IT is now more than half a century since Ahrens laid the foundations of Greek Dialectology in a work which, by reason of its sterling merits, has remained unsuperseded in part until the present day. Had the original intention of the author of the De Gmecae Zinguae dialectis been carriedti'out, an investigation'of Ionic would have followed upon that dealing with Aiolic and Doric; and the need of any other treatise on the subject would have been less urgent. The de?ection of his literary activity to other departments of philology bequeathed a legacy of opportunity, of which his countrymen have been slow to avail themselves. At the present time there exists no treatise on the dialect which in its interest for the student of Greek language and literature is second only to that wherein the masterpieces of Athenian genius found expression. Maittaire's Graeme Zinguae dialecti, last issued in 1807, is out of date, and the monographs at the disposal of the scholar cover only a limited portion of the extensive territory.