IV 



By a comparison of ancient crania, and by the study of linguistic aflRni- 

 ties, the author refutes the opinion that the Iberians came from Libya, or 

 Northern Africa, as the Guanches of the Canary Islands most probably did, 

 since the ancient crania of this people exhibit something of the prognathous 

 type of skull. 



The author sums up his researches in five distinct propositions (which 

 may be translated) thus : 



1. The Ligurians of the present day are the direct descendants of those 

 Ligurians of antiquity who inhabited, not only Italy, but a part of France 

 and of Spain, in the ante-historical epoch. 



2. They were kindred in stock with those other peoples that inhabited 

 Europe before the arrival of the Aryan families, and were a race distinct 

 from them by the brachycephalic character of the skull, and by those other 

 natural characteristics which are peculiar to the Turanian race. 



3. The Aryan colonies which penetrated into Italy have in part replaced 

 the more ancient inhabitants, and have been superimposed upon the indi- 

 genous race whose type disappeared and was absorbed by the Aryan, which 

 became the general type of the Peninsula. 



4. And in Piedmont and Liguria the old race remained predominant, 

 because the ancient type was either not pushed aside or was only slightly 

 modified, for there is still observable, at this day, in the majority of the in- 

 habitants of those provinces, the brachycephalic form of the skull which is 

 preserved unchanged from Avhat it was in the more remote age. 



5. Nevertheless, the natives of Piedmont and Liguria, commingled with 

 the rest of the inhabitants of the Peninsula, and bound together with them 

 by community of language, religion and customs, have for a long time 

 formed but one single nation, as the whole territory between the Alps and 

 the sea has for a long time formed, and still forms, but one sole and indivi- 

 sible country. 



July 6, 1868. 



Dr. Wislizenus, Vice-President, in the chair. 



Five members present. 



Dr. Wislizenus reported an abstract from his meteorological 

 journal for the last month, showing an average temperature about 

 the same as for the last 30 years in the same month. There was 

 a wide range of the thermometer, the lowest being 50°, and the 

 highest 99°. The amount of rain was 1.58 inches. The usual 

 average is 5.56 inches. During the month of May, rain was nearly 

 twice the usual average. At points 20 miles distant the electrical 

 state of the atmosphere had been much disturbed. The rain-storms 

 prevailed over small areas only, while sections in close proximity 



