which is much everted, is of an inch in thickness, No. 1 is slightly thicker, and No. 4 is of an inch in thickness.

I must now refer to the unusual example of a rim turned inwards. Fragments of only one vessel of this kind were found, and a portion of the rim is shown on fig. 15, at No. 8. It measures of an inch in thickness, is red in colour, shows a bluish grey in fracture, and is undecorated.

On fig. 18 various fragments of vessels are illustrated. Nos. 1 and 3 show portions of the bottoms and walls of vessels. These are decorated with the impressed cord pattern, the former to within an inch from the bottom, and the latter to about of an inch from the bottom. They are both reddish brown in colour, and are well and evenly fired, No. 3 being slightly more friable than No. 1.

No. 2 is a fragment of the wall of a vessel, brownish in colour, and slightly red in fracture. The decoration consists of horizontal indented lines, about of an inch apart.

No. 4 is a small fragment, which shows decoration in the form of four rows of minute punch or comb-like indentations, running horizontally, and about of an inch apart.

No. 5 is merely decorated with horizontal lines, drawn with a sharp-pointed instrument.

The decoration on Nos. 6 and 8 consists of the impression of the flat side of a pointed stick, or like instrument.

No. 7 is a portion of the wall of a vessel, probably near the shoulder. It is of a dull brown colour, about of an inch in thickness, and is made of a very fine paste. The decoration is of the impressed cord pattern, a single line of which is noticeable above a plain band, which is about of an inch in breadth. Beneath this the impressed cord pattern again appears.

No. 9 is another portion of the wall of a vessel. This also appears to be about the shoulder, showing a plain band at that point, and both above and below it the impressed cord decoration appears. This fragment measures of an inch in thickness, is of a dull brown colour, and shows reddish brown in fracture.

On fig. 19 six fragments of pottery are shown, which are all of coarser texture and different in decoration from any previously described. All are of reddish-brown colour, and the paste of which they are made contains numerous small stones.

Nos. 1 and 2 are portions of rims, both of which are an inch in thickness at the point of measurement. No. 1 has a groove running round the inside of the lip, and a similar depression on the outside, below which is a slight moulding. The decoration consists of a horizontal line of a large impressed cord placed immediately below the moulding. The space above the moulding has a zigzag impressed cord device, and, as will be seen, the impression of a twisted cord also runs round the top. No. 2 is bevelled towards the inside. It is decorated with two rows of indented lines, which appear to have been drawn with a blunt-pointed stick or instrument; beneath this, diagonal lines extend.

Nos. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are portions of the walls of vessels, Nos. 3 and 5 being about of an inch in thickness, and Nos. 4 and 6 of an inch in thickness. No. 3 has a moulding running round it, above which is a horizontal twisted

cord impression, and from this extend zigzag impressions, also of the twisted cord. No. 5 appears to have been decorated with a lozenge-shaped design of a twisted cord.

Nos. 4 and 6 have both slight swellings, at what may have been the shoulder. Above this point in both are horizontal indented lines, from which, in the former, a chequer pattern of crossed oblique lines appears to extend; while in the latter, two indented lines appear to run more or less diagonally from the horizontal indented one.

One vessel, reddish brown in colour (the lower part of which, together with a considerable portion of one side, I have been able to put together), was found in close proximity to several nodules of clay, and it seems probable that this vessel may have been the receptacle of the clay in question. The bottom, which is 5 inches in diameter, is of an inch in thickness. The vessel is made of a very coarse paste, which contains numerous small stones. It must have been of considerable size, as in inside diameter, at 2 inches from the bottom, it measures 7 inches, and a portion of the wall measures 6 inches vertically.

On the bottom of a vessel which I have been able to put partially together (fig. 20), and which seems to have been of no great dimensions, are the impressions of three grains of wheat, together with what appears to be a portion of a rachis. It is evident that these must have become embedded in the clay after the vessel was made but still unbaked. The finding of these grain moulds is of considerable interest, as it shows beyond doubt the cultivation of cereals in Scotland at a very early period.1 Mr J. R. Mortimer was able to establish the cultivation of cereals 2 by the finding, in East Yorkshire, of a portion of a head of wheat containing three grains which had become embedded in the clay forming the wall of a food-vessel, and which had become carbonised in the firing. These grains, he says, "seem to belong to a small variety." The mould of one of the grains found by me measures nearly of an inch in length, by of an inch in breadth, the other grains being slightly smaller. With

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1 Curved flint knives which "may not impossibly have supplied the place of sickles," have been found in various parts of England, and these have suggested the growing of grain south of the Tweed in prehistoric times. -Evans' Ancient Stone Implements, p. 358.

2 J. R. Mortimer's Forty Years' Researches, p. 111.

a view to comparing the dimensions of the mould given with wheat grains of the present day, I have examined a small quantity of wheat grown in Scotland, with the following results:-Out of 200 grains measured, I find 12 per cent. measure of an inch in length, 48 per cent. measure of an inch in length, and 39 per cent. measure of

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an inch in length. It is of course impossible to determine whether the

Fig. 20. Piece of Pottery with Impressions of Grains of Wheat,
from Midden No. 2. (1.)

impressions of the grains on the bottom of the vessel mentioned are those of average grains of the period or not; but it is noteworthy that by far the largest percentage of the grains measured are of a similar length, and therefore are not far inferior to those of the present day.

Finally, I must not omit to mention the finding in both middens of several pieces of lignite. Perhaps more was obtained from Midden No. 2 than from Midden No. 1, and the pieces from the former were also 19

VOL. XLII.