174 



this. The Bee-eater, Merops Apiaster, is a much rarer visitant ; it has 

 only been once before recorded in scientific journals as having been seen 

 in Scotland, but it has been met with near Dimdee, Montrose, Perth, and 

 elsewhere. It is found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Swainson has seen 

 flocks of twenty and thirty skimming like swallows over the vineyards 

 and oliveyards in Italy. Those killed in this country have been all 

 single birds, with the exception of a flock of twenty occuring in Norfolk, 

 in 1794, quoted by Sowerby, in his British Miscellany, and there figured 

 by him, plate 69. The specimen from which Mr. Ferguson's drawing 

 was made, was shot at Kenmudy, in Aberdeenshire, on the 4th June 

 last. They were a pair, male and female, but, though hotly pursued, the 

 latter managed to escape. The stomach of the specimen captured was 

 full of bees. Both are mentioned in Yarrell. The author could not 

 help feeling sorry that the individual Bee-eater was killed, since, being 

 a pair, there might have been a chance of their breeding, as there is 

 plenty of cover. 



The Rev. Aethur Ramsay, M.A., read a paper 



ON THE PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF COMPARATIVE 

 PHILOLOGY. 



The subject on which I am about to treat is, I am well aware, one far 

 too extended to admit of being satisfactorily discussed within the limits 

 of a short essay like the present. It spreads itself out in such manifold 

 ramifications on every side, each branch taking root, and forming itself 

 into a new stem, that what I can advance at present will be little more 

 than suggestive. 



I believe, however, that we do not as yet, in spite of all that has been 

 said and written on the subject, properly realize the treasures of living 

 truth that frequently lie encased within the shell of the outward word, 

 or the extended plain of thought which the study of Comparative 

 Philology may open to our view. To the metaphysician, the natural 

 philosopher, the antiquaiian — in fact, to all who think, a knowledge of 

 the origin and primary meaning of the terms they use, cannot fail to 

 suggest rich stores of thought, illustrating and enlightening the truths 

 of their several sciences. 



First, to take the case of the moral and metaphysical philosopher, it 

 is easy to show how the very first words of his terminology often 

 contain, in their origin and essence, a depth of meaning well calculated 

 to throw light on his researches, and give distinctness to his views. 

 A meditative man is, as Mr. Hare remarks, constantly astonished, 

 when, on digging down to the idea which lies at the root of some 



