301 



pattens of the same size, also made of copper, in use in the 

 south of France. One of the plates in the Museum forms a 

 cover for another, and is pierced with an opening, which is over 

 a hollowed part of the under plate. The arrangements and 

 proportions of the parts are such as to lead us to suspect that 

 these plates, when placed together, may have formed a sort of 

 poor-box, the alms having been dropped through the opening 

 into the cupped part of the lower plate. It may be also 

 observed that, on the most perfectly finished portion of one 

 of these plates, there is the evident wear or impression of the 

 thumb of a person who had, for a considerable time, handled 

 it in the way a mendicant would, who might present it for alms. 

 The back of this plate, and one of the others, has marks of fire 

 on it. Mr. Clibborn also stated that a visitor to the Academy 

 lately recognized these plates, as being very similar to two 

 others, also composed of copper, which had been recently 

 found in Armagh, and which he hoped would be soon depo- 

 sited in the Museum, as they had been freely offered to our 

 collection. Some light may thus be thrown on the use of 

 these curious articles, which have hitherto been called shields ; 

 there being no evidence as to their original use, nor until 

 lately was there any suspicion entertained of their belonging 

 to the Christian period. From the perfection of the work- 

 manship, and from some analogies in it and in the designs, it 

 was also inferred that the large trumpets in the Museum 

 might have been fabricated by artists of the same school as 

 those who constructed the pattens. 



The Secretary of Council read a translation of a letter from 

 Professor En eke to M. Schumacher relative to Le Verrier's 

 Planet. He also laid before the Academy the following note 

 of observations made by E.J. Cooper, Esq., of Markree Castle, 

 with his transit circle : 



