Arthur J. Maclean served as the head of the Archbishop of CanterburyÕs Assyrian Mission in Urmia, Iran from 1886 until 1891. In the short space of five years he became well acquainted with the life, customs and languages of the Assyrian people. Although Maclean chose not to return to the field for further service, he maintained a keen interest in the Mission and the Assyrians. In 1895 he published his ÒGrammar of the Dialects of Vernacular SyriacÓ. This is the second grammar of the Modern Assyrian language to be published in English (following David T. StoddardÕs grammar published in 1855). MacleanÕs grammar is noteworthy for its attention to the variations of the regional dialects spoken among the Assyrians and its efforts to provide a more historical method for spelling the newly written language.