184 
Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 
Conclusion. 
Before concluding this report it is necessary to mention that 
articles of bronze and iron, glass and porcelain beads, and even coins, 
have been found in several of the sand-hills. I have three bronze pins 
and a small ring of bronze which were obtained in different sand-hills. 
Two of the pins and the ring were found on the surface, and the other 
pin was obtained while pulling bent. The Eev. Mr. Hasse found a 
bronze pin also on the surface at Whitepark Bay, a curious brooch of 
bronze at Portstewart, and several fragments of bronze and iron at 
Grangemore. Several coins have been found at Portstewart, and I 
found myself a coin of Queen Elizabeth at Dundrum, and a halfpenny 
of Queen Victoria at Portstewart. Such finds have caused some of my 
archaeological friends to look on the flint implements as belonging to 
a comparatively late period, so late as to be, at least, contemporary 
with iron objects. I am quite willing to admit anything that is fairly 
proved ; but, as yet, I have seen no evidence that metal of any kind 
was used conjointly with the flint tools. The old surface is the test 
for contemporaneousness. "Whatever is dug out of it must have been in 
use at the same time, and any implements lying loose on the surface, 
similar to those contained in the old surface, must be classed with them. 
But there have also been found lying on the present surface among the 
worked flints grains of shot, cartridge cases, scraps of iron, such as 
nails, broken bottles, portions of old shoes, and stray coins of late date. 
My friends would not think of making the flint implements contempo- 
rary with any of these objects, and yet they have been found enjoying 
as favoured positions among the flints as were occupied by any of the 
bronze pins or other articles of either bronze or iron. I have dug 
over many portions of old surface in the various sand-hills, sometimes 
finding it rich in remains and sometimes poor ; but I never yet met 
with a scrap of metal of any kind, nor have I heard of anyone 
finding metal in it, though, now that there is so much of a thoroughfare 
over the various stations I have mentioned, it would not be surprising 
if some modern articles were trampled into the old surface where it is 
exposed, and turn out a stumbling-block to some archaeologists. 
Finds of metal, if ever such take place, should be thoroughly in- 
vestigated and verified. My theory as to the accumulation of sand 
on the old surface has been several times stated. That the sand was 
heaped up slowly, just in proportion to the power of the grassy sward 
to protect and retain the sand blown on by the wind, is, I believe, the 
