dual ascent for the exit and entrance to this gloomy abode of mortality. This cemetery had been dug out of a gravelly knap or hillock, where the soil, to a considerable depth, is composed of sandy beach, (provincially chad,) whereas the interior of the stone ring was completely filled with black fat earth, such as is found in church-yards where many dead bodies have been deposited. In clearing out this earth, many fragments of bones, in a state of extreme decay,-many small detached pieces of clay,-some ashes and charred wood,—and a good many cheek teeth of a very large size, were discovered. I selected a few of the teeth in order to preserve them, but in a few minutes they mouldered down to dust. This singular structure was not paved either on the bottom or the top. The quantity of stones in this subterraneous ring or dike amounted to 30 cart-loads, but they exhibited not one indication that any tool had ever been applied to them. It is a circumstance worthy of remark, that the northern projection was rather more crowded with the relies of mortality, than any other part of the structure, a circumstance which may perhaps make the antiquary hesitate whether he ought not to pronounce it the most sacred recess of the cemetery, rather than the entrance to it.

Not a vestige of a stone coffin or urn was discovered. There was found, however, a small circular fragment of green glass, imbedded in an exterior enamel, longitudinally streaked with black, red, and white, or pale yellow. The length of the fragment was one and a fourth inch, and when complete must have measured five inches in diameter. This fragment was submitted to the examination of a gentleman of eminent chemical celebrity, who pronounced it the same with some other specimens which he had seen in the custody of the late Dr Black, and which had been found in the ancient cemeteries of Egypt. There was also found a small circular piece of yellow flint, neatly polished, and perforated in the middle, exactly in the shape of a small button mould, the extreme diameter one-fourth of an inch.

Every circumstance indicates this sepulchre to have been of very remote antiquity, and I was disposed to

consider it as wholly unique. I have, however, been lately informed, that one of the same kind was lately discovered in the parish of Aberlemno, near Forfar, and another in the parish of Culsamond, Aberdeenshire. A draught and minute description of the latter has been preserved by the Reverend Mr Ellis, minister of the above parish, which I may, probably, soon be able to forward to you.

was

It has long been the practice of the Gothic Pinkerton, and his adherents, to decry Celtic antiquities and Celtic etymology, as wholly baseless and visionary; but the antiquity in question affords an instance which will put them completely to the blush. Though the existence of this ancient cemetery had been consigned to impenetrable oblivion, the name distinctly preserved in a small streamlet which runs about thirty yards to the southward of it, called Cluy's Burn, and the field, in which the antiquity is situated, still retains the name of Cluy's Burn Park. Cluy (the uy is sounded exactly as the Greek T) is strictly and truly the Gaelic claodh, meaning a grave, for in that language ao is sounded u, and dh is the substitute or combination for y. Hence the true name of the streamlet and field are, the Grave Burn, and the Grave Burn Park. But such is the Gothic prejudice and stupidity of mankind, that the propriety and aptitude of the name was never attended to, till the antiquity was discovered.

Having been present in all the stages of clearing out this remarkable subterraneous structure, and having taken an accurate measurement of it on the spot, the account forwarded to you may be implicitly relied on; and I am, Sir, &c.

RT. HUDDLESTON.
Lunan, 7th March 1818.

P. S. Being, at present, on the subject of Celtic antiquities, I avail myself of the opportunity to return my best thanks to the Reverend Mr Lawson of Creich, for his valuable communication in your miscellany of December last. Having been engaged for some time past in a classification of the Celtic antiquities, and having discovered nine varieties of Celtic sepulchral monuments, the communication in question very agreeably

surprised me with a tenth. His having mistaken these sepulchral circles for Druidical ones, is extremely venial, considering that it is no easy matter, in many cases, to draw a proper line of discrimination. Fortunate ly, on this occasion, the characteristics are so strong and unequivocal as not to leave even the shadow of a doubt. I shall therefore now proceed to state my reasons for concluding that the circles in question are strictly sepulchral, not with any view to controvert your worthy correspondent's theory, but merely to throw light on a subject, to which I have paid some attention, and to prevent these antiquities from going down to posterity under a wrong name.

It is on all hands allowed that the Druidical temples were open above, and not one has hitherto been found Covered over with earth. Indeed, such a mode of procedure would have unfitted them altogether for being temples,-would have rendered them wholly inaccessible, and sacrifice wholly impracticable.

The stone fig. 2. is by far too diminutive for an altar. It lies flat on the ground, whereas the altars were élevated on supporters generally from eight to ten inches high, forming a repository below, in which the instruments for sacrificing are supposed to have been deposited.

In the Druidical temples, not a vestige of sandstone has been discovered, nor even in their judicial circles. They are uniformly composed of the harder kinds of stone, such as granite, whinstone, &c. and are always rude, and without polish of any kind. The reason is obvious, for these temples are of very remote antiquity, and probably anterior to the use of iron tools, without which freestone quarries could not have been wrought, whereas detached pieces of the harder kinds of stone were everywhere to be found.

The Druidical altars have neither emblematical figures, nor hieroglyphics, like the stones, figures 2 and 5. Sach would, indeed, have been wholly superfluous, and of short duration, being alternately exposed to the injuries of the weather, and of fire, during the numerous sacrifices of the Druids.

The burnt benes and ashes found under the stone fig. 2, so far from be

ing a proof of a Druidical temple where sacrifices were offered, are the very reverse. The temples were kept clean with the most religious scrupulesity, and the ashes and reliques of the sacrifices carried without the sacred pale, and, in a plurality of instances, one or more little mounts or hillocks have been found near Druidical temples, containing ashes, and the burnt bones of the victims offered in sacrifice.

That the erect stones of Druidical circles are sometimes contiguous, is an error into which a superficial examination has betrayed some of our antiquaries. I found one of these at Auchlee, in the parish of Fetteresso. The interstices betwixt the erect stones had been filled up with other large stones standing on end, and it was converted into a sheep-fold, but still retained the name of Temple Stunes. I have fallen in with two or three other instances, but the modern part of the structure was easily distinguished from the ancient; and a minute examination of numerous Druidical circles has led me to infer, that the erect stones were originally and invariably equidistant, but never contiguous, except when modernized, as in the cases above mentioned. The contiguity, therefore, of the stones surrounding the circles in question, is no proof of their being Druidical, but the reverse.

The situation of these circles, bearing cast and west, does not prove them to be Druidical; for, though this appears to be the position to which the Druids, in a plurality of instances, adhered, still I have found several exceptions to it, and particularly that they frequently followed the direction of the dorsum, or ridge, on which their circles were built, in whatever direction it lay. If, therefore, the ridge on which the circles in question are situated ranges east and west, it will sufficiently account for their position, independent of any other consideration. Having offered these arguments to evince that the antiquities in question are not Druidical, we shall now offer a few more to prove that they are really sepulchral.

Their being principally composed of freestone, the contiguity of these stones, and their subterraneous position, are all of them strong proofs that the fabrics in question are sepul

chral. The Danish monuments in Scotland are, without a single exception, composed of freestone. Many graves of apparently obscure individuals are frequently discovered, composed of two rows of freestone, and the body in the middle. Three of these were lately dug up in this vicinity, though the freestone must have been brought from a distance of several miles. In all these, and a hundred more, the rows of freestone were contiguous, and packed as close together as possible. As to these circles being covered with earth, it is only necessary to remark, that all graves are necessarily subterraneous, though the Celts, at a certain remote era, seem to have preferred a cairn, or covering of stones.

There is, however, one circumstance which is decisive of the point in question, namely, the grave-stone, fig. 2, decorated with a sepulchral inscription, (such as was then in use,) and placed directly over the remains of the dead. Many of these hieroglyphics cannot now be decyphered, but others can; and, fortunately, the spade or shovel, which is still a lugubrious emblem of mortality on our tomb-stones at the present day, cannot be mistaken. Mr Ure, in his history of Rutherglen and Kilbride, tells us, that the workmen employed in demolishing an ancient cemetery, found an antique massy iron spade. It being reckoned fortunate to find iron, they were much at a loss how to divide it, as no one was willing to resign his share. The difficulty was got over by one of them proposing to make it into tackets for their shoes, and give each of them an equal share, which was accordingly done.

The pair of shoes turned upside down seem to imply that the owner had no farther use for them; and reminds us of reversing arms at a soldier's funeral. The crescent on the figure, resembling a shield, is well known in heraldry. The shield, like the shoes, is turned upside down, because the owner's battles were all fought. The circular figures undoubtedly represent annuli, or rings, many of which have been found in sepulchral monuments. The circular figure, with two perforated knobs, or handles, seems to represent some antique vase, decorated with guttæ lacrymales. I had almost omitted to

state, that there is a large crescent, and many small ones, on the Danish obelisk at Aberlemno. I hesitate much whether the cross inscribed in a circle has any reference to Christianity, or whether it may not represent the wheel of the covin, or ancient Caledonian chariot, whilst the figure to the left of it, apparently constructed of withes, may represent the body of the machine. If this last conjecture is well founded, the scattered and disjointed state of the chariot is in strict unison with the other parts of the inscription.

As to the figure No. 3, it evidently exhibits a belt, and a string of six beads. These beads have been often found in cemeteries composed of silver, glass, wood, &c.; and, like the circular bracelets and rings, were ornaments of distinction. The hiero glyphics on fig. 2 and 5 are so much the same, as to evince, without any further argument, that, if the one is sepulchral, the other must be the saine.

I would be much obliged if your very respectable correspondent would inform me, through the medium of your miscellany, whether the sepulchres in question seem to have been covered with earth by accident or design. It can hardly be supposed that such elegant structures, and appropriate sepulchral inscriptions, could be originally intended to lie for ever concealed from mortal eye. We all know that the inhabitants of Scotland long led a migratory life, and that the Highlanders, up to a late period, set their houses on fire when they left them, lest they might shelter. their enemies; and, I am half persuaded, that they intentionally concealed their cemeteries, to keep the ashes of their ancestors from being violated. My information on this head is, however, very deficient, and any thing additional would be very acceptable.

As to the two antique vases, without a minute inspection, I cannot pronounce whether they are those used by the Druids to procure holy water, or not. From the draught, they appear rather too elegant. At any rate, they seen to have no connection with the antiquities in question, but appear to have been concealed under ground, from religious or superstitious motives, in some crisis of danger or alarm.

The note which you, Mr Editor

have appended to the reverend gentleman's communication, might very well have been spared, and a moment's reflection might have convinced you, that it is not at all to the purpose. You state, in substance, "that circles similar to those in question have been found where neither Druids nor Celts ever penetrated, and where a different religion is known to have prevailed." This is, however, a mere gratis dictum. The proof you adduce is, that an iron ring is run into one of the pillars of a Druidical temple in Orkney, which the inhabitants call the ring of Odin. Such perversions are common, but they only establish the uncertainty of all things human The Celts were unquestionably the aborigines of Europe, and have everywhere left Druidical circles behind them, which their successors, the Goths, have perverted, and misapplied to their own purposes. St Patrick, we know from authentic history, sanctified three Druidical circles in Ireland, and inscribed on them the name Jesus in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin; but though by this means they changed both their name and their use, they were still Druidical circles. In the same manner, though the Norwegians, on their gaining possession of the Orkneys, added an iron ring to a Druidical circle, and gave it the name of Odin's ring, the circle is as much

Druidical as ever. The man who can found a system on such sandy foundations, need not hesitate to assert, that putting a bridle into a cow's mouth will convert her into a horse.

R. H.

CURIOUS FACTS IN NATURAL HIS-
TORY.
No. III.

MR EDITOR,

I AM much gratified to find that the few observations on the incubation of birds, which I sent you in September last, have attracted the notice of so able a zoologist as your correspondent Physicus. I should not have ventured to state my boyish recollections in opposition to the observations of a MONTAGU, of which I was perfectly aware, if they had not been confirmed (particularly as to the lapwing) by subsequent observation.

Happening to be in Holland, in the

spring of 1814, where this bird is much more common than in Britain, and having occasion to converse with many of the natives of that country, who make a very good livelihood by collecting the plover's eggs, not only for sale in the principal cities of their own provinces, but for exportation to the London and Paris markets, where they are esteemed a great delicacy, I was most particular in my inquiries, and found, to my surprise, that all of them were perfectly aware of the fact, that, by taking away the egg as it was deposited in the nest, the bird continued to lay for a considerable period ; and they assured me, that, in this way, they procured triple the number of eggs that could be obtained by robbing the nest when the bird had completed its usual number for hatching, viz. four. I believe it is pretty well ascertained, that most early birds, among whom I reckon the lapwing, breed twice in the season, if they are not interfered with. Of this I can assure Physicus, that the ovarium of the lapwing contains the germs of a great many more ora than four,-a fact which may be demonstrated without much difficulty at this season of the year. With regard to the lark, I have had no opportunity of renewing my observations since I was fourteen years of age, and shall, therefore, allow it to have no more weight than, as a boyish recollection, it may seem to merit. This is the moment, however, to make such investigations; and I hope, if your correspondent resides in the country, that he will pay some attention to the subject, and favour me with the result of his observations.

The magpie, the sparrow, and the wren, were the most unfavourable instances he could have chosen, as it is well known that the first is the most ticklish of all birds, and will very often forsake her nest if the smallest twig connected with it is put out of its place, while the last lays such an immense number of eggs in its natural state, that there is scarcely a possibility of that number being increased by any interference with its ordinary economy.

It is well known, Mr Editor, that the cuckoo lays only one egg, and that this egg is always deposited in the nest of some other bird. In this country, at least, the gowk is seldom seen during