407 
of Edinburgh , Session 1881-82. 
structures marvellously like striped muscular fibre. I began to 
weave a nice theory about some of the flesh (human or boar’s), 
having somehow got impacted in the charcoal, which by its preser- 
vative or antiseptic power, had retained the muscular fibre all these 
ages. The preparation was in clove oil, as it was only a temporary 
examination, and before I could show it to the professor of botany, 
as to whether it was vegetable or not, the clove oil had so cleared it 
up as to obliterate all the previous structural-like appearance. In 
all probability it was some vegetable cell with which I am unac- 
quainted; the other theory is too fine to be true.” 
Mr. Joseph Anderson of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 
informs me that this interment is one of the less common class, and 
that it has these two verg rare features connected with it : — first, 
the occurrence of charcoal ; and second, that of the bones of an 
animal other than the human bones. 
Mr. Anderson divides the sepulchral urns of Scotland into four 
groups. Groups 1 and 2 are found with burned bodies, and (1) 
large cinerary urns, and (2) small cup-shaped urns. Groups 3 and 
4 are usually, though not exclusively, formed with unburned bodies. 
They are called (3) food vessels, and (4) drinking cups. The 
Parkhill Urn seems to belong to group 4 — the drinking cup. 
At the request of Professor Struthers, Dr. Pife Jamieson has 
been good enough to give me the following notes upon the bones 
found in the cist along with the urn. They are those of a man 
along with fragments of the left fore limb bones of a boar. 
The bones are deficient in number and in mass, chiefly from 
decomposition by natural agencies ; but partly from the rough 
handling to which they were subjected by sight-seers, prior to their 
removal to the Anatomical Museum. 
The cranium is very deficient, though enough remains to show 
that it was large and well shaped, with frontal sinuses prominent, 
but insignificant occipital protuberances. The basi-occipital and 
basi-sphenoid segments were firmly anchylosed together ; they are 
so normally after the age of twenty-two. 
The facial bones are still more deficient ; enough of the jaws is 
left, however, to show that the teeth had to all probability dropped 
out only after death. Four teeth, two still in their sockets, all 
fairly worn, were obtained. 
