare, St. 
Peter’s parish, are Les Trois Roches, in all probability 
a portion of a cyclolith. Two only are upright, the third 
lying prone at a little distance and not visible at first sight, 
until one approaches close to it. The ground being 
marshy it has formed a pit for itself. The upright stones 
have been apparently worked into shape on their summits, 
whilst their sides are almost polished from cattle rubbing 
against them. The new road is now traversed through 
the western portion of St. Brelade’s parish, between the 
dreary dunes of Les Quenvats, and ascending by La 
Pulente on to the hills of La Moye; a kitchen-midden is 
to be found at the summit of the ascent, where the soil 
has been scarped in the formation of the road, a mass of 
limpet, ormer, mussel, and other shells, at some feet in 
depth below the surface of the original soil. 
The famous menhir of Le Quesnel, which stood so pic- 
turesquely to the south of this spot this time last year, has 
fallen a victim, and in its place a large quarry yawns ; but 
in Le Marais, close by, is aportion of a circle, and an 
alignement, in connection with the former menhir, is still 
to be traced. Close to Moye signal staff a natural crop- 
ping up of the rock presents a striking resemblance to a 
cromlech and circle round it. About half a mile from 
Le Quesnel, and directly above La Corbiére Point,is a 
fine single stone Dolmen called La Table des Marthes, 
beneath which were found some bronzed implements 
many years since. 
Over the granite quarries of La Fosse Vaurin, is a 
curous natural work which, aided by the hand of man, 
presents the appearance of two basins with a channel for 
emptying one, whilst the fissures to the east resemble a 
cross, the work, perhaps, of some hermit in medieval 
times. Several mullers, worked stones, &c., were found in 
the locality during this brief visit, and brought back to 
Mr. Lukis’s collection. A seven miles’ drive brings one 
back to St. Helier’s. This day’s visitation occupied from 
II A.M., until 9 P.M., but much time was spent in sketch- 
ing and measuring, searching for stone implements, &c. 
The find for the day was tolerably good, viz. :—Ville 
Nouaux Cromlech, 1; Les Hougues de Millais, 1; St. 
Ouen’s churchyard, 1; Les Trois Roches, 3; La Moye, 
5 stone implements. S. P. OLIVER, Lieut. R.A. 
40, Hauteville, Guernsey 
SOUNDINGS AND DREDGINGS BY THE 
GNITED STATES COAST SURVEY 
1a the office of the Coast Survey at Washington there 
are about 9,009 specimens of various kinds of marine 
animals which were brought up by the sounding lead from 
the sea-bottom, in the region between the shore of Florida 
and adjacent States and the outer edge of the Gulf Stream, 
and descending to a depth of 1,500 fathoms nearly. The 
dredge has been but comparatively little used along the 
coast of the United States, and that so many specimens 
were collected by the lead alone is due to the persevering 
care of the late superintendent of the survey, Prof. A. D. 
Bache, and to the instructions which he gave to the 
hydrographical officers. Of course, specimens brought 
up by the lead can include the smaller animals only, such 
as Foraminiferee, Diatomacez, and such like; for the 
larger animals, the dredge must be employed. 
The work thus begun has been resumed by the present 
superintendent of the Coast Survey, Prof. B. Peirce. The 
surveying parties are instructed to take observations of 
the depth, velocity, and direction of the Gulf Stream, the 
temperature and density of the water at different depths, 
and of the Fauna from the surface down to the bottom. 
By these researches we may hope that our knowledge of 
the phenomena of the Gulf Stream will be increased, 
particularly as regards its powers of transportation from 
shallow to deeper water, or along its bed, besides its 
action in forming deposits in particular localities, and its 
