476 



betan; but which were considerably interesting in a physiological point 

 of view, whatever their age or local origin. They were, in fact, closely 

 approximative to those of the unicorn breed of sheep of Tibet, which had 

 been described by his friend, Mr. Robert Schlagintweit, only that after they 

 had become tolerably united for a while the horns gyrated outward, 

 and were far divergent at the tips. Those of the so-called unicorn breed 

 of Tibet were developed as usual, each from the centre of ossification of 

 the frontal bone, and, of course, not from the median frontal suture. 

 They were, therefore, separate in the lamb, but grew towards each other 

 until each bony horn-core became enveloped in and surrounded with the 

 same corneous or cuticular integument, Kke two fingers of the hand in- 

 serted into one finger of a glove, the transverse section being that of a 

 dicotyledonous seed — in other words, like that of the two lobes of a 

 bean. 



W. Lane Joynt, Esq. (with the permission of the Academy), exhi- 

 bited an ancient Bell, called The Bell of Burren." 



The Secretary, on the part of W. Eassie, Esq., of High Orchard 

 House, Gloucester, presented a large collection of Chinese drawings. 



The thanks of the Academy were voted to the donor. 



MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1864. 



The Yeey Eev. Chaeles Graves, D. D., President, in the Chair. 



James "W. Warren, Esq., was elected a member of the Academy. 



The Eev. Professor Jellett read a paper (in continuation) On the 

 Eefraction of Polarized Light." 



J. E,. Garstin, LL. B., exhibited, and described, an ancient steel- yard, 

 found on the property of the E-ev. G. ^. Tredennick, Co. Donegal. The 

 steel-yard, which is evidently of considerable antiquity, was lately 

 found on the property of the Eev. G. 'N. Tredennick, near Ballyshannon, 

 by a tenant, when clearing away a mound of earth and stones, at a few 

 feet from the surface. The mound appeared to have been a part of what 

 was considered a Danish fort, or rath, of which there are several in the 

 immediate vicinity. When found, the yard or stem was attached to 

 the round bulb or weight ; but was broken ofi" by the person who found 

 it, who imagined it was gold from the weight of it, and colour, resembling 

 gilding. The covering of the lead was cut away by him, to ascertain 

 whether the interior was gold. The stem is graduated on either side, 

 evidently for ascertaining the weight of the article, and, from the ap- 

 pearance and manner in which it was ornamented, must have been a 

 standard weight. A number of bronze celts, or ancient Irish imple- 

 ments, and bronze hatchets, also a sword of bronze, have been found in 

 the immediate" vicinity where the steel-yard was got. 



