and more portable shape. The slender handle is bulbed at one end, twisted or torquated in the middle, and ornamented with incised rings or grooves here and there.

The theca, or tubular brass case for containing it, was found therewith in a much corroded and damaged condition, having been broken by the excavator's pick. As they were picked up separately, it cannot be said that the spoon was actually inside the case, but both fell from the cutting together, and are of nearly equal length.

This

A thick bronze ring (fig. 2), of 1 in. external and in. internal diameter, was found about 1 ft. 6 in. below the ordinary surface, and near the top of the Roman stratum, where the clay deposit is shown on the section, near the middle of the cutting. It might be regarded as an ordinary curtain ring, but for the external groove. groove suggests that the ring may have been employed in the same manner as the stone discs with marginal grooves, found in the lake dwellings, and generally recognised as potter's implements for fashioning the bases of dishes. When pressed against the revolving vessel of soft clay, this ring would form upon the surface a double groove, divided by a slight projection, such as can be observed on several of the fragments.

Fibulæ.-Figs. No. 3 and 4 represent two of the bronze fibula so much worn by the Romans and Britons, and generally found among their reliquiæ. These are of the ordinary bow-shaped pattern, and have a cross-bar, with traces of a coiled-spring attachment for the pin. The pin, and also the hook for retaining it, have been lost by corrosion.

IRON.-Among the few metallic articles lately recovered there is the broken and much-corroded cusp or head of a spear, retaining a portion of the

H. S. OF L. AND C., VOL. XLVIII.

BRONZE OBJECTS. (All, except fig. 15, in Dr. Kendrick's

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5. Fragment.

wooden shaft within its socket. This was found in October, 1896, on the western edge of the street, in the vicinity of the altar and the supposed site of the northern or Prætorian gateway. The broken blade is lozenge-shaped, 3 by 1 in., and was probably 6 in. long when complete. The socket is 2 in. long and 1 in. in diameter at the butt.

There are three large iron nails, about 6 in., 7 in., and 93 in. long, and a few other iron objects of unrecognisable shape, owing to corrosion.

LEAD. Two similar and rather curious leaden objects were found in September, 1896, near to the street so often mentioned. They resemble flat sections of a sphere, and weigh 11 oz. and 14 oz. respectively. Another similar one was seen near the same spot, but again lost sight of. It has been

suggested that they are simply lumps of waste or residues left in the pot or ladle after melting. They seem to be too uniform in shape, too free from slag, and too often met with to be thus explained.

A stone weight of similar shape is figured in Mr. J. Corbet Anderson's Uriconum, page 91. Roman weights differ so much among themselves that, by a comparison of weights, nothing can be inferred regarding these objects.

Mr. Robert Blair, F.S.A., who arranged the Museum erected by Mr. Clayton, at Chesters, specially to contain his collection of Roman remains from the Station at Cilurnum, writes regarding similar leaden objects deposited therein :-"I find the discs "of lead, in the case at the Museum here, are of "two sizes. The larger is 2 in. in diameter, and "is just within 71⁄2 oz. The smaller 1 in. in dia"meter, and just turns the scale at 3 oz.; so you may say 7 and 33 oz., as I have only weighed one of each size. There are six of the larger "and two of the smaller. They were all found 'together, at the Roman Station here (Cilurnum),

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"last year. They are convex on the one side and "flat on the other. Though the larger is virtually "a multiple of the smaller, I do not think they "were used as weights. I should imagine they "were intended for some game." That has been my own impression. No mention of these leaden discs can be found in the works of the principal authorities on Roman Britain.

GLASS.

Objects in glass are most conspicuous by their absence, only two or three small fragments of the beautiful iridescent Roman glass having been found.

Glass Bead.-This (fig. 5) was found in June or July, 1896, on that portion of the Station which lies to the south of the Ship Canal, as above stated. It is 1 inch in diameter, with a half-inch bore, and is well formed out of bright blue glass, with 14 rounded ribs or ridges. A similar bead is figured on page 287 of The Celt, the Roman, and the Saxon, and stated to be one of the most common forms of Roman glass beads. Such large beads, in all their varieties of form, hue, and material, were regarded as superstitious charms, possessed of great virtues for insuring good luck and curing all sorts of ailments, especially those of children, by the peasantry of a former generation, throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, and Northern Africa, and are so regarded even now in the more remote parts. They are known as "adder beads," "adders' heads," "Ethir-bore stanes," "adder or snake stones,' "charm beads," "Druidical beads;" and among the Gaelic and Welsh-speaking population, as "Glaine nan Druidhe," "Glaine na Droedh," and "Clachan Nathaireach." They were once described to me by a man of fair education, holding the position of postmaster at