Latin, and called it Lacus Vituli. In the concluding portion 

 of the lecture Mr. Patterson brought under the attention of 

 the meeting a most interesting collection of legends concerning 

 many of the Irish lakes. There were two aspects in which the 

 Irish loughs must be considered when looked at historically. 

 In connection with the many invasions of Danes and North- 

 men mention was made of the terrible sea fights that had often 

 occurred. Such loughs as Foyle and Swilly, Larne and Belfast, 

 Strangford and Carlingford, Waterford, Wexford, and the 

 estuary of the Shannon, were so many open gates by which 

 these sea rovers entered our country, and from whence they 

 ascended by the river valleys to the more central parts of the 

 island. The other aspect, which he could only mention, was 

 that of the fortified islands, of which such numbers exist in 

 the smaller Irish lakes, most frequently artificial ones, or cran- 

 nogs. These crannogs were the strongholds of provincial chiefs. 

 They were places of great security, and took the same place 

 among the Irish as the stone castles of the Anglo Normans 

 among the English of the Pale. 



