112 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [April, 



The Society have also published the Srauta Sutras and the Grihya 

 Sutras. The Sutras are directions for performing Vaidic ceremonies ; 

 they are more recent than the Vedas. Dr. Wilson also referred to 

 the numerous ancient sinritis, fragments of which he had collected. 

 The grammar of the Hindus, he stated, is a great evidence of the 

 character of the Hindu mind. He mentioned that there were gram- 

 mars in existence before Panini, and recommended that the native 

 systems of grammar should be studied together with the European. 

 As regards the styles of the Hindu poetry, he said they are not the 

 very models of of elaborate writing : Kalidasa's long syllabic words 

 do not much beautify his poems. Several authorities were of opinion 

 that Kalidasa flourished as late as the 12th century. Dr. Wilson 

 admitted, however, that the Hindu poet was sensible to the beauties 

 of nature, and is famous for his descriptions of Hindu scenery. 



After these remarks on the labours of the Asiatic Society of Ben- 

 gal, Dr. Wilson briefly stated the direction of the labours of the 

 Bombay Asiatic Society. They had devoted their attention chiefly to 

 Sanscrit and Parsi, as also to the study of the numerous Buddhistic and 

 Brahmanic remains, as regards structures as well as inscriptions. Of 

 late they had, however, paid great attention to philological Grammars 

 of Gujrati and to Vernaculars. He suggested that more attention 

 should be devoted to the vernacular languages, and took this oppor- 

 tunity of mentioning Mr. J. Taylor's Gujarati Grammar, recommend- 

 ing that similar Grammars of the other vernacular languages should 

 be prepared. 



The Rev. Dr. then stated in general, his views regarding the 

 Aryan population of India and alluded to the numerous variations 

 which the climate, and other causes, may bring forward in the human 

 character. As regards the language, he stated that eight-tenths of 

 Bengali words can be derived from the Sanscrit, but he expected 

 that if investigations were earnestly begun, almost all may be 

 traced ultimately to the Sanscrit. He further thought that people 

 were sometimes too ready to refer Indian words to non-Aryan 

 languages. As an instance, he derived the word Pare, one-fourth 

 of a sera, from the Sanscrit word pdda, and said that such interchanges 

 of labials and dentals are not scarce. The non-Aryan words are 

 certainly worthy of attention, but they ought always to be carefully 



