198 Proceedings of the Royal Irkh Academy. 



oliLaiiied Iroiii thai place a large addition to his collection, and tlie 

 Kev. A. H. Beattie, who lived at Portglenone, gob almost his entire collection 

 from the brick-works. I was myself a competitor with these and other 

 collectors, some of them from England, for the objects found there, 

 and was successful in obtaining a fair proportion. The collections of 

 Monsignor O'Laverty, Eev. Dr. Buick, and Kev. A. H. Beattie have lately 

 been dispersed by auction, and I was fortunate in being able to secure some 

 of the best articles in these collections that came from the Bann. The 

 illustrations, which have been made by my daughter, Margaret Knowles, are 

 taken from examples in my own collection, but from my long experience 

 of the subject, and my frequent visits to different parts of the Bann, I believe 

 I am giving a fair general view of the various implements that have been 

 obtained from this interesting locality. 



I shall first describe the flakes and the implements made from flakes. 



Large Flakes sliglitly dressed at the Base. 



A good many large symmetrical flakes show by slight dressings in 

 parts that they have been used as cutting-tools. 1 show in No. 1 a 

 symmetrical flake. It is slightly dressed at the base on both sides, so as to 

 remove any sharp or jagged parts, and thus enable it the better to Ise inserted 

 in a shaft as a spear, or in a shorter shaft as a knife. In No. 2 will be 

 seen a flake less symmetrical, but of the pointed kind. One of the sides 

 is quite regular, but the other, that to the left of the figure, judging from the 

 thickness of the flake at the dressed part, has had a good breadth of wing 

 removed. This flake couldalso have been usefully employed as thepoint of aspear. 

 It is now fairly symmetrical, though very little further dressing, after all the 

 pains that had been taken, would have made it more suitable for a spear-head ; 

 but the undressed edges are now all good and sharp, and their being symmetrical, 

 or the reverse, would not signify for cutting purposes ; and therefore I thmlv it 

 is more likely that this flake was employed rather as a knife than as a spear. 

 From the slight dressing at the base, which is merely enough to remove 

 sharp edges or points of projecting flint, it may have had a handle of hide or 

 soft vegetable substance to protect the hand when used as a knife. 



Both Nos. 1 and 2 were found between Coleraine and the mouth of 

 the Bann, probably from material dredged from the bed of the river in 

 order to deepen it. Both show black patination, and have the outward 

 appearance of chert from the Carboniferous limestone ; but from slight chips, 

 accidentally removed, here and there one sees that the material is flint. 

 No. 3 shows a flake from Culbane. It is of greyish-mottled flint ; and, 

 like the others, only shows slight dressing at the Ijase, and could be used, 



