The idea was favourably received. From several county archæologists, of far greater repute and experience than myself, to whom I ventured to make a like proposition in writing, an equally sympathetic response was obtained. It was proposed to address a respectful joint request1 to the President and Council of the parent Society, that it would please them to summon such a gathering. For reasons that need not here be specified it was decided to defer prosecuting this plan till the current year.

"It was, therefore, with peculiar pleasure that I read in the first issue of the Archæological Review a like idea elaborated and excellently expressed in the opening Editorial Note'. We all want more direction and system in our archæological researches. I cannot conceive that aught but good could accrue from a general conference under the auspices and authority of the Society of Antiquaries. I should not propose, in any joint petition, to dictate to the Society in any way the details of such a conference, or how representatives of the different societies, or individuals unconnected with any special organisation, should be invited; but if the idea commended itself to the President and Council, I am sure they are to be fully trusted to carry it to a wise conclusion.

"Your own way of arguing the necessity for the joint and systematic action of antiquaries leaves hardly anything more to b said; but I may point out how, in the department of ecclesiology, in which I am primarily interested, such united and methodical action on matters like bells and church plate, if adopted but a few years ago, would have saved us from some poorly done work, and improved materially all that has been accomplished. Specialists, too, like Professor Browne and Mr. Romilly Allen, in early scultured stones, or Baron de Cosson and Mr. Hartshorne, in effigies, would find their work rendered so much easier of satisfactory accomplishment, by the compilation of careful catalogues throughout our English shires.

"Fired many years ago by the first edition of Canon Isaac Taylor's inimitable Words and Places, I endeavoured to collect all the field-names of my own comparatively small county of Derby, but was fairly baffled and beaten by expense and difficulties, after a little more than half the work was accomplished. I then, however, learnt enough to tell me that if this branch of local etymology was thoroughly and consistently followed out throughout Englandeach county society collecting its own field-names, and having them entered on the large Ordnance Survey maps, with duplicates of the whole deposited in the Library of the Society of Antiquaries-a wonderful flood of light would be cast for intelligent eyes on the early colonisation of our land, on its development, progressive trade and successive resources, as well as on general folk-lore, and many

1 A petition of the kind suggested, signed by a large number of the members of the councils of the various local archæological societies has already been presented to the President of the Society of Antiquaries.

kindred subjects, such as could never be gleaned by the closest study of the mere names of towns or hamlets.

"For these reasons, and for many yet more important, so well marshalled by yourself in the March issue of the Archeological Review, it is earnestly to be hoped that common action in the cause of historic, as well as of pre-historic, archæology will soon be taken; and, as the best preliminary to such a course, allow me to strongly urge a general call upon the Society of Antiquaries in the direction indicated. I think such a request should be made before the close of the summer session (June), so that a conference might be summoned, if deemed advisable, in the ensuing autumn or winter.

"As I have already some names, perhaps you will allow me to say that I shall be glad to receive others, and I hope that you, Sir, will do the same; or I shall be equally pleased to send my name, with those I have obtained, to any one else, or to any committee that may be formed for a like object.

"J. CHARLES Cox, LL.D., F.S.A. "Barton-le-Street Rectory, Malton."

AMPHITHEATRE AT TOMEN Y MUR, Merionethshire.-Castell Tomen y Mur is situated in the north-west of Merionethshire, a mile south-east of Maentwrog Road Station, on the Bala and Festiniog Railway (Ordnance Map, one inch to the mile, sheet No. 75, N.E.). The remains at this place consist of a Roman station, which has been identified with the Heriri Mons, mentioned in the Second Iter of Richard of Cirencester, from Caernarvon to Wroxeter, and the amphitheatre here illustrated. Tomen y Mur has been visited by the Cambrian Archæological Association on three different occasions, during the meetings held at Dolgelly in 1850, at Portmadoc in 1868, and at Bala in 1884. Upon the last occasion Mr. Worthington G. Smith made the drawing of the amphitheatre now published. The antiquities of Tomen y Mur have been described by our late lamented friend the Rev. E. L. Barnwell in the Archeologia Cambrensis (vol. ii, 4th Series, p. 190), and by Mr. J. W. Grover in the Journal of the British Archæological Association (vol. xxvii, p. 277). The seven Roman inscribed stones found here are engraved in Prof. Westwood's Lapidarium Wallic (pls. 74, 78, and 79). They have been removed to Plas Tan-y-Bwlch, near Maentwrog, and built into the terrace wall. Excavations made on the site of the station have resulted in the discovery of masonry walls of Roman workmanship, pottery, coins, tiles, querns, a stone hammer, and a red carnelian intaglio representing Mercury, now in the possession of Mr. Coulson of Corsygedol. Two Roman roads cross each other at Tomen y Mur, one from Conwy to Caermarthen, and the other from Caernarvon to Wroxeter, thus making the station of great strategical importance. The amphitheatre is a circular earthwork, 81 ft. in diameter inside, and surrounded by a 5TH SER., VOL. v.

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mound 21 ft. wide and 10 to 12 ft. high. It was probably used for the gladiatorial exhibitions to which the Romans were so much addicted. Other amphitheatres occur in connection with Roman stations at Colchester, Silchester, Dorchester, Cirencester, Richborough, and Caerleon.1 J. ROMILLY ALLEN.

PLACE HOUSE, SWANSEA.-There is a brief notice of "Place House", alias the "Manor House", in the Life of Sir Matthew Cradock, published by the Rev. J. Montgomery Traherne, F.R.S. In a scarce book, called Contributions towards a History of Swansea, by Lewis L. Dillwyn, Esq., F.R.S., there is a record of the demolition of the old house, together with an interesting discovery of a number of silver coins in some part of the building. The record is as follows: "1840, April 9. On this day, while the workmen were engaged in pulling down the venerable ruins of the old Manor House, preparatory for building the south side of Temple Street, a vessel containing a large number of silver pennies was found, and a full account of the discovery and particulars of the coins, by Mr. G. G. Francis, will appear at page 33 of the Appendix to the fifth Annual Report of the Royal Institution, which is now in the press. Mr. Francis informs me that, of 166 of these sterlings or pennies which he examined, 154 are of the reign of Edward the First or Second, 4 of Alexander the Third of Scotland, 4 of Flanders of the same period, and 3 illegible. Some of the rarer types have been presented to the Museum by Mr. Francis."

The cork model of Place House was made by the late Colonel Evan Morgan, R.A., of St. Helen's, Swansea. The engraving is from a drawing made by Mr. Worthington G. Smith at the Swansea Meeting in 1886, and the block was presented to the Cambrian Archæological Association by the late Rev. E. L. Barnwell.

J. D. DAVIES, Llanmadoc.

YSPYTTY EVAN, CAERNARVONSHIRE.-The village of Yspytty Evan is situated on the river Conwy, which separates Denbighshire from Caernarvonshire, about six miles south of Bettws y Coed, just on the border between the two counties. It was visited by the Cambrian Archæological Association at the Llanrwst Meeting in 1882. In the Archæologia Cambrensis (vol. vi, Series III, p. 105) will be found a paper by "J. E." on "Yspytty Ifan, or the Hospitallers in Wales", from which the following particulars are taken.

The name Yspytty Ifan (Hospitium Sancti Johannis) is derived from a hospice belonging to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, which formerly existed in this place. Yspytty Evan was anciently called Spitty Dolgenwall; and in the reign of Henry II, Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, Prince of Aber and Lord of Snowdon, bestowed lands on the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem by the description of the

1 See Thomas Wright's The Celt, the Roman, and the Saxon, p. 176.