soldiers heard these words"— Air cluintinn nam facal so do no saighdearan. "Sending forth executioners"-Air cur fir-marbhaidh uaith. "When you pray"-Air bhi dhuibhse a' deanamh urnuigh. (2). If the subject of the verb (represented by do + noun) comes immediately after air, the object precedes the (weak) infinitive, as-" When the soldiers heard these words"-Air do na saighdearan na facail so a chluintinn. "On his sending forth executioners"-Air dha fir-marbhaidh a chur uaith. "When you prayed"-Air dhuibhse urnuigh a dheanamh; but "When you pray"-Air dhuibhse bhi deanamh urnuigh. "When you stood" Air dhuibhse seasamh bhi and seasamh being intransitive. (3). The epexegitical or explanatory infinitive after nouns and adjectives takes the object before it, whether used with a preposition or not, as-" Chan'eil cothrom agam [air] sinn a dheanamh,” "Chan'eil cothrom agam airson sin a dheanamh"-I have not an opportunity of doing that. "Cha robh uine aca | uiread as biadh itheadh." It will be observed that the infinitive in these cases may be considered as an adj. clause, or even as a clause of purpose, but here the purpose phrase does not occur after a verb, and therefore the object does not follow the infinitive. They may be considered as noun-phrases, however, the expression preceding them being equivalent to cha'n urrainn domh (doibh). (4). When a preposition is attached to a verb, the predicate may be considered as a single expression, and then the rule as to noun-phrases applies, as, "They began to pluck the ears of corn" "Thoisich iad air | diasan arbhair a bhuain." But the verbalnoun construction may be followed, especially if a relative clause follows, as, "Thoisich mi air sireadh a' bhrathar nach bàsaich am feasd"- 'I began to seek the brother that shall (Sinclair's "Life of M'Cheyne," translated). never die" (5). Object pronouns take the same construction as object nouns, except when they are translated by the possessive adjectives, in which case they, of course, precede the verbal noun. "A shaoradh iadsan" (in order to save them) may also, with a difference, be translated by "g' an saoradh." Gu (not do) expresses a purpose when the possessive adjective is used. In conclusion, I may state that it was my purpose to take up several other Gaelic constructions that present some difficulty to the student of Modern Gaelic, and to co-relate these with usages tabulated and explained in books on Latin Prose Composition. But the limits I have appointed to myself in connection with this paper prevent me from referring to these at present. Before I close, however, I cannot help mentioning a difference in Gaelic construction that has often puzzled me, and that is seemingly inexplicable by the application of logical principles. We say, "C'uine 'tha thu dol do'n eaglais ?" but "C'àite (whither) am bheil thu dol?" "C'àite (where) am bheil e gabhail comhnuidh ?” The compound interrogative adverbs c'uine and c'àite are parallel to each other (lit. what time, what place), and yet the first is followed by a relative clause, the second by an interrogative clause. "C'àite a tha" occurrs in the Gaelic Scriptures, however,* and is probably found in some parts of the country. * John iii. 8. 27th MARCH, 1889. At this meeting the Secretary read the following poem, "Laoidh Chlann Uisne," with English translation, contributed by Mr Alexander Carmichael, Edinburgh : LAOIDH CHLANN UISNE. BHO DHO'ULL MAC-A-PHI, GOBHAINN, BREUBHAIG, BARRAIDH, MART 15, 1867. Ta 'g 'ur cumail fada 'uainn, 'S gur ann leibh a chuirteadh an ruaig, Ach chuireadh leibh 'ur long a mach Bha Ardan bu deise 'ga stiuireadh, Cadal shul is beag a' tlachd, Dearduil thug barrachd an ailleachd, Cha choimeasar rithse cach, Ach mar bhaideal eir sgath na reultaig. Gu de fath do thurs a bhean, 'Us sinne beo ri do bheatha, 'Us nach aithne duinn neach da'r buadhach, An ceithir ranna ruadh an domhan. CHILDREN OF UISNE. WRITTEN DOWN BY ALEXANDER CARMICHAEL, CREAGORRY, OUTER HEBRIDES. Ye Children of Uisne of the white steeds That delays you so long from us Seeing that ye it is who would force retreat But ye have sent your ship afloat The deftest Ardan was steering her To the guidance of the skilful brothers twain; Sleep of eyes is little to the liking So Darthula is consumed with gloom and grief. Darthula who exceeded in beauty What occasions thy grief, O woman, Aisling a chunnacas an raoir, Oirbhse a thriuir bhraithre barra-chaoin, Bhur cuibhreach 's bhur cur 'san uaigh, Leis a Chonnachar chlaon ruadh. Eir chlacha sin 'us eir chranna, Eir chuileana fiar an t-sionnaich. Gu de bheir sinne 'n dail an laoich, Cadal na h-og mhna ni 'm b'fhaoin ; Cha tig saoir'eas a deas mo nuar, Cha tog e ri bruthach an fheidh. Ris tha Coigeamh a' dluthadh, 'Us Connachar nan car 'na 'mhur ann, Bu shoinemheil le Dearduil an t-og, Bha chneas mar chobhar an t-sruth, Do bha chridhe fearail fial, 'Us aobhach ciuin mar a ghrian. Ach nuair dh-eireadh a fhraoch 'us fhearg, Bi choimeas an fhairge gharg, B' ionnan agus neart nan tonn, |