Cylchgronau Cymru

(Blla pabriba fattb peseta quiuquio ^antt. By R DRANE, F.L.S. Lecture to the Biological Section, delivered Dec. 15th, 1898. ON the last occasion when I had the honour of addressing this section, I made a sad mistake in the selection of a title for my paper, "A Pilgrimage to Golgotha," for one or more of our members absented themselves rather than appear to give any countenance to the obvious profanity of any reference to an empty head. God forbid that I should wound the delicate susceptibilities of one of the least of these, and I will take shelter under a hackneyed but appropriate quotation- Full many a shaft at random sent Finds mark the archer never meant." Well, as that unfortunate title was misunderstood, I thought I would "make assurance double sure," and so leave no room for obscurity in that of to-night, which consists of six words taken from three languages-Spanish, Latin, and English-two each. I take the suggestion of this title to be the evident inspiration of Genius, for if three languages fail to make my meaning clear I shall conclude that I am not yet returned from my pilgrimage. So I take it that everyone here to-night perfectly understands from the title of this paper what I am going to talk about, and will not suffer from a tremulous apprehension that I am likely to be profane. Olla podrida is a favourite dish, consisting of a mixture of all kinds of meat in small pieces stewed together and flavoured with herbs." So that it is clear that had I given the full title in plain English it would have been inconveniently long, and probably have suggested that I intended to descant upon domestic cookery. Well, now for the "various meats in small pieces."