xlii Annual Address. [February, 1912. 
that they are receiving true expert advice.’’ It has sometimes 
occurred to me that a subject so vast and comprehensive as 
would necessarily take in such an enor- 
mous field of observation and record, that no individual, however 
encyclopaedic his knowledge, would be competent to fill the 
post of referee. He would almost need to be omniscient, and 
human omniscience is a contradiction in terms. I fear that we 
shall probably need a small army of ‘‘ recognized authorities,’’ 
—in fact an expert bureau. 
Philology.—A number of useful and important articles of 
historical and philological interest have been contributed to the 
Journal and Proceedings, amongst whic may mention two 
articles by Mr. H. Beveridge (a) on a dubious passage in the 
Ilminsky edition of the Baburnama, and (bd) on the Poet Maili 
of Herat. Also an article by Babu Rakhal Das Banerji, M.A., 
entitled ‘‘ Inscribed Guns from Assam.’’ There are apparently 
seven of these inscribed guns extant, and one of them is said to 
ea Naw-wara Top or Naval gun. There is a most interesting 
and scholarly article in the Journal for April, and which is of 
peculiar interest at the present time, by the Rev. H. Hosten,S.J., 
under the title ‘‘ Father A. Monserrate’s Description of Delhi. 
Firoz Shah’s tunnel.’? It was written in 1581, and dealt with 
a subterranean tunnel for water in that city, which had been 
constructed by Firoz Shah and was about 43 miles in length. 
The text and maps seem to indicate that the tunnel ran from 
Firoz Shah’s Kotila to Rai Pithora. 
Lt-Col. Phillott contributed some useful notes on Urdu 
grammar. In the Journal for June we find a very useful con- 
tribution by Mr. Kirkpatrick entitled «A vocabulary of the 
Pasi Boli, or Argot of the Kunchbandiya Kanjars,’’ a gipsy 
tribe of India. Also in July a second article by the same author 
on ‘a newly-found Buddhist Sanscrit work called Catuhéatika 
b ad 29 Th : 
bf Ary eva. ere are a large number of other articles 
tri us that this section of the Society has been very 
us . 
have been made in chemistry by Dr. Ra i d 
y Dr. Ray and his pupils, an 
by Mr. David Hooper, one of which I ‘shall have occasion to 
specially mention later on. 
In Botany by W. W. Smith, Mr. Burkill and Prof. West. 
