191 



I have thus glanced lightly over some of the wonders of language. 

 Several of the subjects here necessarily treated of in a cursory manner, 

 might easily be expanded so as to form an interesting volume. But I 

 trust that I have said enough to show that words are not mere lifeless 

 forms, — that they have a meaning and a history, which meaning and 

 history they are willing and able to impart to us ; that they correspond 

 to and sympathize ^vith the minds that create them ; that very 

 frequently a part and parcel of the national mind and feeling is inter- 

 woven, by a multitude of almost imperceptible fibres, with our com- 

 monest words ; and as humanity is radically the same all over the world, 

 we continually find the same primary idea underlying the root of 

 similar terms, throughout whole families of languages, totally distinct 

 from each other. Thus, words are not only seeds of thought, but them- 

 selves teachers — owing to that suggestiveness, (so to speak,) by which 

 the one ground-thought in a word may, every time we use it, call up 

 into fresh life other thoughts and feelings. 



NINTH MEETING, 



Royal Institution. — February 21, 1853. 



JOSEPH DICKINSON, M.D., F.L.S., &c.. President, in the chair. 



Mr. Alfred Higginson exhibited a drawing of the appearance of a 

 parhelidl^or mock sun, as observed by him in this town during the 

 afternoon of Tuesday week. This phenomenon, which is common in 

 the polar regions, is of very rare occurrence in this country. Dr. 

 In MAN had observed this phenomenon, and it had also been noticed in 

 various parts of the country. 



Mr. F. P. Marrat exhibited the skins of several Boa constrictors, 

 found on board a vessel from Para, lately discliarging cargo in the 

 Albert Dock. Mr. Marrat remarked that these skins had belonged to 

 a litter of upwards of twenty young ones, born during the voyage to 

 England, and which had escaped into the hold of the vessel. On 



