86 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



tion of this some years agot and as it is the demand for 

 copies of our paper now long out of print that has caused 

 us to write out the present notes, we shall re-print here 

 with some slight alterations and corrections that former 

 account published in 1893. 



THE EXCAVATION OF THE STONE CIECLE 

 ON THE MEAYLL HILL. 



At the south end of the Isle of Man, next to the Calf 

 Island, is a group of low rounded hills which stand out 

 rather prominently from being nearly completely 

 separated off from the remainder of the land by the narrow 

 neck of low-lying country which runs from Port Erin 

 on the west to Port St. Mary on the east. This is the 

 " Meayll " (pronounced " Mule," derived possibly from 

 the Scandinavian " Muli," a muzzle or snout, or perhaps 

 more likely from the Celtic " Meall," = a hill or rising 

 ground of rounded shape : so " Meaull " in Galloway, and 

 " Movie " in Ireland), a district very well suited to be a 

 stronghold in savage times as it is surrounded on three 

 sides by lofty and precipitous sea cliffs extending from 

 the formidable Spanish Head and the Chasms round by 

 the Calf Sound to Port Erin, while on the fourth side is 

 the low neck of land which was formerly submerged and 

 after that for a long time was no doubt a swamp or morass. 

 This commanding situation probably rendered it a 

 favourable habitation in early times — possibly it was a last 

 refuge in the Isle of Man of the preceltic race — and on the 

 higher parts of the hills, still uncultivated, we can trace 

 the lines of ancient boundary fences dividing the moor- 

 land into small plots, we can find the remains of at least 



f Trans. Liverpool Biological Society, Vol. VIII., p. 159, PI. X.- 

 XII. Yn Lioar Manninagh, II., p. 117. 



