Leonard — Midden on Omcy Island. 267 



yards lon^^, by 20 yards wide, and presents at the sea-cliff the fol- 

 lowing section :— feet inches 



6. Sandy soil 3 



4. Bed of shells, calcined boulders with pieces of 



charcoal, bones, etc 3 



3. Brown sand 11 



2. Dark sandy soil, containing some Patella vulgata 5 



1. Fine white shell sand ... 9 



The principal shells composing it are : — 



Patella vulgata, limpet about '5 



LHorina litorea, periwinkle ,, '3 



Cardium edule, cockle „ "2 



which are in about the proportions marked to each ; " razor-shells " 

 {Solen siliqua) were also observed, besides bones of sheep, pigs, and 

 fowl ; there were also traces of fires, consisting of ashes, burnt stones, 

 bones, and shells. At the present day the sea- weed gatherers may 

 be seen cooking shell-fish, by placing them on a stone that they had 

 previously heated to redness in a fire ; and many of the stones here 

 found may have been similarly used, as they are usually flattish, 

 roundish boulders from four to seven inches in diameter. 



The Midden appears to have extended further seaward, as now the 

 deepest part is at the cliff, from which it gradually gets shallower, 

 till it reaches its southern limits. As no implements of any kind 

 were found here, the age of this shell-mound cannot be easily esti- 

 mated. It may, perhaps, be of a comparatively recent origin, and 

 in some way connected with the holy well previously mentioned, 

 which is supposed to have miraculous properties, and is still visited 

 by the credulous, who remain in its neighbourhood all night, while 

 " performing their stations " at it. A little north of this heap and 

 east of the holy well, is a thin surface heap of Patella vulgata and 

 Solen siliqua, with bones, etc., many of the latter are broken, seem- 

 ingly to obtain the marrow. 



My colleague, G. H. Kinahan, M.E.I.A., writing on this subject, 

 says as follows : — '' I have remarked many shell-heaps or 

 Kitchen-Middens near the shores of Gal way Bay, some of 

 which may be ancient, wliile others are undoubtedly modern. 

 Those on the headlands, enclosing the different small bays to 

 the east and south, are nearly altogether of Ostrea edulis, — how- 

 ever, there is one at the east end of Lough Atalia, formed altogether 

 of Mytilus edulis, but this is quite modern only now being formed 

 by the inhabitants of the east suburbs of Galway. The largest of 

 the oyster-heaps seems to be that of Creggauns, the headland next 

 south of that of Ardfry, the seat of the Lords Wallscourt. This 

 heap is now only 210 feet long, 70 feet in its widest part, and 

 about 8 feet deep, its base being two feet below high-water-mark 

 of mean spring tides ; the principal shells in it are those of the 

 Ostrea edulis, but in places there are quantities of Mytilus edulis, 

 others also occur but none in remarkable quantities. An excavation 

 was made partly across this heap by Dr. Buckland and myself, 

 without finding any implements; but on the shore among the shells, 

 were picked up two flake-like implements made of hard limestone. 



