472 



MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 1864. 



The Yeey Rev. Charles Geaves, D. D., President, in the Chair. 



The Eev. J. H. Jellett read a paper On the Eefraction of Polarized 

 Light." 



The Secretary of the Academy read the following eommunication 

 from P. J. PooT, Esq., on a Quern Stone found in the neighbourhood of 

 Eallinasloe, and presented by him to the Academy : — 



This Quern Stone now presented was found, about one hundred years 

 ago, in a fort in the townland of Gorteencahill (parish of Clonmac- 

 nowen, Ordnance Sheet, Galway, V)» about three miles south of Eal- 

 linasloe, and near the road leading from that town to Eyrecourt. 



As well as I can ascertain, it was found lying on the surface, and 

 was discovered in clearing away the low brushwood which encumbered 

 the surface of a fort. This I think is probable, as it is well known the 

 peasantry seldom dig the soil in a fort. It was not perfect when found, 

 and since then it has undergone a good deal of ill usage. Two small 

 crosses may be seen on the outer rim. Probably there was another on 

 the part of the stone which has been broken off. 



I recollect a few years ago seeing a quern stone near Liscannor, in 

 the county of Clare, with three plain crosses on it, the surface of the 

 stone having been cut awaj^, so as to leave them in alfo relievo. The place 

 of the fourth cross was occupied by the hole for the turning handle. It 

 was flat, and not convex, like the present one ; indeed, I think, the great 

 convexity of its upper side and corresponding concavity of the under 

 side are perhaps the most striking features of this stone. It has evi- 

 dently been much used, as may be seen by the worn and smooth ap- 

 pearance of the concave or grinding side, when compared with the 

 rough surface of the convex. 



The stone now before you is a piece of a highly micaceous schistose 

 rock ; and Mr. J. Eeete Jukes, to whom I showed it, considers it identical 

 with the metamorphic rock of Galway. In all probability, it was made 

 from an erratic block of that rock. Boulders of the well-known porphy- 

 ritic granite of Galway are abundant in the drift, S. and S.W. of Eal- 

 linasloe. The Quern, from its having been found in a fort, is supposed, 

 as usual, by the peasantry, to be of Danish origin. 



Edwaed Eltth, p. Z. S., read the following paper : — 



On" the Animal Inhabitants of Ancient Ieeland. 



Aetee some preliminary and introductory observations, he proceeded to 

 state that he had had the opportunity, only a few hours previous to this 

 congress of learned and scientific gentlemen, of examining a number 

 of skulls and other animal remains, of various degrees of antiquity, that 

 had been recovered from the superficial deposits of Ireland. "When time 



