Notices concerning Oosnam Parish. By J. Hardy. 117 



Hoscote, a finely polished Celt or Axe-head of Aventurine quartz, 

 recently ploughed up on the farm of Cunzierton, in this parish. 

 By permission of the Society I am enabled to present an engraving 

 of this fine implement, to which I have already called the attention 

 of the Club. "It is 7£ inches in length, 3f inches in greatest 

 breadth across the cutting face, tapering regularly to the butt. 

 It is remarkable for its thinness in proportion to its width, the 

 greatest thickness at about one-fourth of its length from the butt 

 being only about £-inch. In form it closely resembles a specimen 

 in the Museum, found on the banks of the Ericht, in the parish 

 of Rattray, Perthshire, and presented by Robert Herclman, 

 R.S.A., F.S.A., Scot., in 1873. The Perthshire specimen is also 

 composed of a somewhat similar material ( Jadite), though not so 

 fine and transparent in texture and highly polished. It measures 

 8 inches in length by 3 inches in greatest breadth, and f inch in 

 greatest thickness. Another example of similar material and the 

 same triangular form, but flattened on one side to a more adze- 

 like shape, 8J inches in length, 3 inches in greatest breath, and 

 £ inch in its greatest thickness, is also in the Museum. It was 

 found near Glenluce, Wigtonshire, and was presented by Eev. 

 George Wilson, Glenluce, Corr. Mem. E.S.A., in 1871. There 

 is also a portion of a similar specimen from Castle Douglas, 

 Kirkcudbrightshire, presented in 1782." (Proc. Ant. Soc. of 

 Scotland, 1882-3, pp. 382-384.) 



The question may be asked, What is Aventurine quartz ? 

 "Some varieties of common quartz," writes our old preceptor, 

 Professor Jameson, "exhibit numerous points or spots that glitter 

 like gold. This appearance is sometimes owing to the inter- 

 mixture of scales of mica ; in other instances it is caused by 

 reflections from numerous small rents or fissures in the stone. 

 These varieties have received the name Aventurine, from the 

 following circumstance. A French workman having by accident 

 (par aventurej dropped filings of brass or copper into a vitreous 

 mixture in a state of fusion, gave the name Aventurine to the 

 glittering mixture thus formed, and of which artists make vases 

 and other ornamental articles. Mineralogists have applied the 

 same name to those varieties of common quartz that exhibit a 

 nearly similar appearance. These are cut into various ornamental 

 articles, and are sometimes sold at a very high price. The natural 

 aventurine is found in Arragon in Spain ; at Face-bay in 

 Transylvania ; and in the vicinity of Quimpor in Brittanj^. Mr 



