Frazer — On a Polished Stone Implement of Novel Form. 217 
md wavy lines, which produce a uniform mottled surface, in which 
:;he black interspersed augitic crystals appear in groups in a dull 
^hite matrix. I submitted it to Mr. Heyland, of the Irish Geological 
1 Purvey, who has special acquaintance with the minute microscopic 
structure of rocks, and he considers it an augitic dolerite, closely 
esembling the I^". W. basalt of Co. Antrim, found at Scant Hill, 
i S. E. of Glenarm, his opinion being that the original rock whence 
' b was made is Irish and TJltonian ; and further, he is not at present 
^ iware of any Continental rock of similar appearance. This connexion 
t its rock source with Ulster is of interest in relation to some of the 
;3gends I must allude to in endeavouring to explain its probable use. 
I have stated we have no specimens identical with this in shape in 
ur museums. "We do possess a limited number of highly polished 
ione implements, and certain forms are described by Sir William 
■Filde in our Museum Catalogue, which he names " Stone Battle- 
xes." At first I was disposed to think this implement was related 
) the latter, but close investigation pointed out marked differences in 
leir construction, and I found it necessary to seek for some satis- 
, ictory solution of the difficulty by referring to the early annals of this 
!)untry. Of course all these implements, made of polished hard stone, 
•e to be considered as belonging to about the same period, and are of 
itmparatively late date. It will therefore be well to refer to what is 
.ready ascertained about the better known objects in a brief manner. 
I One of these axes is figured on p. 80, fig. 66, of our Museum Cata- 
jgue. SirW. Wilde considered it to be ''one of the most beautiful 
j ecimens, both in design and execution, which has been found in the Bri- 
!i3h Isles. It is composed of fine-grained hornblendic syenite." Besides 
lis we have three or four other specimens, and in addition one partly 
I oken in the Petrie collection, and another in the Museum of the 
j ience and Art Department, Kildare-street. Our honorary member, 
"'. r. Joseph Anderson, has informed me of certain examples contained 
; the Museum of the Antiquaries of Scotland, some of which are 
[scribed and figured in his ''Bynd Lectures on Scotland in Pagan 
*mes" {Bronte and Stone Age). 
) All these implements are more or less ornamented with incised 
lies and raised bands, usually disposed along the borders of the 
1 Dad oval surfaces, more seldom worked also on the sides, and they 
t3 always perforated by a large circular aperture, sufficiently wide 
I receive a serviceable wooden handle, an important difference when 
intrasted with the small perforation in the specimen I exhibit. We 
|i perceive that these wide openings were usually formed by diilling 
