274 



port for flue tiles conveying hot air for the purpose of warming. 

 In the north-east corner about one foot from the surface the 

 skeleton of a child was discovered ; with the bones were several 

 large nails with small portions of wood adhering to them, lead- 

 ing to the idea of their having been part of a coffin. The 

 department of the villa, thus far described, seems to have been 

 appropriated to the baths ; and from similar discoveries in other 

 places the opinion is reasonable, that a great portion belonging 

 to this department as well as the baths themselves, are under 

 the unexcavated portion of the field on the south side of the 

 hypocausts. Nearly the whole of the pillars, &c., of this hypo- 

 caust are now in the Hospitium among the antiquities of the 

 Yorkshire Philosophical Society deposited in that place. 



About one hundred yards west and considerably to the north 

 of the hypocaust, in a line with the flag tank already described, 

 at the side of the field amidst a number of trees, was discovered 

 a fine tessellated pavement, the greater part of which has been, 

 under the very able and skilful superintendence of Mr. Baines, 

 removed in an extraordinary state of perfection to York. The 

 line of direction was north and south ; the north portion stood 

 ten degrees east of due north, and had a semicircular or 

 apsoidal form; the south portion was so incomplete that the 

 precise character and form of its termination could not with 

 accuracy be decided. The room was divided into two unequal 

 portions (H and I) by the foundations of a wall (which may 

 have been for the foundation of pillars) 1 foot 10 inches broad. 

 The measurements were — 



Feet. Inches. 



Whole length 37 11 



End of Apsis to the Wall 13 7 



South side of Wall to end of Pavement . . 22 6 



Width inside the Wall 20 6 



In describing the pavement itself I begin at the northern 

 extremity (H), where in the first place a semicircle of drab 

 coloured tesserae occurs, the two boundary lines being made up 

 of portions of two circles of difierent radii, so that a semilunar 

 shape is given to it, the widest part measuring 2 feet 6 inches. 



