EXHIBITION OF BOAK'S HEAD FBOJI INDIA. 279 



found it to be that of the Portugal laurel. In the absence of any- 

 other explicable cause of the death of the Pheasant, he thought the 

 case -worthy of record, as under similar circumstances legal proceedings 

 had ere now arisen. 



The Chairman stated, that he had frequently seen Pheasants where 

 Portugal laurels had been planted for the purpose of shelter, and he had 

 not before heard of such an instance ; and he was disposed to think that 

 the presence of a laurel-berry in the crop of a Pheasant would be hardly 

 sufficient cause for its death. 



Captain Hutton — who had often known Pheasants to live with 

 impunity amongst laurels — and Dr. Bennett concurred in this yiew. 



The Kev. S. Haughton, M.D., President, exhibited a Boar's Head 

 from India, which he owed to Colonel Montgomery's kindness. This 

 specimen was remarkable from the animal having suffered a wound 

 from a bullet in the head in early life, but which had become diverted 

 without entering the brain, leaving a deep external permanent impres- 

 sion. The animal, which had been speared to death in the chase, had 

 at the time received also another bullet wound in the head, which, 

 however, was not the immediate cause of death. In " The Field" news- 

 paper of the 21st of May, 1864, a notice of this skull is to be found 

 from Mr. T. Buckland. He says : — " This skull exhibits a most won- 

 derful instance of tenacity in life of the animal. The back part, where 

 there is a high ridge, has been battered out of all shape, and has again 

 grown healthy and strong. In another part of the skull there was a 

 circular hole, larger than a crown piece ; the bone from this had been 

 driven in from the skull, and still hangs at one side by a hinge. Yet 

 this pig, when at last killed, was found to be healthy and in good con- 

 dition. The natives of India place the highest value on the fat." Dr. 

 Haughton exhibited, for comparison's sake, along with the foregoing, a 

 skull uninjured and perfect, which had been lent him for exhibition by 

 Mr. B. J. Montgomery. 



.Mr. John J. Lalor exhibited the tusks of an ancient Irish Boar, 

 supposed to have existed more than two hundred and sixty years past. 

 They are remarkable for the distinction with which the growth-periods 

 are developed. Mr. Lalor suggested the lunar month as the probable 

 time required in the formation of each ring ; and as there were one 

 hundred and thirty-eight rings discernible on the more perfect tugk, 

 this would fix the age at ten years and eight months, which is not 

 much beyond the age of the animal under favourable conditions in the 

 domestic state. Mr. Lalor called the attention of the Society to the 

 peculiar construction of one of the tusks exhibited by the President, 

 of which, though broken in three, the fractures were such, that when 

 united and held even at the extreme end, it still required great force to 

 separate them; thus showing the wonderful provision nature had 

 made for the purpose of attack or defence by the animal in the wild 

 state. 



