452 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 
the scribed stones found within this special Cairn in small wood-cuts, and 
also the " Hag's Chair," a conspicuous stone situated on the brow of the 
hill in front of the great Cairn T. The Academy obtained, through 
Mr. Conwell, from llr. Kaper of Lough Crew, owner of the laud, all 
the objects found in his explorations. As these are fully described 
and safely preserved in .the Museum, it is unnecessary for me to do 
more than recall the fact. Steps were also taken for publishing in our 
Transactions a full account of the rest of these Cairns, for four rude 
lithographic plates were executed. These, I am happy to assure our 
Members, never appeared, as they would have reflected little credit on 
us so far as artistic appearance goes. It would be needless to acknow- 
ledge the debt we owe to Mr. Conwell for his discovery and investiga- 
tion of this series of Cairns — by far the most important antiquarian 
discovery of inscribed prehistoric monuments ever made in Great 
Britain or Ireland — or for the commendable care with which he had 
the strange graven marks found upon the stones recorded. Stones 
inscribed in a similar manner, though comparatively few in number, 
have been long known in the Cairns of New Grange and Dowth ; but 
Ave must go to Prance, to the Tumulus of Gavr Inis, to find any pre- 
historic monument of equal importance to these Cairns on the Lough 
Crew Hills ; not from their size, for Dowth and Kew Grange are, in 
this respect, of premier rank, but for the multiplicity of stones bearing 
scribings, and to the amount of markings they contain. 
The Government of France have published good and reliable 
engravings of the inscribed stones found on the Cairn at Gavr Inis, 
and we can compare them with our own series. If it were not for 
the discovery of these drawings made for Mr. Conwell by Du Noyer, 
they might have again been forgotten ; and I consider it a piece of 
singular good fortune that they came into my possession after being 
lost for several years. 
The fidelity of Du Noyer in sketching archaeological remains is 
well known : he was an artist of considerable ability ; he was, further, 
a skiKul and discriminating antiquary, and subordinated his artistic 
talents to a literal representation of what he saw before him. It is 
this which makes his drawings so valuable, constituting them reliable 
records in the present instance of scribings liable to destruction from 
exposure to weathering and neglect ; or worse still, to the risk of 
injury from ignorant and careless visitors — the greatest enemies of 
such easily destroyed objects. 
This Academy has received from Mr. Du Koyer many valuable 
gifts. He completed in the intervals of his laborious occupation on 
