423 
others were broken up; only two or three remained to bear witness to 
the value of the entire group. I found one built into a drain, and two 
others employed as lintel-stones over the windows of the farm-house. It 
is my belief that this crypt contained a collection of inscribed monuments 
presenting a series of names which would have been of interest in illus- 
trating the history, the topography, and the language of the country. 
In general these inscriptions disappoint us—each of them ordinarily ex- 
hibits nothing more than one or two proper names; but from a group of 
names, belonging, in all probability, to persons connected with each 
other and with the place, we might expect to deduce conclusions of in- 
terest and importance. The number of instances of this kind which 
have fallen under my own observation is very large. The Ogham in- 
scriptions being not only illegible by most persons, but frequently 
escaping observation from their indistinctness, and the stones on which 
they are cut being, from their large size, available for various purposes, 
monuments of this class are peculiarly liable to be lost or destroyed for 
want of intelligence in the persons who happen to meet with them. It 
would be easy to multiply cases like the one which I have noticed, 
where objects of great antiquarian interest have shared the same fate. 
Earthenware urns, articles of flint, iron, and even bronze, are often con- 
temptuously thrown aside by finders, who think that nothing but gold 
or silver is worthy of preservation. Amongst other good effects to be 
anticipated from it, we may expect that the examination of our Museum 
by intelligent visitors, having Dr. Wilde’s Catalogue in their hands, will 
diminish the number of disastrous accidents of this kind, The prepara- 
tion of his Catalogue has entailed what was almost as necessary as the 
Catalogue itself—I mean, a re-arrangement of thearticles in the Museum. 
In the execution of this part of the task committed to him, Dr. Wilde 
has entitled himself to our approval and gratitude. Whilst he has 
grouped together objects of the same class, which illustrate each other 
by their juxtaposition, he has preserved all the evidence he could find 
of the circumstances under which particular collections of objects were 
discovered on the same spot. I hope to be permitted, from this Chair, 
to congratulate the Academy on the completion of the work which Dr. 
Wilde has taken in hand, and to be the medium of conveying your 
thanks to him for the service which he is rendering, not only to the 
Academy, but to Irish archeology. Devoting his time and his skill to 
the production of this Catalogue, he has carried it on in spite of occa- 
sional difficulties, which have retarded, but not discouraged him. In 
the end he will have an ample reward for the labour which he has in- 
curred, and for the sacrifices which he has made. I cannot suppose that 
a work involving so much detail is free from error; and no one would 
be more ready to acknowledge this than the author. But I am per- 
suaded that it has been executed with diligence and in good faith; and 
work done under such inspiration will bear a severe scrutiny. 
There are some additions which I hope to see made to our Museum 
before the office of President passes into other hands. I think that the 
scientific value of our Museum might be largely increased, if we were ena- 
