103 



object, however, is the brass seal of the keeper of a chapel 

 dedicated to the Blessed Mary at Morton Folliot. This seal 

 is probably of the fourteenth or fifteenth century, and bears 

 the inscription, " S.Comune C'todi Capelle be Marie de Mort 

 Folhot." It has for a device, a figure of the Virgin and Child, 

 and beneath this, that of an ecclesiastic with the hands up- 

 lifted in the attitude of prayer.* It is difficult to understand 

 how this seal made its way from Morton Folliot, in Worcester- 

 shire, to Lamel hill. 



Near the centre of the tumulus, at the depth of about ten 

 feet, two or three fragments of tile, evidently Roman, were ' 

 found. Not far from these, two or three pieces of Samian ware, 

 and a few fragments of coarse earthenware, some of them orna- 

 mented and covered with a green glaze, were also thrown up. 



In the very centre of the hill, on the level, and in the line of 

 the undisturbed skeletons, a large urn, of simple but unusual 

 form, was discovered. This urn measures twelve inches in 

 height, and has a capacity of three imperial gallons.f It is 

 formed of a very hard and coarse ware, of a dirty brick-red 

 colour, and has evidently been turned on a wheel. Part of the 

 surface is somewhat corroded, and presents nimierous fragments 

 of broken pebbles and even gTanite. There was nothing but 

 some clayey soil found in the urn, which had a peculiarly ofien- 

 sive odour. Its internal surface presented a pellicle of dry, 

 scaly matter, of a dark green colour. Placed in water, for a 

 few hours, and observed with the microscope, this substance 

 was found to consist of an aggregation of vegetable organisms, 

 living specimens of which are capable of being thus reproduced. 

 These, no doubt, consist of a species of those minute con- 

 fervae, now called mycoderma.X 



Several rude iron nails and rivets, and numerous pieces of 

 clumsy iron plate and bar, bent at a right angle, and perforated 

 for nails, were also found. They are covered with a very thick 



* See plate 2, fig. 8, which represents the actual size of the seal. 

 + See plate 2, fig. 4. 



\ See plate 2, fig. b, which represents a charred spccimeD of this microscopic 

 plant, 'magnified about 120 diameters. 



n2 



