73 



the ammonites, belemnites, and other fossil forms, together 

 with the recent cuttle-fishes of our surrounding seas. At 

 former Conversazioni the members had extensive displays of 

 the flint instruments for which County Antrim in particular is 

 so celebrated. It was not considered necessary to have any 

 of these on exhibition this evening, but there was in the large 

 room an almost equally interesting set of fabrications of these 

 implements from the hands of the notorious " Flint Jack," of 

 Yorkshire. Amongst them were some arrow heads, identical 

 both in shape and chipping with those found in this country, 

 and as an evidence of Jack's power of manipulation there were 

 some formed of obsidian or volcanic glass, and one actually 

 made from the bottom of a glass bottle. Whils this ingenious 

 Yorkshireman has succeeded in duping many with these fic- 

 titious implements, he has succeeded in proving himself to be 

 in possession of an art supposed to have been lost — namely, 

 that of flint chipping. These articles were kindly forwarded 

 by Mr. A. Wood, of Richmond, who on an adjoining table had 

 a set of crinoids from the Mountain Limestone of Yorkshire. 

 In Mr. Gray's collection of ammonites there was one which 

 had been "improved" by " Flint Jack," who, in order to comply 

 with the legend that they are petrified snakes, had skilfully 

 carved the end of the fossil into the form of a snake's head. 

 Mr. Wright, F.G.S., exhibited a collection of Foraminifera 

 and other microscopic forms from the Lias of Ballintoy and 

 the Estuarine Clay of Larne and Belfast Loughs. In addition 

 to these, a great variety of microscopic objects were exhibited 

 by the members, who were kept busy during the evening ex- 

 plaining the specimens to the visitors. Those shown by 

 polarised light excited great interest. Mr. M. Fitzpatrick, 

 who in the past session read a paper on " Newtownbreda 

 and its Neighbourhood," showed sketches of Belvoir Park, 

 Newtownbreda Church, &c; Professor Everett, D.C.L., some 

 thermometers of a new form, which have been used in the late 

 deep-sea dredging expeditions, and which are now being ap- 



J 



