wer stone. But, alas! there were no
hieroglyphics or cuneiform inscriptions to assist the antiquary in his
researches. These underground excavations have been found in various
parishes in Aberdeenshire, as well as in several of the neighbouring
counties. In the parish of Old Deer, about fifty years ago, a whole village
of them was come upon; and about the same time, in a den at the back of
Stirlinghill, in the parish of Peterhead, one was discovered which
contained some fragments of bones and several flint arrow-heads, and
battle-axes in the various stages of manufacture. In no case, however, have
any of those previously discovered been of the same magnitude as the one
described above. They were generally of from twelve to fifteen feet in
length, and from three to four feet in height, and some only six feet in
length, so that this must have been in its day (when?) a rather
aristocratic affair. Have any similar excavations been found in England?
The earliest mention of the parish of Tarland, of which there is any
account, is in a charter granted by Moregun, Earl of Mar, to the Canons of
St. Andrews, of the Church of S. Machulnoche (S. Mochtens, Bishop and
Confessor) of Tharuclund, with its tithes and oblations, its land and mill,
and timber from the Earl's woods for the buildings of the canons, A.D.
1165-71; and a charter of King William the Lion, and one of Eadward, Bishop
of Aberdeen, both of same date, confirming the said grant.

ABREDONENSIS.

* * * * *

FOLK LORE.

_Legends of the County Clare._--How Fuen-Vic-Couil (Fingall) obtained the
knowledge of future events.--Once upon a time, when Fuen-Vic-Couil was
young, he fell into the hands of a giant, and was compelled to serve him
for seven years, during which time the giant was fishing for the salmon
which had this property--that whoever ate the first bit of it he would
obtain the gift of prophecy; and during the seven years the only
nourishment which the giant could take was after this manner: a sheaf of
oats was placed to windward of him, and he held a needle before his mouth,
and lived on the nourishment that was blown from the sheaf of corn through
the eye of the needle. At length, when the seven years were passed, the
giant's perseverance was rewarded, and he caught the famous salmon and gave
it to Fuen-Vic-Couil to roast, with threats of instant destruction if he
allowed any accident to happen to it. Fuen-Vic-Couil hung the fis