with a zeal, a thoroughness and a success far in
advance of their insular neighbors, and lead the
latter in all their learned investigations. This is
all the more singular since the Celtic languages
on the Continent perished almost utterly, leaving
no literary monuments behind them; while, on
the other hand, the Celtic tongues of Great Brit
ain and Ireland have maintained themselves in
some shape or other, until this day. The divis
ion of their languages into stocks and groups is
very definite, and the lines closely drawn. Thus
we have I. Gaelic, comprising the Irish of Ireland,
Erse of Scotland and Manx of the Isle of Man;
11. British, including Cymbricor Welsh in Wales,
Cornish a living tongue in Cornwall as late as the
first of this century, and Breton or Armorican—
the language of Celts driven from Cornwall to
Brittany by the Saxon invasions from the V to the
VII century. Both groups we learn in their oldest
form out of Glosses on the margin of Latin MSS
of the Bth or 9th centuries A. D. Then in a mid
dle period, out of a rich literature. Until re
cently the materials for the study of Old Celtic,
so scattered and so fragmentary have been almost
inaccessible to the student. At last the gap is to
be filled.
There comes to us recently from Paris the an
nouncement of an alphabetical collection of all
the fragments of the old Celtic tongue, in the form
of. an Alt-Celtischer Sprachschatz or Tresor du
v.ieux celtinue, as. it is variously named in Ger
many and France. Here for the first time and at
a moderate price, the student has the materials
for scientific study within his reach, with the add
ed satisfaction of knowing that he can have them
all The work appears in parts of which there
are to be 18 published every four months at
10 francs apiece; the first part is already out. It
can be had most conveniently of H. Welter, 59
rue Bonaparte, Paris.
The sources of which the learned compiler has
made use are varied and exhaustive; the coins and
inscriptions, notices in classical authors, itineraries,
glosses and glossaries—all have been thoroughly
THE FREE LANCE.
and judiciously used. The period of time covered
is roughly, from the earliest records down to the
end of the Merovingian dynasty in France. The
documents used are arranged in the order of time,
and in the order of place where discovered writ
ten or current. Notes, indices, tables and lists
make the work complete and leave nothing to be
desired, —a veritable treasury to the student. T.
GEOLOGICAL ITINERARY— BELLE
FONTE TO SNOW SHOE.
Leave the cars at junction with B. E. V. R. R.
cross to east side of stream, quarry at lime kiln is
in upper Trenton 11. These beds are continuous
with those recently opened to north-east,
and 3 miles south-west at Morris’ station. They
illustrate one method of proof of equivalent stra
ta (Dana page 60 A.) Passing on north the up
permost Trenton limestone is succeeded by Hud
son River shale 111. This becomes the bed of
the stream a few rods further north; and its easy
erosion accounts for the increasing width of the
flood plain of the stream, and also for its bay op
posite the gap. 11l ends near the wire mill, and is
succeeded by Oneida IV. The first ravine, small
on east side, larger on west, marks the Medina
bed b. Further op is the Medina white IV. c. (not
necessarily always White). This makes the main
crest of the Bald Eagle Mt., opposite Milesburg
iron works Clinton, V, begins. Shows best on
west side of stream. Makes crest of MPoint Mc-
Coy,” the highest point, 1834. Along R. R.
the rounded ridge with scattered pine tree.s is
limestone,'probably Niagara. East of Milesburg
at quarry is shown Lower Helderlierg VI. Notice
minor fold in opposite direction. VI. is shown on
west side stream also. Oriskany VII. makes bed
of Bald Eagle creek at R. R. bridge. Look for
characteristic fossils (Spirifer arenosus) liiostly
weathered out Silurian, Devonian. Take Snow-
Shoe train at Milesburg. To the west, making bed
of Bald Eagle valley is VIII. Marcellqs shale, chief
ly; but showing all varieties of VIII up to the ra-