THE ROYAL DUBLIN SOCIETY 21 



the Roman inscriptions lately found in Graham's Dyke 

 in the west of Scotland, a subject which does not appear 

 to have come quite within the scope of the proceedings. 

 A paper of more interest to Ireland was one dealing 

 with Colonel Prittie's silver mines in the county of Tip- 

 perary, which had been leased to an English company. 

 The account of them was copied into the minute book. 



When the summer recess approached, Dr. Stephens 

 was directed to summon the Society to meet at Anne's 

 coffee house on any extraordinary occasion. Later 

 in the year, Dr. Stephens presented the Society with a 

 manuscript of Sir William Petty as to making woollen 

 cloth, and an account of Bees 1 was read before it. 



In the winter, a number of new ploughs, for which 

 one John Nummys had a patent, were imported, and 

 the members were invited to attend a special trial of 

 them in the Phoenix Park. 



On the 9th of November 1732 appears a systematic 

 account of the ballot held for election of officers. The 

 Standing Committee of twenty-one being present, three 

 gilded balls and eighteen others were put into a dish, 

 and, being placed on high, were drawn, the gilded ones by 

 Alderman Kane, Captain Cobbe, and Mr. Dobbs, who, 

 retiring into another room, after some time returned, 

 and proposed the Lord-Lieutenant as president, the 

 Primate as vice-president, Anthony Sheppard treasurer, 

 Rev. Dr. Whetcombe, secretary for domestic affairs, 

 Mr. Prior secretary for foreign affairs, and Mr. William 

 Maple curator and registrar, all of whom were separ- 

 ately balloted for and elected. 



The implements, models, cider and flax mills, the 

 property of the Society, had by this time accumulated 



1 Instructions for Managing Bees, drawn up and published by 

 order of the Dublin Society, is among the Haliday Pamphlets, 1733, 

 cxi. 5. 



