Numerous presents were reported from the Society of Antiquaries of Normandy and other foreign Academies, the Royal Society, the Society of Antiquaries, the Archæological Institute, his Grace the Duke of Northumberland, Mrs. Kerr, Mr. Mayer, and others.

The Mayor of Reading exhibited two iron pommels of swords found at Silchester. One of these was of a globular shape, had been gilt on the surface, and interspersed with elegant silver ornamentation. It is similar to two described in the Inventorium Sepulchrale, belonging to the Faussett collection, and found in Saxon graves in Kent, but considered to belong to the Renaissance period. The other pommel presented a head with a singular head-dress, and filled with lead.

Mr. Thos. Wright, F.S.A., exhibited several casts from the impressions of the feet of dogs on Roman tiles, made before the tiles were hardened, obtained from Wroxeter. Also a small Roman painter's palette in alabaster, with the name either of the maker or the painter to whom it belonged incised in small characters on the back; and a small iron box of Roman workmanship, with its cover on and hermetically sealed by the progress of decomposition, but through an accidental fracture at one edge, the interior appears to have been filled with some kind of wood.

Mr. Bateman forwarded an account, together with drawings, of several AngloSaxon antiquities procured by him from a spot near Caister, in Lincolnshire. They consist of a bronze pin for the hair, with three small triangular plates or shreds of metal, attached by a ring, for the purpose of making a tinkling sound, like to some specimens in the British Museum, exhumed from Livonian graves by Dr. Bahr, and of which no previous example has been found in England; a pair of girdlehangers of bronze, with traces of gilding; a small bronze buckle; a bronze-beaded ring; a bronze fibula, silvered; a bronze ring fibula, and a fibula of silver-gilt ornamented with niello and settings of garnet. There is also an iron spear with an unusually contracted socket, and an

iron key similar to one figured in Lord Braybrooke's "Saxon Obsequies," pl. 39. There was also a variety of beads, plain rings, &c.

The remainder of the evening was occupied in the reading and discussion of the Rev. Henry Jenkins's paper on Cæsar's Passage of the Thames and his Route afterwards. Some positions and etymologies advanced by the author were warmly contested by Mr. Vere Irving, Mr. W. H. Black, and Mr. Lewin. The whole, in an arranged form, with illustrative maps, will appear in the Journal.

Dec. 7. James Heywood, Esq., F.R.S., F.S.A., V.-P., in the Chair.

A. Murray, Esq., of Glasgow, and Dr. Edw. Bullock, of Chelsea, were elected Associates.

Mr. J. N. Brushfield presented a groundplan of the Circle on Middleton Moor, denominated Arbor Lowe, taken in 1823 by careful surveyors in the district. Mr. Bateman's particular description of the plan, and the examination of the tumulus, are to be found in his "Vestiges of Derbyshire," and in the Journal of the Association.

Mr. Cecil Brent exhibited a large iron key of the fifteenth century, which, together with various Roman and medieval coins, had been recently found in digging a sewer in Mercery-lane, Canterbury, close to Christ Church gate.

Mr. John Brent, F.S.A., sent the sketch of a purse now in the Canterbury Museum, where it is labelled "Oliver Cromwell's Purse." Mr. Cuming stated it to be of the seventeenth century, and regarded it as a dole-bag of an almoner, worn on stated occasions, and suspended by a steel hook from the girdle.

Mr. Thompson exhibited a French purse of the time of Louis XV., in which the form of the earlier porte-monnaie is preserved.

Mr. Sherratt exhibited a fine Roman denarius of the plebeian family of Aelia, or Allia. Obv. Winged helmed head of Rome. Rev. The Dioscuri on horseback. Beneath, P.(ublius) PAETVS. Exergue, ROMA.

Mr. Halliwell gave a few particulars in

Mr. Wentworth forwarded transcripts of deeds in his possession relating to Lord Arundell of Wardour, and orders issued by General Lambert upon the sleighting of Knaresborough Castle in 1648.

Dr. Kendrick and Mr. Syer Cuming exhibited a variety of medals relating to Admiral Vernon and the taking. of PortoBello and Carthagena.

A paper by Mr. Wakeman was read, on

the site of the Priory of Monmouth, some of which presented heraldic bearings and the date of 36th year of Henry VI.

The Rev. Beale Poste forwarded a paper in reference to Mr. Vere Irving's communication on the date of the battle of Kaltraez, upon which Mr. Irving made many remarks, which will be arranged and appear in the Journal.

The Association then adjourned till Wednesday, January 11, 1860.

Dec. 2. The first monthly meeting was held in the apartments of the Society, OCTAVIUS MORGAN, Esq., M.P., V.-P., in the Chair.

In opening the proceedings of another Session, Mr. Morgan took occasion to congratulate his friends again assembled around him, on the gratifying results of the annual meeting at Carlisle, and the promising anticipations of an interesting field of research, selected for the meeting of the coming year, at Gloucester. He regretted that the prolonged Session of Parliament had precluded the possibility of his participating in the welcome with which the Institute had been received in Cumberland; the hope might confidently be expressed that some permanent interest in the investigation and conservation of the neglected antiquities of that locality had been aroused; the proposition of establishing a suitable county museum had been favourably received, and the stores drawn forth from private collections, during the visit of the Institute, had done much to call attention to the local resources available in the event of a proper depository being established. The Lord Lieutenant, the Earl of Lonsdale, had forthwith commenced excavations on some of the remarkable Roman sites on his estates; and had likewise caused an interesting exploration to be carried out at Shap Abbey, by which the plan and architectural arrangements had been brought to light, and the picturesque remains of the conventual buildings would be carefully preserved.

A communication from the Town-clerk of Gloucester was then read, expressing the cordial feeling of the Corporation, and their readiness to afford every encouragement and facility on occasion of the meeting of the Institute in that city during the ensuing summer.

Mr. J. Crosby, jun., of Kirkby Thore, Westmoreland, sent photographs of several Roman sculptures and inscribed stones, very recently found in railway operations at that place, supposed to be the Roman Brovonaca, where numerous antiquities have been found. One of these photographs, supplied by Mr. Pettitt of Grasmere, whose skilful reproductions of scenery, antiquities, &c., in that district are highly to be recommended, represents a spirited figure of a horseman trampling upon a prostrate Briton.

Mr. I. Emmett communicated, at the suggestion of Lord Londesborough, a detailed account of the examination of a tumulus, in April last, on Thorp Moor, two miles from Wetherby, in the West Riding. The ancient vestiges of that description are rare in that part of Yorkshire; and the examination of this barrow, which was of conical form and of large size, presented some interesting facts, although unproductive of urns or relics of remarkable character. Mr. James Yates gave a short account of the discovery of a singu larly formed celt of fine-grained white chert, in the parish of Stockton, Norfolk, sent for exhibition by the Rev. D. Gillett, of Geldeston. It had been found at a considerable depth in brick earth, a fact which

Mr. Yates regarded as deserving of consideration, in connection with recent discoveries of weapons and relics of flint in diluvial drift, and associated with the remains of extinct quadrupeds. Mr. Franks remarked that the celt exhibited, a specimen of remarkable perfection in its manufacture and polished surface, and presenting some peculiarity of form, was wholly unlike the curious stone objects discovered in Picardy, and at Hoxne, in Suffolk, upon which so much had been said and written of late, by M. Boucher de Perthes, Mr. Evans, Mr. Prestwich, &c. Several good examples had been produced in the museum at the Carlisle meeting, by Mr. H. L. Long, and the Rev. Greville Chester, and were described in the catalogue of that collection, published at Carlisle, by Messrs. Thurnam.

Mr. J. Clarke, steward of the Featherstone Castle Estates, in Northumberland, gave an interesting account of an exhumation of a sepulchral cist formed of the massive trunk of an oak, cleft in two portions, and hollowed out to receive the corpse. Several interments of this description had been found at Grensilhaugh, near Featherstone Castle, and on the banks of the South Tyne. The interments, apparently of a very early period, lay SE. and NW., the head being in the former direction. A remarkable example of this mode of burial, as Mr. Greaves observed, had occurred at Gristhorpe, in Yorkshire, and the coffin, with various relics contained in it, was to be seen in the Scarborough

museum.

Dr. Keller, President of the Antiquarian Society of Zurich, sent some drawings of ancient wooden mortars for pounding grain and making a kind of furmety, or thick porridge, in ancient times the principal article of food. He pointed out that in the curious plan of the monastery of St. Gall in Switzerland, in the ninth century, reproduced in the " Archæological Journal," with a memoir by Professor Willis, from the facsimile published by Dr. Keller, at Zurich, two little rooms are shewn near the chambers appropriated to baking and brewing, and in one of these appear molæ, hand-mills, in the other pila, mortars. Of

the latter, two ancient specimens had been found by Dr. Kellar, at Betlis, on the Lake of Wallenstadt; they are of curious construction, and doubtless intended, like the creeing troughs of stone in the north of England, for husking the grain, especially barley and oats, and preparing it for food.

Some recent particulars regarding the excavations at Wroxeter were stated, and a complete survey recently taken, and kindly sent to the Institute by Mr. Hillary Davies, of Shrewsbury, shewed the latest results with greater accuracy than in any previous plan of the ruins. Mr. Morgan remarked that Lord Talbot had addressed to the Duke of Cleveland, the owner of the site, the request on behalf of the Institute, and of archæologists generally, that certain facilities should be conceded by his Grace in furtherance of these highly interesting excavations, and especially to permit the remains which were brought to light to remain uncovered for the gratification of visitors of the Roman city. The Duke had most courteously responded to the requisition, made by Lord Talbot, in common with other influential antiquaries, and had liberally granted to the excavations committee at Shrewsbury the facili ties desired. Mr. Morgan proposed a vote of thanks to the Duke of Cleveland, in acknowledgment of the favour shewn towards an undertaking in which every antiquary must feel a lively interest.

An enquiry was made regarding the singular cavities in Hangman's Wood, near Grays, Essex, known as Daneholes, which led to a discussion concerning the various examples of pits formed for unknown uses in Dorset, Wiltshire, Carmarthenshire, and other parts of England. Sir R. Colt Hoare inclined to regard those existing near Stourton as the sites of primitive dwellings. The excavations near Grays are, however, of a different description, being shafts terminating below in large chambers, cut in the chalk. They are described by Camden, who supposed they were made by the Britons in digging chalk for agricultural purposes, or possibly that they were used as granaries.

Mr. W. I. Bernhard Smith produced an impression from a seal of hone-stone, bear

ing the arms and initials of Mary Queen of Scots, with the date 1565, being that of her marriage with Darnley. He observed that this, and a similar seal of hone-stone which he had shewn on a former occasion, supposed to have been used by Lady Jane Grey during the short period that she had the title of Queen, were obviously fictitious, and of very recent date. Many fictitious seals of jet or hard shale had lately been offered for sale, and Mr. Bernhard Smith was desirous to caution collectors against forgeries in another material, either lithographic slate or hone-stone. Mr. Franks stated that he possessed a seal of the same material and fashion, a recent forgery bearing the name and arms of King John.

Mr. Wardell, Town Clerk of Leeds, presented a set of photographs taken by Messrs. Huggon of that town, representing several curious sculptured panels of oak in Mr. Wardell's possession. They bore heraldic devices, &c., probably allusive to some family in Yorkshire, perhaps of the Talbots. Mr. Waterton exhibited three fine enamelled basins, formerly in the Museum of the Collegio Romano, specimens of twelfth-century work, bearing the arms of Courtenay, Lusignan, Dreux and Burgundy. Mr. Brackstone sent several specimens of Samian ware, with subjects in relief, found in August last at Exeter,

and other antiquities procured in the course of building operations in that city. Several celts, arrow-heads of flint, &c., found in Northumberland, were contributed by the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle. Mr. Ready, of Lowestoft, exhibited a collection of seals recently obtained by him in Wales, especially several corporation seals, and a remarkably perfect impression of the seals of Aymer de Valence, a specimen of unusually fine design. Mr. Boore exhibited a superb sabre, described as having belonged to Tipù Sahib, with a handle of jade inlaid with rubies, and a damascened blade bearing inscriptions in gold; also, a vase of Chinese enamel on metal, date about 1500; a fine vase of porcelain, turquoise colour, bearing the date of the dynasty 1468-78, and a beautiful figure of majolica. Mr. Phillips sent for examination several specimens of medieval jewelery, rings, &c., and a seal obtained in Italy, apparently a casting from the seal of James II. for the Duchy of Lancaster. A facsimile of a singular inscription on the porch of Rickling Church, Essex, was brought before the meeting; it is cut in hard chalk, but has suffered much by decay, so that it had not been satisfactorily decyphered. It appears to give a name which may have been that of the founder, or of the architect of the fabric.

Nov. 24. W. S. W. VAUX, Esq., President, in the Chair.

Mr. Mayer exhibited, through Mr. Roach Smith, an ancient British coin of gold, with the legend CORI, or, possibly, VOCORI, supposed to have been found in the neighbourhood of Worcester, where it was purchased. The type is already known.

The President read a paper, by Mr. Birch, on a remarkable coin of Seuthes I., lately acquired by the British Museum. It is a didrachma of the Athenian standard, weighing 132 grains, and presents on the obverse a horseman in a chlamys, galloping to the right, and apparently hurling a javelin. On the reverse is the inscription ZETOA KOMMA in two

lines across the field. It was found near the site of the ancient Siris, in the territory of the Edoni. The inscription is in the Doric dialect, and the word KOMMA is to be found in several Greek writers applied to a piece of coined money, but is of excessively rare occurrence upon coins themselves, if indeed this be not the only instance of its thus appearing.

Mr. Birch gave reasons for attributing this coin to Seuthes I., King of Thrace about B.C. 420, rather than to any of the other princes of the same name.

Mr. Lockhart exhibited some specimens of Chinese bank notes, one of which he presented to the Society; and Mr. Williams made some remarks upon this form of currency in China, where it appears to