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=NAWURAL HISTORY Se@CIErEY.< 
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PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 
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Ocroser 9TH, 1888. 
The First Ordinary Meeting of this Session was held at the 
Town Hall, on October 9th, at 8.15 p.m. The President (Dr. Fitz 
Gerald), was in the chair. The Secretary, who had only lately 
recovered from a long and dangerous illness, was absent through 
temporary indisposition. There was a large attendance, and the 
President read the following paper on 
THE HAND CONSIDERED AS AN ORGAN OF EXPRES 
SION, OR SCIENTIFIC CHIROGNOMY, AS 
OPPOSED TO CHIROMANCY. 
It is a curious and interesting question, to what extent, and by 
what means, certain physical attributes become associated with certain 
_ mental characteristics. very one would be disposed, broadly, to 
admit the connection between, for example, the development of 
the brain, and the mental capacity of the man; and few probably 
would deny a certain significance to the expression of the 
countenance ; but when we fly to the more minute details, we seem 
at once to enter the domain of unscientific speculation, or un- 
disguised charlatanism. Yet there are deep and undeniable truths 
