298 



joints of human fingers and toes. The urn was procured by 

 Dr. Walsh, then incumbent of the parish, and was in high 

 preservation, but when he endeavoured to move the stone 

 coffin, it broke into fragments, which he gathered up, and 

 had a good model of it made in wood, by a country carpen- 

 ter on the spot. 



Dr. Walsh concluded his communication in the following 

 words. " The mode of sepulture by such urns and stone 

 coffins is too common to trouble the Academy with details of 

 them. Many are recorded in their own Transactions ; but 

 I cannot find that an urn in a stone coffin, inverted over two 

 bones of the human fingers, has before been discovered or 

 described. I have searched various archaeological works, and 

 can find no such thing. It only remains for me, therefore, 

 to present to the Academy the urn and model of the coffin, 

 &c. if they deem them worth their acceptance, and leave it to 

 some more intelligent and industrious member to pursue the 

 inquiry." 



In a conversation which arose after the reading of this 

 paper, the Rev. Cassar Otway gave an account of a visit 

 which he made, in company with the Dean of St. Patrick's, 

 to the same district ; and related some anecdotes of the 

 opening of tumuli in other parts of Ireland. Mr. Otway 

 suggested, that a deputation should be sent from the Aca- 

 demy to superintend the opening of some ancient cairns, with 

 a view to obtain a more accurate account of their contents, 

 than can be expected when they are opened accidentally or 

 by peasants. 



Mr. Petrie made some remarks on the historical interest 

 of the Cairns in Ireland, most of which are noticed in the 

 Irish annals, and strongly recommended that Mr. Otway's 

 suggestion should be acted on. 



