44 Royal Iri^/t Academy. 



IMojTDAY EvExixG, Mat 27, 1878.. 

 Snt, EoBEET Kane, LL. D., F. R. S., in tlie Chair. 



Eev. John O'Eeilly, Dr. O'Hanlon, llr. J. Kane, and Mr. C. C. 

 Eurton signed the EoU, and were admitted Members. 



A. S. Hart, LL. D., Vice-Provost, T. C. D., read a Paper " On the 

 Intersections of Plane Curves of the Third Order." 



[This Paper is published as part 13, vol. xxvi. of the Transac- 

 tions. '\ 



The President delivered the following Address on the occasion of 

 the delivery of the Cunningham Medals to Dr. Aquila Smith, Pro- 

 fessor Casey, Professor Dowden, and Professor AUman : — 



" GEIJILEMElSr, 



"Among the duties which devolve upon your President, there is 

 none more honourable, and certainly none more agreeable, than that 

 of acting as the organ of the Council and of the Academy in confer- 

 ring the Cunningham Gold Medals upon those distinguished men 

 who may from time to time be selected on account of their eminent 

 literary, scientific, or archaeological merits to receive that highest 

 honorary reward by which, in this country, intellectual distinction is 

 recognised. It is now a period of six years since, under the Presi- 

 dency of my excellent predecessor, Eev. Dr. Jellett, the Council and 

 the Academy conferred upon Sir William "Wilde, whose loss we all so 

 much regret, the Cunningham Medal, in recognition of his great 

 merits in preparing The Illustrated Catalogue of our Museum — a work 

 which rendered the treasures of that unequalled collection known and 

 appreciated by all students of Archaeology and Art, and has redounded, 

 as we have frequent example, to the great credit and usefulness of 

 the Academy. Since that time the labours of the Academy, and 

 the original researches of our Members, have been prosecuted with 

 so much success, and in such varied fields, as has worthily sus- 

 tained the character of this Institution among the learned bodies of 

 Europe, and has afforded to the Council an area of selection for that 

 honour which rendered their decision, among so many, very difficult. 

 The Council, having regard to the constitution of the Academy, 

 including the great divisions of Literature, Science, and Antiquities, 

 and again, in the field of Science, to the departments of Mathematical 

 and Physical and of Biological Science, decided, after mature con- 



