158 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 



differs in no essential degree which I can perceive from Dr Neill's plant, 

 and is not the Fritillai-ia verticillata of Ledebour, which is Fritillaria leu- 

 cantha of Bot. Mag. 3083, which I have from Dr Fischer under the 

 names of Imperialis leticantha and Corona leucantha. 



Proceedinjys of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 



1836, February 1. — Sir Thomas M. Brisbane, President, 

 in the Chair. The following Communications were read : 



1. On the Mathematical Form of the Gothic Pendant. By 

 Professor Forbes. Published in the Annals of Philosophy. 



S. On the occurrence of the Megaliciithys Hibberti in a bed 

 of Cannel Coal in the west of Fifeshire ; with Observa- 

 tions on the supposed Lacustrine Limestone of Burdie- 

 house. By Leonard Horner, Esq. F.R.SS. L. h E., and 

 F. G. S. PubHshed in the last Number of this Journal. 



February 15 — Dr Hope, V. P. in the Chair. 



The Keith Prize delivered to Professor Forbes, on which oc- 

 casion, an address was delivered by Dr Hope, which appeared 

 in last number of this Journal. 



March 7. — Sir T. Makdougall Brisbane, President, in 

 the Chair. The following Papers were read ; 



1. On the Non-Hellenic portion of the Latin Language. By 

 the Venerable Archdeacon Williams. 



The line of argument went to shew, that the Umbri were 

 one of the most ancient nations of Italy. That they, through 

 their colonies, entered deeply into the composition of the primi- 

 tive population of Rome. That, according to ancient authorities, 

 these Umbri were the descendants of the " Veteres Galli." That 

 these Veteres Galli were of the same race and blood as the present 

 Cumbri of Wales, Cornwall, and Brittany. That hence it is pro- 

 bable, that the ancient language still preserved among these may 

 have entered early into the composition of the language of the Ro- 

 mans. That the names of rivers, mountains, cities, lakes, districts, 

 &c. in central Italy, and in all the countries over which the Sabel- 

 lian tribes, and their cognate race the Veneti, diffused themselves, 

 is likely to convert this probability into certainty. That the ques- 

 tion concerning the ancient population of Italy has never yet been 



