336 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



In Marcli, 1898, Mr. Coffey expressed a wish to obtain samples of 

 the prehistoric surface with its flints and other remains. In the pro- 

 curing of these I was able to assist him, and they are now exhibited 

 in cases in the Science and Art Museum, Dublin. 



Professor JN'ewton, of Magdalen College, Cambridge, and Dr, 

 Gradow, of the Museum of Zoology, Cambridge, have kindly deter- 

 mined several parcels of bones ; but these were found so far as 

 Whitepark Bay was concerned, with the exception of the Gannet, 

 which I think was not previously determined, to be mostly a confir- 

 mation of species given in former reports. Professor jSTewton was so 

 impressed with the number of bones of the Great Auk which had been 

 recovered at "Whitepark Bay, that he came, in June, 1899, to examine 

 the place where the bones had been found. I accompanied him on his 

 visit, and he expressed himself greatly pleased and interested. We 

 were fortunate enough to find on that occasion one bone of Great Auk, 

 the lower end of a tibia. We were in doubt as to whether there 

 could have been a breeding-place of this bird near Whitepark Bay ; 

 but, in Professor Newton's opinion, none of the numerous small 

 islands in the immediate neighbourhood of the bay could possibly 

 have been selected by a bird which, like Alca impennis, was unable to 

 fly. The nearest suitable place, he considered, was the Skerries, at 

 Portrush ; and he wrote me afterwards, that since his visit he had 

 desired Mr. Barret-Hamilton to examine the Skerries and see if he 

 agreed with this view, and he added that Mr. Barret-Hamilton had 

 since informed him that the Skerries, at Portrush, would fulfil all the 

 conditions of a breeding-place for the Great Auk. I show a number of 

 bones of this bird found in Whitepark Bay in 'Bo. I.^ 



POETSTEWART, CoTJNTX DeKET. 



Though frequent visits have been made to this station, and various 

 portions of the prehistoric surface excavated, no finds of greater im- 

 portance than those joreviously described and figured in my other 

 reports were made. Mr. Coffey found the greater portion of a vessel 

 of the usual coarse, hand-made pottery, with several dressed flakes and 

 other manufactured flint objects, all in close proximity. My daughter 

 also found, whilst digging, a piece of pottery with a portion of the 

 shell of a hazel nut adhering to the inside. On a place from which the 

 sandy covering had not been long previously blown away, thus leaving 

 the old surface exposed, my son and daughter found each an arrow-head. 



^ Fig. 1. Iff humerus, 2. 2ff coraeoid, 3 tibia, 4 left metacarpus, 5 ulna, 6 scapula. 



