cHAP. xvul.] Contents of Boyndie Mound. 311 
ingly on the spots where they lived. Yet the oyster, as 
well as the primitive people who fared on it, have long 
since passed away. 
The third shell in order, in this bank of shells, is the mus- 
sel, and then the cockle—all edible. ‘There is evidence 
enough in these mounds,” says Dr. Gordon, “ to show that 
they have been the work of man, and not the effect of any 
tidal current, or any other natural cause. The shell-fish 
which the remains represent are, with scarcely an excep- 
tion, edible, and continue to be eaten to this day. In all 
deposits by the sea, there is abundance of species that have 
ever been rejected as food. The shells are full-grown, or 
adult shells. In collections made by the sea, the young 
animals are abundant, and often predominate. Now, no 
movements of wind and water could have thus selected the 
edible and the adult, and left behind the noxious and the 
young. They must have been gathered by man, and for 
the purpose of supplying his wants. Many other argu- 
ments have been brought forward to prove this, so that no 
doubt is now entertained about the matter. One strong 
proof is, that the oyster and the periwinkle are never found 
living and mingled together in the same part of the sea. 
The former exists between tide-marks, the other in deep 
water. The cockle delights in sand; the mussel must be 
moored to a rock or hard bottom. In different parts of the 
masses of shells at Brigzes, there are to be seen many stones 
that have been subjected to considerable heat. They prob- 
ably have been used in this state for cooking, as is known 
to be the case among people of primitive habits to this 
day.” ‘ 
The shells found by Edward in the kitchen-midden at 
Boyndie corresponded in a great measure with those found - 
by the Rev. Dr. Gordon at Brigzes. Thus, he found the 
periwinkle, the highly esteemed buckie, the limpet, the 
horse buckie (in some places called the dog periwinkle), 
the mussel; bones of various kinds of wild animals, such 
