114 
The Science of these places has yet to be learned, and I 
quite believe a series of patient and careful diggings would 
reveal and make plain, much that at present is doubtful and 
obscure. 
Mr Piper’s remarks were followed by some discussion on 
the points he had raised, and a cordial vote of thanks was 
passed for the instructive information he had given during the ~ 
excursion. 
A descent was made to the Hollybush quarry, which con- 
tained some fine examples of igneous rock (Diabase.) 
Carriages were resumed to Ledbury, which place was 
reached in time to catch the 4.31 train to Gloucester. 
AVEBURY MEETING 
The 26th of August was the last meeting. It had pre- 
viously been visited in the early days of the Club, May, 1849. 
The members arrived at Swindon at 10.37, and drove over 
the Marlborough Downs to Avebury, where they were welcomed 
by the Vicar, the Rev. Bryan King, who shewed and explained 
to them his very interesting Church. In it are Saxon remains, 
and on entering the porch some blocks of that age of carved 
stone are seen embedded in the walls. One represents the 
Father giving benediction to the Son, who is embracing the 
Cross. 
In the aisle is a window of the Saxon Church, never 
glazed, and has a “rebate” cut round it in stone for a shutter, 
and the external stonework is “axed” for the purpose of 
enabling the mortar, by which Saxon buildings were coated, to 
adhere to the stone. 
The font, according to Mr Loftus Brock, is distinctly 
Saxon in its character, with Norman ornamentation subse- 
quently added. On its West side is the figure of our Lord, or 
of a Bishop, holding the open Gospels upon his breast with the 
left hand, and “ bruising ” the head of a serpent with a pastoral 
staff with the right hand; whilst a serpent on the left is 
“bruising ” his heel—an obvious allusion to the fall of man, and 
