100 



scholar, who had inscribed upon them his exercises in gram- 

 mar and dialectics: and from the words "hoc c|iiuium," which 

 occur on one of the pages, it would seem that the owner was 

 engaged in learning or teaching the trivium, i. e. the first 

 three of the seven liberal arts, in which the first Degree is still 

 taken in our Universities. 



The characters inscribed on these tables, as far as Dr. 

 Todd was able to determine, were of the fifteenth century, 

 if not earlier. He shewed that the use of waxed tablets con- 

 tinued to the seventeenth century, and that there was no 

 foundation for the opinion maintained by a learned French 

 Dominican, Pere Alexandre, that the use of tablets of this 

 kind ceased in the fifth century. 



Dr. Todd concluded by proposing that the special thanks 

 of the Academy be presented to Mr. Knox for this valuable 

 donation to the Museum ; and recommended that it be referred 

 to the Council to have drawings of the tablets immediately 

 made, lest they should receive injury from the ordinary heat of 

 the room, or otherwise. 



Professor AUman made some observations on the wood 

 composing the tablets, which he submitted to microscopical 

 examination. 



The Rev. Humphrey Lloyd read the following paper by 

 the Rev. Thomas Knox, on the quantity of Rain which fell 

 with diflferent winds, at Toomavara, during five years since 



1827. 



I beg leave to lay before the Royal Irish Academy the 

 following results of the rain-gauge kept at River Glebe, Too- 

 mavara, for five consecutive years. 



The amount of rain is given separately for the eight prin- 

 cipal points of the wind ; and the curves in the accompanying 

 plates are formed (as mentioned in a former communication) 

 by taking on each of the eight points, distances from the 



