618 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 
Though no remains of dog were found in the digging described, still 
teeth of dog or wolf from previous diggings were determined by the 
late Professor A. Leith Adams. Several bones showed evidence of 
gnawing, but as to the question of whether any of the animals were 
domesticated I have not a decided opinion on the point. It appears 
to me that among the bovine bones the same parts are wanting that 
are absent in the case of the animals which were undoubtedly wild. 
GkANGEMOEE, Co. LONDONDEEEY. 
Since last Eeport was published the Rev. Leonard Hasse, M.R.I, A., 
has drawn attention to ''iron slag" which is found in several hollows 
of the sandhills.^ He submitted some of this material to Professor 
Harold B. Dixon, of Owens' College, Manchester, who pronounced it 
to be similar to slag "formed in the primitive reducing furnaces at 
present used in Africa," from which Mr. Hasse concludes that we have 
to deal with a primitive manufactory of iron, and that the nails and 
other pieces of iron lying about in the pits "are rejects imperfectly 
made or finished, and thrown away as of no further use." Supposing 
that the sandhills were a suitable site, there would be nothing remark- 
able in finding the remains of an iron manufactory so near the mouth 
of the Bann, without connecting it in any way with the flint imple- 
ments; but I believe the evidence does not warrant the conclusion 
that an iron industry had been carried on here. The drops and lumps 
of "slag" or smelted iron are not found in one place, as might be 
expected if a manufactory had existed, but are scattered about in the 
pits, to use Mr. Hasse's words, "in a disorderly manner, such as the 
force of the winds could not explain." The swampy ground alongside 
the Bann, on which the Grangemore sandhills rest, shows evidence 
of bog-iron ore by the froth and scum on the water of drains, and the 
sands are also very ferruginous. Cakes of iron ore like the pan that 
forms in some kinds of cultivated ground are found in several places 
near the surface. Frequently also little pipe-like projections of iron 
ore are seen standing up, after wind or rain removes the loose sand. 
Seeing the ore lying about in this way, I believe we must attribute 
the origin of the slag to the fires of the prehistoric people. When fires 
would be placed on the sands containing these cakes and pipe-like 
projections, the ore would be smelted and the drops or lumps of so- 
^ Journal Royal Society of Antiquaries, Ireland, No. 2, vol. i.. Fifth Series, page 
130. 
