standing among the hills a cat-like figure is shown, with the legend "Hic habundabant lupi" (Here wolves abound). Gordon of Gordonstoun tells us that the country was infested with wild cats in early times, whence the modern place-name Cutuv, with the name Cattich (cats) for the inhabitants. But the probability is that there was a tribe of Catti, which included the Cornavii, Caereni, and Lugi, dwelling in a part of the country where the wolf and wild-cat found abundant cover; for as late as 1427 the barons of Scotland were called upon by an Act of Parliament to extirpate all wolves found upon their lands. And besides this, not without reason did the Norsemen call the north-west shoulder of the country Durness, "Wild-beast ness," from Norse dyr and ness.

In the Bodleian map the only town shown in all the northern province is Wyke (Wick), and it has a spired building (a castle or church); but in that of Mathew of Paris no town at all is shown. In Mercator's map a castle is shown on the west side of the Kyle of Tongue, which very probably represents Castle Varrich, and which was then likely inhabited, for in this map no reference is made to Borve Castle, destroyed in 1554. As the map was printed in 1592, the castle must have been occupied up to that date at least. Bishop Leslie shows but one island off the Kyle of Tongue in the map which he gives, and this island he calls Ylen Martyn; but Mercator shows the three, and in this order from the west, Ilen Martin, Shyp Iland, Hyp Iland.

1 It should be pointed out that Old Gaelic cat, Modern Gaelic cath, Welsh cad, and Old Gaulish catus, all mean "war"; hence the Catti (warriors), a tribe of Britons in the neighbourhood of Gloucestershire, and the Catu-riges (battle-kings), a tribe-name of ancient Gaul. Vide Prof. Rhys' Celtic Britain. Also from the same root comes Sucat, the original or boy name of St Patric the Briton, patron saint of Ireland, a compound of Su, good, and cat, which may be freely translated into the Scots vernacular "bonnie fechter." Vide Prof. Zimmer's Celtic Church, p. 38.

If our northern name, however, had been originally derived from Old Gaelic cat, war, the present form would rather be the softened Cathaich, but instead of that it is the hard form Cattaich, meaning "pertaining to cats"; and the Duke of Sutherland is always designated in Gaelic Diuc Cat, Duke of Cats. Perhaps the totem of the tribe was the wild-cat.

This is a curious mixture of names, not one of which is ever given to these islands in the Reay papers or in the conversation of the people — no, nor yet in any document that we have seen. The charter and still used names of the three islands given in the same order are Island nan Gail (of strangers), Rona, and Island nan Naomh (of saints) or Colme (Columba). Evidently Martin is misquoted for Columba, who had a dedication on Colme; but St Martin also had a dedication on the strath of the Naver, as the well-known holy well, Tobair Claish Mhartain, between Ceancoille and Cnubeg, clearly shows. Bread specially prepared, according to the following Gaelic recipe, promoted health when taken along with the water of this well :—

"Aran air fhuine le connadh,

Is burn a Tobair Claish Mhartain."

Bread baked on brushwood,

And water from the well of Martin in the Dell.

IV.

REPORT ON STONE CIRCLES SURVEYED IN PERTHSHIRE-NORTHEASTERN SECTION; WITH MEASURED PLANS AND DRAWINGS. (OBTAINED UNDER THE GUNNING FELLOWSHIP.) BY FRED. R. COLES, ASSISTANT KEEPER OF THE MUSEUM.

The Council of the Society having resolved to continue the investigation of the Stone Circles of Scotland, and the selection of a new area being left to me, I suggested Perthshire as the next most useful field for survey. This choice was made mainly because the county is extremely rich in megalithic remains, which, although frequently referred to in the Proceedings and elsewhere, have not as yet received a systematic investigation at all commensurate with either their numbers or their importance. I considered that the methodical way would be to begin with the most easterly portion of Perthshire, that bordering with Forfar, in the northern more hilly portions. This method would have been adopted but for the impossibility of finding, late in summer, suitable quarters at or near so popular a resort as Blairgowrie -the best centre for the intended district. Pitlochry was therefore chosen, as the next best; and this locality, being so much farther west, obviously rendered it impracticable to visit the sites in Glenshee and Strath Isla.

This survey thus begins, not quite at the eastern border, but near Kirkmichael in Strath Ardle, and the sites examined will be taken as far as possible in a westerly direction from that point, and then in a southerly direction from Dunkeld.

The most northerly point included is at Blair Atholl, the most westerly Fortingal, and the most southerly a site in the parish of Auchtergaven, about 6 miles below Dunkeld.

Owing to the configuration of this hilly district, so conspicuously different from the gently undulating farm-lands of Aberdeenshire, it has been found convenient to take the sites in sequence in each of the several straths or glens where they exist. A few circle-groups are to be found

on lofty uplands and heathery moors considerably above the main streams; but the majority, in at any rate this section of the romantically-beautiful and richly-wooded county of Perth, are confined to the valleys watered respectively by the rivers Ardle, Garry, Tummel, Lyon, and Tay.

Fig. 1. Standing Stones at Balnabroich, Kirkmichael; Ground-plan.

As all the Circles here noticed belong to a much simpler, and, in most cases, to a much smaller type than those of the north-east of Scotland, the scale of the plans hitherto employed-20 feet to 1 inch-has been abandoned, and in the majority a new scale of 6 feet to 1 inch has been substituted.

GROUP A, STRATH-ARDLE.

No. 1. Standing Stones of Balnabroich.-On this farm, 103 miles N.W. from Blairgowrie and 24 S. of Kirkmichael, there is, close to the loaning coming down from the main road, a gravelly mound, wholly

natural, measuring on its flattest surface about 50 feet north and south, and 18 feet from east to west. The remainder slopes away gradually towards the west, the portion near to its base being worked as a quarry. The two Stones now standing here are shown on the Ordnance map,

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Fig. 3. Remains of Circle at Balnabroich, Strath-ardle; View from the S. W. at a height above sea-level of about 650 feet (see fig. 1). Birches and broom-bushes grow about the mound, but do not interfere with the Stones. The Stone on the north is a rough mass of whinstone, 4 feet 2 inches in height, and with a basal girth of 10 feet 9 inches. Close in front of its easterly edge is a small, flat, apparently earth-fast block, nearly flush with the ground, its visible surface measuring about 20

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