140 ORGANISMS FROM THE ROMAN BATHS IN BATH. 



toms, nearly all of them easily identified as the very abundant 

 fresh-water species known as Synedra. The triangular-shaped ends 

 of the S. capitata are very pretty objects, and those frustules which 

 are devoid of the broadened extremities may, no doubt, belong to 

 the S. spleiidens. In the morass there must have been numerous 

 other forms of life which have left no " prints upon the sands 

 of time," but there remains yet another object — the active little 

 CypJ^is, of the Entomostracan group, which led its merry life as 

 usual, at some time or another, during the passing centuries. 



Mr. Bartrum said the paper opened up many curious 

 researches as to the physical condition of the early history of the 

 site, and he especially dwelt upon the theory of the influx of the 

 tides. He could not think that the tide had ever reached the 

 bath, notwithstanding the presence of the Hydrobia molluscs, and 

 it would afford a matter for future research, as to whether these 

 creatures are really confined to brackish water. 



Major Davis, F.S.A., gave an interesting description of his 

 researches upon the bank of mud and vegetable deposits which 

 had formed the subject of the paper. He also referred to the 

 finding of a Teal's egg in the decayed rushes, with the feathers 

 from that bird surrounding it, and the yelk of the egg, proved 

 to be (after its shell had been broken) in a somewhat petrified 

 condition. He thought it impossible that the tide had ever 

 reached the city since the Roman occupation, as he was able to 

 prove that the present level of the site of the ancient baths was 

 even lower than in its Roman history. He suggested that it might 

 be possible for the shells to have been washed down from the 

 neighbouring hills to the site they at present occupy. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE XXXII. 



Section of Mud-Bank at the (Ancient) Roman Baths : 



1. — Foundation of the Poor Law Offices. 



2. — Faggots used as Fascines. 



3. — Upper Deposit. 



4.— Middle Deposit of Rushes, Grasses, Equiseta, &c. 



5. — Five-foot Deposit of Finn Mud, containing a few Diatoms and 



thousands of recent Fresh-Water Molluscs. 

 6. — Roman Tiles, probably the Roof of the Ancient Baths. 



