xlvi, 



communicate with him as soon as possible. He urged that the survey to 

 be of any use must be thorougli as far as it went and that desultory work 

 was of little value. Each member should do thoroughly one quarter sheet 

 (price Is.) of the 6in. ordnance map before going on to another, and would 

 provide for himself the materials required for making the negatives. Mr. 

 Barnes said that the cost of printing from the negatives was compara- 

 tively trifling and should, he thought, be also borne by the member. 



ExHiBiTri.— The Treasurer exhibited a shoot of furze of abnormal 

 growth, flattened out and unusually Lliick and strong. Other similar 

 shoots occurred on the same bush. Similar flattened malformations of 

 thht\es (Cardtitts lanceolatus and Carlina vulgaris) h&A been exhibited 

 on a former occasion by the Secretary and Rev. W. M. Barnes. The 

 Secretary exhibited an unusually laige and well-formed crystal of selenite 

 from the Oxford clay, Chickerell, near Weymouth. Selenite was common 

 in some parts of the clay in that neighbourhood but usually took the 

 form of small and broken pieces and perfect crystals were rare. 



Mr. Moule exhibited a large ornamental vase, made of lead, one of 

 five similar ones which had been brought from Osmington (possibly 

 Osmington House) and sold as old lead to Mr. Durden, of Dorchester. 

 It was considered that they might be 150 or 200 years old, and they had 

 apparently been at one time gilt. 



The Rev. J. Bridges Lewis showed photographs of the font in Great 

 Toller Church. The boAvl of the font was of red sandstone and was 

 supported on a block of white Portland stone, which block he considered 

 to be a Roman altar. The block was circular with a sheep's head at one 

 corner. 



Mr. Cunnington exhi jited four Pal.Tolithic flints found at Coneygar, 

 Melbury Park, Portesham, and Maiden Castle. He stated that Mr. 

 Grant Allen believed that these flints were used with the hand for break- 

 ing ice, &c., and when lance-shaped he could not help thinking that they 

 were used as lances. 



Mr. Moule showed a diorite stone implement about 9 inches long found 

 near Mr. Middleton's Lodge and presented to the Museum by Major 

 Shephard. 



Papers,— The Treasurer read a paper on " The Reptiles of Dorset," 

 illustrating it by a specimen in spirits of Coronella laevis, the smooth 

 snake, a rare harmless species, wliich occurred on heaths in his neigh- 

 bourhood. This paper will be found in the present volume. Considerable 

 discussion ensued, the Chairman asking for information as to the reptiles 

 found in Ireland. The Treasurer said that he had been unable to obtain 

 satisfactory information on that point, but he believed that some snakes 



