The Museum. 



247 



and poachers, and wire noose used by poachers for catching deer. Medal 

 found in Trinity church-yard, Shaftesbury. A large and interesting collection 

 of stuffed birds and animals. Case of English butterflies. Case of shells 

 mats, flax, &c, from New Zealand. Water colour drawings of scenery, &c, 

 in ditto. Set of Chinese chessmen. Chinese Pagoda carved from the soap stone, 

 cups, &e. Encaustic tiles from the site of Shaftesbury Abbey. Two silver 

 apostle spoons — date 1628 and 1642. Green quartz ornament from New 

 Zealand. Specimens of fossil wood, ammonites, echini, &c, illustrating the 

 strata of the neighbourhood of Shaftesbury. Oil paintings, &c. 



By J. F. Rutter, Esq., Mere ;— 



Bronze celt. Large collection of gold, silver, and copper coins. Fragments 

 of urn in which 400 Roman coins were discovered at Mere in 1856, together 

 with several of the coins. Circular seal found near Castle Hill, Mere, bearing 

 Ermine a fess fretty, and the legend " Sigillum Johis d? Orchard." 



By Robert Swtre, Esq,., Shaftesbury ; — 



The original byzant (of gilded wood in the form of a palm tree about three 

 feet in height) which was formerly carried in procession to Enmore Green 

 near Motcombe, on the Monday before Holy Thursday in each year, and pre- 

 sented by the Mayor of Shaftesbury to the stewards of the manor, together 

 with a pair of gloves, a calf's head, a gallon of ale, and two loaves of wheaten 

 bread, as an acknowledgement for the water which formerly supplied the town 

 of Shaftesbury, and was brought on horses' backs from the well on Enmore 

 Green. This ceremony being concluded, the byzant, usually hung with jewels 

 and costly ornaments, was returned to the Mayor, and carried back into the 

 town in procession. The first written authority for this custom occurs in the 

 Court Rolls of Gillingham Manor, dated 1527, to the effect that it hath been 

 the custom in the tithing of Motcomb, Dorset, time out of remembrance, on 

 the Sunday after Holy-Cross Day, in May, for the villagers to assemble at 

 Enmore Green, at one o'clock, and with the minstrels, and " mirth of game," 

 to dance till two o'clock. " The Mayor of Shaston shall see the Queen's 

 Bailiff have a penny loaf, a gallon of ale, and a calf 's head, with a a pair of 

 gloves, to see the order of the dance that day. And if the dance fail that day 

 and the Queen's Bailiff have not his duty {i.e., the calf's head, &c.,) then the 

 Bailiff and his men shall stop the water from the wells of Shaston from time 

 to time." 



By Mrs. Chitty, Cann : — 



Two pairs of byzant gloves, the last presented by the Mayor of Shaftesbury 

 to the Lord of the Manor of Motcombe in accordance with the custom above 

 described. Chinese pictures, purse, fan, &c. 



By the Rev. J. Penny, Blandford:— 



Fossils from the upper green sand, including sigillaria, section of nautilus 

 (polished), and septaria. 



By J. E. Brine, Esq, Shaftesbury: — 



Fossil mushroom coral from Gillingham. Specimen of agate from Mere. 

 A collection of ferns including many curious varieties of Scolopendrium from 

 the neighbourhood of Shaftesbury. Cases of moths and beetles. Nearly 100 

 silver coins of various periods. Also a collection of antique china. 



By J. R. Lyon, Esq., Marnhull : — 



Sculptured stone (apparently a piece of groining) representing St. George 



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