440 



brass, which, from its great resemblance to gold in colour, 

 they denominated orichalch, or orichalcum. Some say this 

 alloy, which had copper for its basis, was made by throwing 

 cadmium or calamine on the copper which absorbed it. Others 

 suppose there was an original natural ore of orichalcum. Be 

 this as it may, it is certain that the Greeks, too, were ac- 

 quainted with a metallic substance called orichalcum, even 

 before Rome was founded. When Julius Caesar plundered 

 the capitol of a large quantity of gold, he replaced it with 

 orichalcum, to deceive the people ; and Vitellius resorted to 

 a similar expedient when he despoiled the temples of their 

 ornaments. 



" In whatever manner the golden hue was originally given 

 to the Dowris alloy, there is little doubt but that the colour 

 on the exterior of the bronzes has been mellowed by their 

 having long lain buried in the ground. Time and the effect 

 of the soil have produced a varnish defying modern imitation." 



January 14th, 1850. 



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

 in the Chair. 



Charles George Fairfield, Esq. ; Chichester Samuel 

 Fortescue, Esq., M. P.; Charles Fox, Esq. ; Alexander Gordon 

 Melville, M. D. ; Christopher Moore, Esq. ; and Wellington 

 A. Purdon, Esq. ; were elected Members of the Academy. 



The Secretary, for James Westby, Esq., of High Park, 

 exhibited an ancient model in wood, of a sword, found at Bally- 

 killmurry, county Wicklow, and communicated the following 

 notice of its discovery, drawn up by that gentleman. 



