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pattens of the same size, also made of copper, in use in the 
south of France. One of the plates in the Museum forms a 
cover for another, and is pierced with an opening, which is over 
a hollowed part of the under plate. The arrangements and 
proportions of the parts are such as to lead us to suspect that 
these plates, when placed together, may have formed a sort of 
poor-box, the alms having been dropped through the opening 
into the cupped part of the lower plate. It may be also 
observed that, on the most perfectly finished portion of one 
of these plates, there is the evident wear or impression of the 
thumb of a person who had, for a considerable time, handled 
it in the way a mendicant would, who might present it for alms. 
The back of this plate, and one of the others, has marks of fire 
on it. Mr. Clibborn also stated that a visitor to the Academy 
lately recognized these plates, as being very similar to two 
others, also composed of copper, which had been recently 
found in Armagh, and which he hoped would be soon depo- 
sited in the Museum, as they had been freely offered to our 
collection. Some light may thus be thrown on the use of 
these curious articles, which have hitherto been called shields ; 
there being no evidence as to their original use, nor until 
lately was there any suspicion entertained of their belonging 
to the Christian period. From the perfection of the work- 
manship, and from some analogies in it and in the designs, it 
was also inferred that the large trumpets in the Museum 
- might have been fabricated by artists of the same school as 
those who constructed the pattens. 
The Secretary of Council read a translation ofa letter from 
Professor Encke to M. Schumacher relative to Le Verrier’s 
Planet. He also laid before the Academy the following note 
of observations made by E.J. Cooper, Esq., of Markree Castle, 
with his transit circle : 
