397 



central cross, and so arranged as to form a symmetrical interlacing 

 design, or ribbon pattern. The arms of the cross are bisected by the 

 sides of a lozenge-shaped figure enclosed within the rectangle, the 

 whole presenting the appearance of an elegant knot. Fig. 2 in the 

 same group represents a primitive cross enclosed within a quadrangle, 

 and enriched with work of early Greek, or rather Etruscan design — a 

 style of ornament, however, which is sometimes found in connexion 

 with monumental slabs of early Christian times. Almost touching 

 these crosses are a number of crosslet scorings (Fig. 3) which at first 

 sight present in some degree the appearance of a species of oghamic 

 writing. A profusion of similar scorings may be observed upon the 

 Ballydorragh stone, first noticed by Mr. Du Noyer ; and numerous 

 examples occur in the " Lettered Cave" at Knockmore, and elsewhere. 

 Fig. 4, in the same sheet, represents a couple of lines, which, though 

 placed at some distance above them, may possibly be associated with the 

 group of crosslets already noticed. In sheet 2 will be found a third 

 cross enclosed within a quadrangle, and exhibiting the Etruscan style 

 of enrichment already described in Fig. 2, sheet 1 . Immediately be- 

 neath occurs a four-lined figure, not unlike an early letter A, accom- 

 panied by a small, plain, primitive cross. 



My aim at present is not to theorize, but simply to call the atten- 

 tion of the antiquaries of the Academy to the fact of the existence of 

 these very curious designs. I may say, however, that the occurrence 

 of an interwoven pattern in the so-called " Celtic" style, in con- 

 nexion, and in absolute contact with the primitive cross usually 

 found upon monuments of undoubtedly prehistoric character, forces 

 the suggestion, either that" our interlaced designs, in some cases at 

 least, may be of much earlier date than that very usually assigned to 

 them, or that the pagan style of scoring or of symbolic writing, such 

 as we find exemplified at Dowth, Newgrange, Slieve-na-calliagh, and 

 elsewhere, was used in Ireland down to a period subsequent to the in- 

 troduction of Christianity. In either case the " Celtic" work at 

 " Gillie's Hole" may be regarded as perhaps the oldest example of true 

 interlacing pattern hitherto noticed in Ireland. 



XL. — On the Occereence of Mammalian Bones, Beown Coal, and 

 Peebles in Mineral Veins. By William K. Sullivan, Ph. D., 

 Secretary of the R. I. Academy, and Professor of Chemistry in the 

 Catholic University of Ireland, and Eoyal College of Science. 



[Read November 30, 1868.] 



That the mineral matters filling up veins must be newer than the 

 rocks containing them is self-evident ; but how much newer they may 

 be is a question which is very difficult to answer. Are the mineral 

 veins that occur in Silurian rocks, for instance, necessarily older than 

 those occurring in carboniferous rocks ? or in other words, does the 



