212 



wax model of the front of this reliquary, with a drawing of 

 the cross, which he presented to the Museum of the Aca- 

 demy. 



Mr. Petrie, by permission of the President, made some 

 remarks on Sir William Betham's paper, in which he pointed 

 out the original uses of these ancient reliquaries, and de- 

 tailed at considerable length their history, gathered from the 

 inscriptions found upon them, (of which he gave translations,) 

 and from the mention made of them in the Irish Annals and 

 other records. 



It was resolved, that Mr. Petrie be requested to prepare 

 a paper for the Transactions of the Academy on the history 

 of these reliquaries, in order that the valuable information 

 he had collected respecting them might be preserved, and 

 made more generally known. 



Dr. Coulter exhibited a specimen of the Sphinx porcellus, 

 taken at Killiney, and stated that this rare insect had pro- 

 bably never before been found so far north in Ireland. 



The reading of papers being concluded, the session was 

 closed with the following 



ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT. 



The time has now arrived for terminating the present session ; 

 and it will, no doubt, be gratifying to you, as it is to me, that our 

 closing act should be the public presentation of a Medal to one of 

 our most distinguished Members ; that Medal being the first which 

 has been awarded by your Council in the exercise of the new and 

 fuller power confided by you lately to them, and in execution of the 

 plan which was announced to you at the time when you gave them 

 that enlarged discretion, with respect to the bestowal of honorary 

 rewards. 



That plan, as you may remember, differs little from the scheme 

 suggested by me in the inaugural address which I had the honor 



