ee 
133 
Mr. S. Ferguson read the continuation of his paper on 
the Antiquity of the ‘“‘ Boomerang.” The author exhibited 
a tabular digest of the significant synonymes of a variety of 
words, all of them necessarily involving the idea of curva- 
ture. These he arranged according to their palpable re- 
semblances ; and gave it as his opinion, that the indices or 
characteristic syllables of the classes so resulting were uni- 
formly identical with the roots of the names by which the 
curved weapon and spear have been known. 
Mr. Ferguson stated, that the transit of these names 
from the one class of weapons to the other, appears to have 
taken place through the medium of the amentum, or attached 
sling, by which the spear was originally thrown. He sug- 
gested a similar mode of throwing the Australian instrument, 
and illustrated it from a British coin of Cunobeline. 
From an investigation of the relations observable among 
the nations which appear to have used weapons of this de- 
scription, the author concluded that the use of them in 
Europe was in great measure peculiar to the Gomarite 
branch of the Japetian family. 
DONATIONS, 
Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Séances de 0 Aca- 
demie des Sciénces. Premier Semestre, 1838. Nos. 1, 2, 3, 
and Tables Alphabetiques. Jan.—Jun. 1837. Presented by 
the Academy. 
The Phrenological Journal and Magazine of Moral 
Science. Vol. XI. No. 44. New Series, No. 1. Presented 
by the Phrenological Society. 
Ordnance Survey of the County of Londonderry. Colonel 
Colby, R.E., F. R. S. L. and E., M. R. I. A., Superintendant. 
Volume the First. 4to. Presented by his Excellency the 
Lord Lieutenant. 
The Ordnance Maps of the Counties of Sligo, in 49 sheets: 
