of a perfect Flint Implement, dc. 51 
afterwards discovered was that it was made of a fossil hippo- 
potamus tooth, which was therefore imperishable. This point is 
very interesting, as in this handle it is not only that itis perfectly 
preserved, but that it shows clearly the state of art at the period 
it was made. 
There was another point that appeared to me unusual in 
ancient mirrors—the verdigris did not cover the surface equally, 
as is general upon old copper, but appeared to be partially 
crystallized or glazed in parts. It was also extremely hard, so 
that the knife-file would scarcely touch it. When I got home I 
thought I would scrape off a part of the surface to analyse it. I 
found to my surprise that it came off in scales. As it had 
become disfigured by this process, I cleared off the whole surface 
to have sufficient for analysis, and handed the mirror over to my 
glass-worker to rework and repolish the surface to restore it to 
its original form. In this my glass-worker found a great diffi- 
culty ; the metal, which as pure copper would have been very 
soft, was found to be harder tlian speculum metal—in fact, it 
could only be cut down by sharp emery ; further, that it would 
not bear an even polish. I have brought it as he finished it. On 
examination it will be seen that there are many spots crystallized 
upon the surface, which were of course originally in the interior 
of the mirror. 
Upon analysis I found the verdigris contained over 5 per cent. 
of silica, which was in broken needles and crystals. It was quite 
evidently formed of native copper, which is found in thin veins 
in primitive rock, often associated with silicon. It may possibly 
have been ground down from its original flake, or have been 
forged. It was probably made before the art of smelting copper 
was known. Very possibly it may be of the period when the 
perfect flint implement exhibited was made. 
I bought another mirror at Abydos, which relatively to that 
just described may be considered as quite recent. It is larger, 
and of the advanced concave and convex form. It is interesting 
in one way that, being formerly bound over the breast of a 
_ mummy, the verdigris has taken the impression of the mummy- 
_ Cloth, the quality of which would pass for fairly good calico. 
