100 
scholar, who had inscribed upon them his exercises in gram- 
mar and dialectics: and from the words “hoc quuwm,” which 
occur on one of the pages, it would seem that the owner was 
engaged in learning or teaching the ¢rivium, i.e. the first 
three of the seven liberal arts, in which the first Degree is still 
taken in our Universities. 
The characters inscribed on these tables, as far as Dr. 
Todd was able to determine, were of the fifteenth century, 
if not earlier. He shewed that the use of waxed tablets con- 
tinued to the seventeenth century, and that there was no 
foundation for the opinion maintained by a learned French 
Dominican, Pére Alexandre, that the use of tablets of this 
kind ceased in the fifth century. 
Dr. Todd concluded by proposing that the special thanks 
of the Academy be presented to Mr. Knox for this valuable 
donation to the Museum ; and recommended that it be referred 
to the Council to have drawings of the tablets immediately 
made, lest they should receive injury from the ordinary heat of 
the room, or otherwise. 
Professor Allman made some observations on the wood 
composing the tablets, which he submitted to microscopical 
examination. 
The Rev. Humphrey Lloyd read the following paper by 
the Rev. Thomas Knox, on the quantity of Rain which fell 
with different winds, at Toomavara, during five years since 
1827. 
I beg leave to lay before the Royal Irish Academy the 
following results of the rain-gauge kept at River Glebe, Too- 
mavara, for five consecutive years. 
The amount of rain is given separately for the eight prin- 
cipal points of the wind; and the curves in the accompanying 
plates are formed (as mentioned in a former communication) 
by taking on each of the eight points, distances from the 
