1880.] 5t>0 [Brinton. 



versities of our country now offer courses of special and 

 advanced studies, in most respects equal and in some su- 

 perior to those found in the oldest and the best universi- 

 ties of Europe ; and it is not invidious to say that the post- 

 graduate courses of study offered by our youngest sister of 

 Baltimore lead all the rest. 



But, Mr. President, I must not trespass further upon the 

 time allotted to these speeches. Already I fear that some of 

 the gentlemen at these tables have called to mind, and with 

 grave forebodings, that the original meaning of Philology, 

 was " love of talking ;" and it is, perhaps, something more 

 than a coincidence that Seneca in the sentence immediately 

 following the quotation given upon the programme to-night, 

 quotes the well known phrase of Virgil, fug It irreparabile 

 tempus. These ominous words contain a hint of special sig- 

 nificance to after-dinner speakers ; and so I bring these 

 remarks at once to a close. 



6. The Society's name, 



Dr. Daniel G. Brinton, Philadelphia. 



"A thing which Adam had been posed to name." — Pope. 



Dr. Brinton, in response, said : 



Mr. President and Gentlemen : 



In rising to respond to the toast which has been proposed, I 

 feel I need not insist before such an assemblage as this on 

 the paramount importance of names. Whatever philosophy 

 people many theoretically advocate, they are essentially 

 ridminalists in daily life. They attach more value to the 

 name than the thing. The writer of fiction thinks his work 

 half done when he has discovered a taking title, a catchy 



