34 



coins were found in Ireland, it would not follow that their 

 discovery was any evidence of intercourse between the ancient 

 Etruscans and this country, unless it could be shown clearly 

 that they were found in a situation to warrant such an infe- 

 rence. This Sir William Betham had not attempted to show. 

 Some of the coins he exhibited are supposed to have been 

 found in the bed of a river, 'along with broken tobacco pipes and 

 other articles, of a date much later than the days of Etruscan 

 navigators : others are said to have been bought by a shop- 

 keeper in a provincial town, who is supposed to have procured 

 them from the peasantry, who are supposed to have found 

 them in the fields. 



On such evidence, Dr. Todd contended that it was impos- 

 sible to draw any inference from the discovery of these coins, 

 even if it were certain that they had been really found in the 

 bed of a river, or dug up in bogs and fields in Ireland. Sir 

 William Betham had not given any satisfactory evidence or 

 testimony to prove this fact ; and had occupied the greater 

 part of his paper with proving the coins to be Etruscan, which 

 no person was disposed to deny. 



Professor Allman called the attention of the Academy to 

 the occurrence of Hylurgus Piniperda as destructive to the 

 pine plantations in the county of Tipperary. 



January 10th, 1848. 



REV. HUMPHREY LLOYD, D. D., President, 

 in the Chair. 



Henry Croly, M. D., John Greene, Esq., Alexander H. 

 Haliday, Esq., James Hartley, Esq., William Thomas Lett, 

 Esq., F. T. C. D., George Miller, Esq., and Henry Wilson, 

 ^M. D., were elected Members of the Academy. 



