monuments in Carnarvonshire, which have been printed in the first series of the Archæologia Cambrensis (vols. for 1848-49). These notes are dated 1772, so that it is no matter of surprise that so many there recorded have disappeared. He mentions an immense number of chambers, circles, and pillar-stones, but no alignment, although he alludes to what he calls a serpentine course of low stones, a quarter of a mile long, on each side of which are numerous barrows. This was situated near Aber, on the ancient road from Caerhun, but was certainly not discovered by those members who traversed that ancient route during the Bangor Meeting. The stones have either since been removed, or Mr. Lloyd mistook, for an artificial arrangement, the work of accident or nature. At any rate, even allowing that he was correct in his opinion, he did not see an alignment.

In the northern part of Pembrokeshire is a single line of stones of great size, which Fenton does not mention, although he deliberately pulled to pieces a fine cromlech near it, and which seems to have been connected with this row of stones, for it was probably continued further northwards than it is at present. On referring to the Ordnance map, a little to the right of the word "Llanlawer," will be seen the position of the line called in the map "Parc-y-marw" (field of the dead); and a little further to the east, but slightly to the north, is marked down the cromlech destroyed by Fenton, and of which only some small fragments remain. The line of stones. is parallel to the narrow road, and if continued would pass within a few paces of the ruined cromlech. Here, as at Rhos-y-beddau, the name points to the character of the monument; for experience has shewn that local names of this kind in Wales, handed down from time immemorial, may be generally depended on. tradition, however, adds an account of a desperate battle fought on the spot, among the pillar-stones themselves, as if the possession of them were said to have been the sole object of the combatants. A lady, clad all in white, appears to those who are rash enough to walk that

3RD SER., VOL. XIV.

12

Local

way by night; and so ancient is this tradition, which is still firmly believed, that a short distance before the stones commence, a foot-path, by long use now become public, turns across the fields to the left, making a détour of nearly a mile before it leads again into the road. During day-time the peasants do not think it necessary to take the roundabout course. The road itself is evidently one of great antiquity, and apparently led to the great work at Dinas. The height of the stones is not so striking as their lower part is embedded in the tall bank of earth that does the duty of an ordinary hedge; but some of them are full sixteen feet long. An accurate representation is here given of them, from the skilful pencil of Mr. Blight, taken on the spot in June 1866. (See plate.) One of the stones has fallen across the road; and on it are incised some curious lines, which are not modern work, and have the appear. ance of having been cut in the same manner, and by the same means, as other archaic incised work. (See woodcut.) None of the other stones has any mark

ings at all; but as they are deeply embedded in the bank, only the upper parts are visible. There were no traces to be discovered of any second or other lines of stone, so that this seems to have always been a single line; but although single, it must have been a striking object at a time when no enclosures existed, and the present level of the soil lower than it is now. It is hardly necessary to state that in the view the hedgebank is omitted.

It is not impossible that careful examination of some

of the more remote parts of Wales, where monuments of this period exist, may lead to the discovery of others. hitherto unnoticed, as this one seems to have been up to this time. If so, there will be additional means of testing the value of the suggestion, that all these rectilinear arrangements of stones are invariably connected with burial-places. Allowing the line in Gower to belong to this class, we find it confirmed in that instance. No one can doubt of the sepulchral character of the circle and avenue at Rhos-y-beddau, and the same may be said of Parc-y-marw.

E. L. BARNWELL.

INCISED STONE, BURGHILL, HEREFORDSHIRE. AMONG other objects of interest connected with Burghill Church is a small oblong slab, which was discovered under the pavement when the present encaustic tiles within the communion-rails were put down. It was immediately under the communion-table. It is a finegrained sandstone, brought probably from one of two quarries of the district whence similar slabs are obtained at the present day. One of these quarries is in the parish, the other in the neighbouring parish of Credenhill. The accompanying representation of it, from the pencil of Mr. Blight, has been submitted to Mr. Albert Way, Mr. Stuart, and Professor Westwood, who are unable to form any satisfactory opinion as to its character. It is now submitted to the members of the Association in the hope that some light may be thrown on the question. From the upper portion of the stone, where two lines end abruptly, it is possible that a part of it is missing, and that the original number of main compartments was four, and not three. The upper one on the left hand side corresponds with the lowest one on the same side; neither of them being divided by a vertical line, as in the case of the other compartments.

The present upper compartment has two of its subdivisions rather defaced; but they appear to contain the figures which occur in the other two compartments. This is a shaft arising from a square base, and surmounted with what may be called a fleur-de-lis. This figure is repeated four times, although in one instance the base is wanting.

Taking the upper compartment from left to right, we have-1, one of the figures already mentioned; 2, some implement with two notches; 3, another having the form of the stock of a gun, with three notches, surmounted by a rude, crescent-shaped knob; 4 and 5, as No. 1; 6, a fish, not unlike such as are found in the Wemyss Caves, Fifeshire, and some of the sculptured stones in Scotland, of which Mr. John Stuart has given us so full an account. In his magnificent second volume, lately issued, are representations of several forms of fish, none of which exactly correspond with this one. But one hardly expects to find in such carvings attempts to distinguish one species of fish from another. 7, a figure which looks like н or N, but may not be a letter at all; 8, a shaft arising from a cone-formed base, and having its upper part bent at an angle; 9, a figure which seems to be a mere ornament, but is probably intended to represent something; 10, the trapezoïd figure is apparently a boat, an opinion in which Professor Westwood agrees. It certainly bears a kind of rude resemblance to an undoubted boat on a stone at Dundee, given in Mr. Stuart's second volume (plate 125), out of which arises a cross with other details. Out of our boat (if it is such) arise, in the same way, two figures,-one an implement with notches, and the other the same as No. 1. The notched implement bears a very faint resemblance to one of the Cave carvings in Scotland (plates 33 and 34, No. 3); but the resemblance is so very faint, that it would be unsafe to consider them in any way connected. The vertical division of the compartment is carried only to the upper part of the boat, so that the two divisions of the lowest compartment may be considered as agree