14 Proceedings of the Dmnfriesshire and Oalloway 



recently with the plough in the parish of Tinwald ; and he could 

 find no drawing resembling it exactly in any of the authorities. 

 Anothei", which was also one of the coarsest, was from the Island 

 of Aneityum. It was brought here by the Rev. John Inglis, who 

 went out there as a missionary thirty years ago. The natives 

 were then in a state of complete savageness, and were using stone 

 implements. Now they were civilised, and conducting a good 

 trade in various products with New Zealand. It was curious to 

 reflect that the man who made that rude instrument as a savage 

 might still be alive, civilised and a Christian. As Mr Starke had 

 said, celts were discovered in all parts of the world, and were 

 very similar in form ; but some of them were made of stone that 

 was not known anywhere to exist, and the discovery of this forma- 

 tion might lead to the discoveiy of the cradle of the race. 



Two celts were exhibited by the Chairman, sent from India by 

 Mr Hope, brother to Sheriff Hope; and two by the Rev. Mr 

 Johnstone, obtained in the Jed district. 



Mr Lennon read a paper on " Local Museums," which was 

 much appreciated. 



February 6ih, 1880. 



The Fifth Meeting of the Session was held in the Mechanics' 

 Institute — Mr J. G-. Starke in the chair. 



Sheriff Hope ; Capt. Maxwell of Terregles ; Mr Edward 

 Maxwell, Terregles ; and Dr Symons were elected Ordinary 

 Members. 



The skin of a Canadian wolf (Canis latrans), brought by Mr R. 

 Wallace from the Dominion, and presented by him to Dr Grierson 

 for the Thornhill Museum, was forwarded by that gentleman for 

 exhibition. In a letter the Doctor explained that the animal, 

 which is thicker and shorter than the common wolf, is described 

 by Sir John Richardson, and inhabits a northern range to the 

 55 th degree of latitude. 



The Chairman read a second and concluding paper on "The 

 Stone Age," speaking of the mineral Jade, the material from 

 which the rai'est, most beautiful, and most valuable celts were 

 made, and of the Fauna of the stone period. Jade, he explained, 

 was nowhere found in Europe in the native state, and only, as far 

 as known, in Asia ; the principal mines being in the north of 

 Cashmere, and in Turkestan, whence it was obtained by the 



