164 



analogous work on one of the stones of New Grange, which has been 

 figured in Wilde's "Beauties of the Boyne and Blackwater" (p. 194). 



Something of the same kind is also observable on one of the Ogham 

 inscribed stones in the Academy's Lapidarian Museum, No. 5. These 

 indentations, whatever object they may have had, appear to indicate 

 that this is the upper end of the stone, and raise a probable conjecture 

 that it originally stood upright. They are not carried across the 

 face of the stone, nor do they appear on the opposite edge. Seven, or 

 possibly eight, Ogham characters exist on the external edge and face, 

 and ten on the internal edge and face of this lintel. The external ap- 

 pearance of the stone, with its inscription, is shown on the annexed wood- 

 cut, Fig. 4. There is, at the right hand, detached from the inscription, 

 an indentation on the edge-line of the stone, too faint to be relied on 

 with any certainty ; but which may possibly be a single notch, standing 

 for the vowel a. A circular disc or dot appears above this indentation 

 on the edge near the end. This also is uncertain, and is not shown on 

 the drawing. Two vertical strokes, connected with some curved inden- 

 tations, apparently artificial, also exist on one of the stones forming the 

 jamb or quoin of the passage on the right. They are too uncertain to 

 be practically relied on, and are only hinted at in the woodcut. The cha- 

 racter of these indentations has a general resemblance to that of some 

 of the rubbed lines appearing on the stones of the chambers at New 

 Grange and Dowth. 



When first observed, the lintel was partly concealed by. a block of 

 stone, constituting portion of the eastern side wall, and covering part of 

 the final character at that end. The removal of this block enabled the 

 writer to examine the whole under surface and edge, and to state that 

 no further inscribed marks exist upon it. 



Fier. 8. 



Ribbed Stone in gallery at New Grange. 



