30 



round some sort of trade mark. There is no evidence as to the stra- 

 tum of the kitchen-midden in which this coin was found, but it shows 

 that the spot was inhabited at the close of the seventeenth century. 



The celt Soighead {pronounced scythe), Anglice, Darthead, marked 

 No. 3, was found by a man while digging in one of the small patches 

 of cultivated ground N. W. of Doon- Connor. It is made of black sili- 

 ceous limestone, beds of which occur in different places on the island. 

 These Soigheads are said to be very common, but are not easily procured ; 

 as the islanders, when they find them, keep them carefully, as they be- 

 lieve that if they lose them they also lose their luck.* Seals were 

 formerly killed in great numbers by the Aranites {see O'Maherty's 

 History of Yar-Connaught) ; and the Eev. "W. Kilbride suggests that the 

 Soigheads were used for skinning the seals and other animals, as they 

 are of too soft a nature to be put to such hard work as hewing wood 

 or breaking stone. A shallow groove in the flat side of the Soighead 

 in which to place the tops of the fingers would seem to confirm this 

 suggestion. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 



Plate I., Map of Bail-ana-Sean, Inishmore. 



Plate II., Fig. a, . . . . The ground plan of a rectangular Cloughaun, or beehive- 

 cell, on a scale of eight feet to one inch. 

 Fig. The ground plan of a circular Cnocan, or beehive cell, co- 



vered with clay, on a scale of eight feet to one inch. 

 Innermost is a circle of flagstones, placed on edge ; out- 

 side there is a single-faced stone wall, that is backed with 

 clay ; and surrounding all is another circle of flagstones. 

 Plate III., Fig. b, . . . . The ground plan of a Fosleac, or cell built of flags, on 

 a scale of eight feet to one inch. 

 ,, Fig. d, . . . . The ground plan of a rectangular two-chambered Cnocan ; 



scale, eight feet to one inch. 

 ,, Fig. /,.... The ground plan of a two-chambered Fosleac ; scale, eight 



feet to one inch. 



Plate IV. Fig. e, . . . . The ground plan of a three-chambered Cnocan ; scale, 

 eleven feet to one inch. Round each chamber are flags, 

 placed on edge, behind which are single-faced walls, that 

 are backed with clay ; at each side of the entrance are 

 flags to keep in the backing. 

 Fig. /?,.... Sketch, showing the overlap in the corners of the rectan- 

 gular Cloghauns and Cnocans. 



Plate V., Fig. ^, . . . . Ground plan of a ruined Cnocan ; scale, eight feet to one 

 inch. 



Plate VI., Figs. k, l, andj, Sketches of rectangular Cloghauns. 



,, Figs. » and », . Sketch and plan of a ruined circular Cloghaun ; scale, 



eight feet to one inch. 



* In the county of Mayo, and thereabouts, the natives, when they find these stone 

 hatchets, immediately bury them, as they believe that people who are "fairy struck" re- 

 ceive a blow of this kind of weapon from a Fairy hand. 



