738 Proceedi)ig^ of the Royal IrisJi Academy. 



specimens examined." " It is of a mucli higher standard than any of 

 the others and approaches fine gold." 



Numler 4a and 4b. Two small ornaments described as " bosses." 

 These consist of small circular discs of thin gold plate stamped into 

 a shallow cnp-like shape, and grooved all round with eleven circular 

 indentations and elevations, a form of decoration somewhat frequently 

 seen on ancient Irish ornaments. A small ornamental piece of solid 

 gold is soldered to the top of each of tlie specimens and also a small 

 gold ring on one side of each, the presence of which would appear to 

 indicate that the ornaments were pendants, and formed part of a neck- 

 lace or ear-rings, the rings being used for the purpose of suspension. 



The total diameter of the bosses is five-eighths of an inch. In one 

 of the specimens the gold solder used for its manufacture had been 

 imperfectly fused ; the shape of the strips of solder being distinctly 

 seen. The colour of these ornaments was. similar to Numier 2. 



Numher 4 a weighed 10"93 grains. 



The specific gravity 15-429 



Numher 4 h weighed 10 "45 grains. 



The specific gravity 15'536 



Numher 4 a was submitted to analysis with the following re- 

 sults : — 



Gold, per cent., . . . 74' 69 



Silver, „ . . . . 6-22 



Copper, „ . . . . 19-09 



100-00 



Fineness in carats, . . 18-92 



This specimen contains the highest percentage of copper found in 

 any of the ancient Irish gold ornaments submitted to examination up 

 to the present. In the eight examples^ analysed by ^Sb:. Mallet, to 

 which reference has been made, the proportion of copper varied from 

 5-94 per cent, in analysis number 6, to 0-12 per cent, in analysis 

 number 4, the former being a fragment of very thin plate gold which 

 formed part of a boss or convex ornament very like the ends of the 

 diadems, and the latter, two fragments of a lunette-shaped ornament. 



^ For fm-ther details of these analyses see Trans. Eoyal Irish Acad., vol. xxii., 

 p. 314. Analyses Xos. i.-viii. 



