ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING. XXXVll. 



added to the various collections, which, although most acceptable as 

 Museum exhibits, are not of sufficient importance to occupy our time 

 now. 



I consider the most interesting acquisition is the fine cinerary urn 

 found by Major Ashburnham in a barrow at Melcombe Bingham in 

 September, 1916, and exhibited at the Field Club meeting in December. 

 The exhibit was accompanied by a carefully written description of the 

 excavation which will no doubt appear in the Volume of Proceedings. 

 I need only remark now, that both the excavator and the Museum are 

 most fortunate owing to the fact that this beautiful specimen of Bronze 

 Age work was recovered, undamaged in any way, from its long resting 

 place. 



Another relic of the same period, a good bronze dagger -blade, was 

 found by an intelligent lad in a chalk bank by the side of the Dorchester - 

 Weymouth road, on Ridgway. It has still 2 of the 3 rivets in situ, 

 and the patina is extremely bright. Associated with the dagger were 

 portions of a human jaw ; so we may safely infer that the cutting was 

 through, or close to, a barrow. 



One other acquisition I refer to with some regret. A bittern, which 

 had taken refuge in a field called " Chapel Meadow," at Nottington, 

 was shot on the 9th February, 1917 " accidentally," so I was told. 

 What exactly was meant by that expression I do not quite know. 

 Perhaps the kindest view to take of this unfortunate act is that the 

 bird was mistaken for a heron ; but even so we may be sorry that its 

 life was not spared. 



I now pass to acquisitions of a very different character, and I believe 

 it is the third time that I have had the privilege of announcing that 

 original MSS. of William Barnes have been entrusted to the County 

 Museum. The " Hand-writs " of our Dorset Poet could indeed find 

 no more honoured home. 



The Barnes MSS. previously acquired are " Edge Tools in Early 

 Britain," or (as the author might have described them) " Stonen 

 Tools," and " Dorset Dialogues," referred to in Lucy Baxter's 

 life of her father, as " Hand-writs not printed, one up-sewing." 

 These are on loan from the Rev. Arthur Barnes, acting as executor to 

 his father, the Rev. W. Miles Barnes, in whose possession the poet's 

 papers were left. The " Dialogues " are imaginary conversations of 

 two farm hands enjoying a friendly chat in the midst of their work, 

 as might frequently be observed at the present day. They are of course 

 full of Dorset expressions, some of which must have now passed out of 

 use, just as some of the subjects they deal with are " by-gones " of 

 previous generations. There are nine Dialogues bearing the following 

 titles : 1. About a fish or two. 2. About a barrel. 3. Mowing. 

 4. About hedging. 5. Ploughing. 6. The Bark ripper. 7. The Cider 



