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presidential ^bhxtss to tbt Archaeological tertian. By J. S. CORBETT. SUPPOSE all will agree with me in the opinion that one of the 4 most important objects, if not the main object, which the Archæological Section of the Cardiff Naturalists' Society can pursue is, that of endeavouring to throw light upon the early history of this town, and the county generally. The discovery of the Roman walls at Cardiff, and what I may call our own more recent investigations at Gelligaer, lead naturally to inquiries as to the extent and degree of completeness of the Roman occupation, and the number and position of the Roman roads, and, in particular, as to the origin of the town of Cardiff itself, its status in Roman times, and subsequent history. I propose in the following remarks to deal with a few points connected with the early history of Cardiff, mainly as bearing upon the vexed question of the derivation of its name. I am aware that I must necessarily do this in a somewhat fragmentary and incomplete manner, for it is more than likely that authorities exist (I mean real authorities) which I have not seen, and that others may be able to correct opinions to which, in the present state of my information, I incline. Still, ours is a Society formed for investigation, not for laying down dogmatic and conclusive views, and it has seemed to me that members who have endeavoured, though imperfectly, to inquire into subjects in which we are interested, will do useful service by giving now and then, in the form of papers, the result of their inquiries, though conscious that their opinions may well be subject to revision in the light of fuller knowledge.