Iv. 



a ship with a cargo of it having been wrecked at Portland about three 

 years ago this piece, with others, was preserved. The wood is said to be 

 very durable either in earth or water. Mr. F. J. Beckford stated that 

 African blackwood, another very hard wood, was often bored by beetles. 

 By the HON. SECRETARY : 



(vi. ) A stuffed Egyptian goose, one of a flock of four which was shot 

 on Fleet Backwater on January 13th, 1897. The specimen was presented 

 by Mr. Richardson to the Museum. 



By Rev. G. B. LEWIS : 



(vii. ) Two small modern copies in bronze of the famous centaurs in the 

 Capitoline Museum at Rome, which were recovered from Adrian's Villa. 

 The originals are in black-green marble, and are considered to be the 

 work of a Greek sculptor in the 5th Century, B.c. The victor is 

 represented as shaven, whilst the vanquished centaur is heavily bearded 

 and unshorn. 



By Mr. E. CUNNINGTON : 



(viii.) A small bronze stud, which he believed to be used for fastening 

 the outer metallic rim or " antyx " of the shield to the inner framework 

 formed of wickenvork and hide. The stud was found by him on the 

 Roman road a mile from Dorchester and presented by him to the Museum. 



PAPERS. Five were read, as follows, all of which will be found in full 

 in the present volume. 



(1.) " British Arachnida observed and captured in 1896," by the Hon. 

 Treasurer, illustrated by drawings of the spiders described. 



(2.) " On an undescribed fish of the genus Pholidophorus from the 

 Oxford Clay, Chickerell," by Arthur Smith- Woodward, Esq., F.G.S. 



The fish which was the subject of this paper was exhibited by the 

 Hon. Secretary, to whom it belonged. It was foqnd by splitting a block 

 ot the laminated clay which occurs in some parts of the Oxford Clay at 

 Chickerell, and contains numerous fossils, generally in a rather delicate 

 and crumbling state. This specimen was treated with a mixture of 

 coaguline and water, which had preserved it very successfully. 



(3.) " Dorset Clothes-Moths and their Habits," by the Hon. Secretary, 

 illustrated by specimens of the moths and larva; and coloured drawings 

 by Mrs. N. M. Richardson. 



(4.) " The Pagan-Christian Overlap of the Wise Bird, with Dorset 

 Illustrations," by H. Colley March, Esq., M.D. 



(5.) "An account of the Albian Fossils lately discovered at Okeford 

 Fitzpaine, Dorset," by R. Bullen Newton, F.G.S. , both papers being 

 illustrated by plates and drawings. 



The meeting ended at about 4.0 p.m. 



