TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 131 



tion there were three means — history, ethnography, and philology. The Greek and 

 Gothic historical monuments relating to the tirst appearance of the Hungarians in 

 the West were insufficient, and did not help to decide the question, hut ethnology 

 did render more assistance. The author then referred to some striking likenesses 

 between the customs of Hungary and Tartary. Their greatest evidence they got 

 from philology. In support of his view, the author quoted the analogy of gram- 

 matical forms between the Hungarian and Turco-Tartar languages, and then pro- 

 ceeded to make comparison in the lexicographical character of the languages. He 

 thought both so strictly connected, that it was quite impossible to make the ety- 

 mology of one without the other. There were many words of the earliest period of 

 social state quite analogous, such as in the words tent, ox, hatchet, butter, cheese. 

 The Hungarians were also connected with the ancient Persian civilization of Cen- 

 tral Asia, which was proved by the many Persian words in her language. The an- 

 cient religion and earliest social conditions of the Hungarians wqre borrowed from 

 the Parsee. There were also, he urged, elements of Turco-Tartar origin in the 

 Persian. 



On the City Life of Bokhara. By Dr. A. Yambery. 



On the true Assignation of the Bronze Weapons, fyc, supposed to indicate a 

 Bronze Age in Western and Northern Europe. By Thomas Weight, X.S.A. 



This paper was a criticism of the* archaeological views of geologists, especially 

 those of Sir John Lubbock as propounded in his recent work on Prehistoric Archae- 

 ology. The author gave his grounds of dissent from the division of early times 

 into the three ages of stone, bronze, and iron, originated by Scandinavian authors. 

 With regard to bronze, the corner-stone of this system of periods, the statement 

 that " bronze weapons are never found associated with coins, pottery, or other relics 

 of Roman origin," was believed by the author to be founded on an imperfect ac- 

 quaintance with the archaeological conditions of the problem to be solved. Bronze 

 swords have been found with Roman remains, and the most ornamental Scandi- 

 navian bronze is simply a debased imitation of Roman Art. 



ECONOMIC SCIENCE AND STATISTICS. 



Address by The Right Hon. Lord Stanley, M.P., F.B.8., the President of the 



Section. 



Ladies and Gentlemen, — In opening this Section, I need not trouble you with 

 more than a few introductory remarks. It has been questioned how far such sub- 

 jects ought to form part of the business of a strictly scientific association ; and I do 

 not think the question unreasonable, for it must be admitted that, while our political 

 economy itself, in its present state, is rather a collection of practical maxims, sup- 

 ported by reason and tested by experience, than a science in the same sense as 

 astronomy or optics are entitled to that name, the topics to which the statistical 

 method is applicable are infinitely various, and have little in common except this 

 one characteristic — that in every case we appeal either to the numerical test of 

 accuracy, to figures, or else to fixed and recognized rules, which are assumed to 

 have the same kind of certainty as prevails in physical science. How far that 

 assumption holds good in practice, must depend on the judgment both of those 

 who read papers, and of those who comment upon them. The truth is, in my 

 opinion, our functions here are rather those of suggesting and stimulating, than of 

 originating thought. Discussion, no doubt, we shall have, and in discussion new 

 ideas are constantly generated, and new lights thrown upon previously unfamiliar 

 topics ; but it is not in crowded meetings, it is not in debating speeches, that any 

 profound and original investigation can be carried on. Meetings like ours answer 

 two purposes, apart from that of social enjoyment ; one is the diffusion — not the 



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