Report of Committee — Frehhtork Settlements, Roundstone. 437 



separately and so used." There was another kind found by Mr. 

 Bigger, the Purpura Japiltus, or dog whelk ; but it was doubtful 

 whether this kind had been used for food as the other species 

 undoubtedly had been. Several photographs of the various heaps of 

 shells at Dog's Bay, prepared by Mr. Welch, are given as illustrations 

 to Mr. Bigger' s Paper, and one of these, Plate XXVII., gives a 

 striking picture of a heap of the Purpura, showing all the shells in a 

 broken condition. Shells of this species, either whole or broken, had 

 seldom previously been observed among other remains in sandhills, 

 and certainly never in any quantity ; but here there was a large 

 heap, all broken, which seemed to have the same connection with the 

 sites as the shells of other species. "We made full inquiry while at 

 Eoundstone as to whether the Dog whelk was now used for any 

 purpose, but not even the oldest inhabitant could recollect or remember 

 hearing of its being used as food, or bait, or in any way whatever. 

 The heap of broken Purpura supplied us with an interesting problem, 

 which is, perhaps, not yet satisfactorily solved. Mr. Bigger gives 

 exhaustive extracts from ancient literature, showing that in the colour- 

 ing of their cloaks the Irish used certain dyes, and he suggests that the 

 shells of the Purpura may have been broken to obtain the animal for 

 the rich purple dye it affords. If it can be shown that the inhabitants 

 of these ancient settlements used woven fabrics as clothing the dye 

 might be utilized to give them a rich purple colour, but if they had 

 only skins for clothing as is more probable at this early stage, it is 

 doubtful whether they would dye their leather garments, though 

 they may possibly have done so ; but savage people, and it is probable 

 that these early inhabitants were in a savage condition, generally 

 ornament their own skins with paint, and it is possible the early 

 inhabitants of Connemara may have used the dye of the Purpura 

 for that purpose. There is also the question of their having been 

 used as food, which we have left out of view, but which ought to be 

 considered. 



When Mr. and Mrs. Coffey, and Mr. Knowles, were round the 

 Donegal coast in August and September of 1898, they found heaj)s of 

 the dog whelk in a broken condition in sites similar to those found at 

 Dog's Bay, amongst which were flakes of flint and other indications 

 that they had been used by the Stone Age inhabitants. On making 

 inquiry as to whether anyone in those parts knew of such shells 

 being used they could get no positive information, but two flshermen 

 informed them that about twenty years ago a French vessel was dis- 

 masted near Bunbeg and had to put into Innisman, and the sailors, 



