1904-1905.] 269 



considered the oldest of the pyramids of Egypt." This build- 

 ing contains a central domed chamber, with three minor cham- 

 bers branching off it, and is reached by a passage about 

 seventy feet long, the whole accidentally forming a cross on 

 plan. In front of the entrance is lying a large stone covered 

 with inscribed concentric circles, and, scrambling over this, 

 the members found themselves in the narrow passage, which, 

 however, presented no difficulties to persons of ordinary pro- 

 portions, and they soon gained admittance to the main cham- 

 ber. Here the President (Mr. W. J. Fennell, M.R.I.A.I.) 

 drew attention to the great monolithic character of the dry 

 masonry, the vaulted roof, and the rude attempts at decora- 

 tion, chiefly incised, which had been worked on many of the 

 stones, and which had. been cut before the stones were placed 

 in position. The chamber was then lighted up with coloured 

 flares, and so good is the ventilation that these occasioned no 

 inconvenience, and many of the members contrasted this with 

 their experiences in the caves near Enniskilien, where the 

 fumes had compelled them to beat a hasty retreat lest they 

 should be sufiocated. Many photographs were obtained, both 

 of the exterior and interior, the magnesium ribbon being 

 called into requisition for the latter. 



An hour's drive from Newgrange brought us to the ruins 

 of Mellifont Abbey, in course of which the luxuriance and 

 profusion of fern life by the wayside was much admired and 

 commented upon. The most common species appeared to be 

 the soft shield fern [Polystichum angular e), and in company 

 with it many fine specimens of the male fern [Lastrea F'lUx- 

 mas), the broad buckler fern (L. dilatata), the lady fern 

 {Athyrium Filix-fcemina), and its variety rhoiticum, with 

 countless numbers of hart's tongue ferns (Scolopendrium vul- 

 gar e), many of which displayed the characteristics of the 

 variety undulatum, and many luxuriant plants of the wood 

 fern {l^oly podium vulgare) ; while on the walls were the wall- 

 rue {Asplenium Ruta-muraria), the maiden-hair spleenwort 

 {A. Trichomanes), the black-stalked spleenwort {A. Adiantum- 

 nigrum), and the scale fern {Ceterach officinarum). At Melli- 



