■■^ 



Proceedings of the Asiatic Society, 



589 



1864.] 



Mr. Blanford asked Captain Lees if he could inform the meeting 

 of the origin of the application of the term sovereign to the coin. 



Captain Lees replied that he had no doubt that the origin of the 

 application of sovereign in England to gold coins of the realm was 

 similar to that of the Napoleon, and louis oVor to gold coins in France, 

 and Frederic d'or to gold coins in Prussia. As to the word itself, its 

 English orthography is so barbarous as to conceal its origin. The 

 correct word is suveran, French souverain, for the Latin supernus, or, 

 more nearly, the Italian sovrano ; and it is a very singular coincidence, 

 (but I may add that I attach to it only the singularity of a coincidence,) 

 that in ancient Hindu literature gold and gold coin is most usually 

 mentioned under this very term suverna ; or if we drop the inherent 

 final vowel, as is usual in the vernaculars, we shall have precisely the 

 word the origin of which we are in search of, suvern. 



Library. 



The following additions have been made to the Library since the 

 meeting held in July last. 



Presentations. 

 5jj*^ The names of donors in capitals. 



Verhandlungen des Zoologisch-botanischen Vereins in Wien, Jahr 

 1855 — 62, Vols. V. to XII. — -The Zoologico-Botanic Society op 

 Vienna. 



Bericht liber die Oesterreichische Literatur der Zoologie, Botanik 

 und Palaeontologie, aus den Jahren 1850, 1851, 1852, 1853. — The 

 Same. 



Personen- Orts- und Sach Register der Wiener K. K. Zoologisch- 

 botanischen G-esellschaft, 1851 — 55 and 1856 — 1860. — The Same. 



Nachtrage zu Maly's Enumeratio plantarum phanerogamicarum 

 Imperii Austriaci Universi, von A. Neilreich.— The Same. 



Separat-abdruck naturwissenschaftlicher Abhandlungen aus den 

 Schriften des Zoologisch-botanischen Vereins in Wien. — The Same. 



Festkranz zur zweiten Jahresfeier des Zoologisch-botanischen 

 Vereins. — The Same. 



Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wisseiischaften 

 Methematisch — Naturwissenschaftliche Classe, Band XL VI. abth. I. 



4 a 



