Coffey — Gold Limulce in Ireland and North-Western Europe. 255 



always turned at right angles to the plane of the lunula, and serve to clasp 

 the back of the neck, and may have been secured by a tie. It need not, 

 however, be pointed out that they are quite out of place in a head-ornament ; 

 indeed, the geometrical shape of a lunula is contrary to such a theory, and 

 quite different from recognized diadems or head-ornaments. 



One example found at Valognes has a chain and sort of buckle 

 attached at the ends. It has since been melted down ; but a figure of it is 

 preserved (fig. 5). The chain seems to have been ancient — at least it is 

 stated to have been on it as shown when found ; but however ancient it may 

 be, it is evident that it was more recently attached than the original make 

 of the ornament. It is, however, of interest as indicating at some time a 

 chain-tie to secure the ends of the ornament.^ 



Fig. 5. — Valognes, Manche. 



However, it is not the intention of this paper to describe minutely the 

 peculiarities of individual examples. Lunula; have been described and 

 published so often it is unnecessary. I seek merely to illustrate in map form 

 their general distribution in Ireland and the adjoining coast-lands of the 

 north-west of the Continent (fig. 6). 



The accompanying list of finds shows how numerous they are in Ireland, 

 and how rarely they have been found outside this island. The map shows 

 their distribution : two have been found in the West Baltic, at Zealand and 

 Funen. They have otherwise hardly penetrated beyond Brittany. One has 

 been found as far as Fauvillers, Luxembourg. 



1 L'Anthropologie,.1894, p. 206. 



