1870.] Archaeology. 245 



At the Archaeological Institute, Mr. Soden Smith recently (Dec. 3) 

 gave an account of a Circle of Stones in Crosby, Eavens worth parish, 

 Westmoreland. This was remarkable as being composed of three 

 concentric circles, and having also an avenue of stones 112 yards in 

 length leading to it, and two smaller groups of stones lying close 

 to it. 



The Eev. Greville Chester described the shell-implements and 

 other antiquities of Barbadoes. These shell-implements occur in 

 old raised benches, and are often very abundant ; they are formed 

 from the columella of Strombus gigas. 



Ethnological Society. 



President, Professor T. H. Huxley, LL.D., F.E.S. Lieut. 

 Oliver, E.A., has laid before this Society (Dec. 7) an excellent 

 Eeport on the Pre-historic Monuments of the Channel Islands, of 

 which he has communicated the most interesting features in the first 

 article in our present number. An ancient Calvaria, assigned to 

 Confucius, was exhibited and described by Professor Busk. This 

 calvaria was formerly set in gold and mounted on a tripod, and in- 

 tended for a drinking vessel. It was taken from the Emperor of 

 China's Summer Palace at Peking. Four figures have been dis- 

 covered upon the skull in faint relief. The president (Professor 

 Huxley) mentioned that the Australians still use calvarise orna- 

 mented in a like manner. Major Millingen communicated an 

 account of the " Koords and Armenians," and identified the modern 

 Koords with the ancient Karduks mentioned by Xenophon. The 

 language spoken in Koordistan is distinct from either Turkish or 

 Persian, and is divided into numerous dialects. The Koords are 

 described by the author as a wild and faithless people, rejoicing in 

 plunder and slaughter, the females engaging in brigandage. As a 

 race they are remarkably handsome, and exhibit a great variety of 

 complexion, a dark skin with black hair and black eyes being most 

 common ; light hair and blue eyes however are also met with. 



On January 11, Colonel Lane Fox gave an account of the 

 "mere," or " pattoo-pattoo " of New Zealand, showing that it is used 

 as a weapon for thrusting, not as a club ; the author believes it to 

 be a modified stone celt, as a series of transitional forms may be 

 traced connecting the two implements. Colonel Lane Fox's opinion 

 is confirmed by a letter from the Eev. J. W. Stack, of Kaiopoi, 

 to Dr. Hooker, C.B., explaining that the "mere" is always used 

 for thrusting, not for striking. 



Dr. Haast, F.E.S., sends details of the discovery in New Zealand 

 of a polished stone chisel and a sharpening stone, found by a party 

 of miners, in an auriferous "lead." Advancing inland, from the 



VOL. VII. s 



