Coffey — Spear-heads of the Bronze Age found in Ireland. 489 



looped class, but would be out of place on tbe Icaf-sbaped blade. They 

 require tbe straight base lines of the foiTaer type to mark the springing 

 of the ribs, whereas in. the case of the leaf- shaped blade they should 

 follow its curved outline, and would tend to weaken, rather than 

 strengthen, the appearance of the blade. 



4. — (W. 234). 5. — Ballymena (Day Collection). One-half. 



In some instances of the slender form of the looped class (fig. 13), 

 the ribs are absent, and in a few cases the blades are ogeeval in form 

 (fig. 14). I regard these forms, for reasons to be stated presently, as 

 late in the series. As a rule the ribs are present even in the slender 

 form. 



In the Academy's collection about 130 looped specimens show ribs 

 (^strongly marked in the majority of cases), or a fluting of the blade 



