106 



though not found elsewhere in the British Isles : they seem to form the 

 solitary outlying posts of the geographical distribution of the plants 

 belonging to those Floras. 



In Cork, the pretty Orchid, Neottia gemmipara (Smith) grows, 

 which at one time was considered to be confined to Ireland, but 

 has since been found to be a JNorth American species. Again, in the 

 county of Gal way, the pretty aquatic plant, Naias flexilis, another plant 

 of the North American Flora, occurs. In Kerry several of the Saxifragm 

 of the Pyrenees appear, and several of the Pyrenean Ericaceous plants 

 extend from Kerry, through Galway, to Mayo ; but stop there, and are 

 not found further to the east, south, or north of this island. 



Sir W. E. Hamilton", LL. D., read a paper zi On some recent Geo- 

 metrical Eesults of the Quaternion Calculus," including some which he 

 had mentioned within the last year and a half to the Academy, but of 

 which he had not yet supplied sufficient abstracts to the " Proceedings." 



The following donations were received : — 



" The History of Dundalk and its Environs," by John D'Alton, and 

 O'Flanagan, Esqrs., presented by the authors. 



" The Martyrology of Donegal," presented by the Council of the 

 Irish ArchaBological and Celtic Society. 



From J. J. Lalor, Esq., an early noble of Edward IV. 



Sir "W. E. Wilde presented the following antiquities : — 



On the part of Dr. Gray, of Drogheda, a specimen of ancient armour ; 

 a small gold fibula ; and the remains of a harp which had been found in 

 connexion with them. 



On the part of Edmond 0' Flaherty, Esq., the cuticular portion of 

 the horn of a short-horned ox, which had been found several feet deep in 

 a bog at Oughterard. 



On the part of the Eev. P. Langan, a yellow flint arrow-head, found 

 near The Naul, in the county of Meath. 



Captain Meadows Taylob read the following 



Catalogue oe Indian Musical Instruments, presented by Colonel 



P. T. Fbencbc. 



Having been called upon to describe the valuable Collection of Musical 

 Instruments of India, presented by Colonel P. T. French to the Aca- 

 demy, I will now proceed to do so, in the order in which they have been 

 numbered. I have to regret that I have not been able to tune any of them : 

 had this been possible, their uses and effects would have been muc 1 " 

 more readily understood than they can be by mere description ; but th 

 greater number of these instruments require steel wire strings of a qua- 

 lity made especially for them by wire-drawers in India, which is not 



