116 



but on the handles of one of the pairs found in Ireland, now in the 

 Museum of the Royal Irish Academy, are three circles included in 

 a large one. Dr. Rock is inclined to the opinion that this pair 

 " may be of the end of the fifth centuiy, when Pelagianism had been 

 condemned by the Church throughout Christendom, and put to 

 flight in these islands by the visits of St Germanus. The great 

 atonement made by our blessed Lord for sin is set forth by the 

 figui'e of the cross, the doctrine of the Trinity, into which the 

 neophyte is baptised, is expressed by the three circles." 



The spoons found near Weston have only circular devices on the 

 handles, and seem to have no allegorical or mystical sig-nificance. 



If the conjectures of Dr. Rock are con-ect, we have in these 

 spoons a very interesting rehc of primitive Christianity, and of the 

 eai'ly faith of our forefathers ; and I have thought it well that our 

 proceedings should possess some record of this interesting discoveiy, 

 for the publicity of which we are so much indebted to the 

 archaeological zeal and careful discernment of Mr. Irvine. 



Summary of Proceedings of the Bath Natural History and 

 Antiquarian Field Ghih for the Year 1869-70. 



Mb. President and Gentlemen, 



The Summary of the Proceedings of the Club for the past year 

 will show, if I mistake not, that the original pui-pose of the Club 

 has been kept in view, and that the annual exhortations of our 

 President, to do something for the cause of Natural History and 

 Archaeology, have not fallen altogether upon unheeding ears. The 

 papers with which the winter evening gatherings of last session were 

 concluded maintained their instructive character throughout, and 

 the last evening, which was given up to short communications 

 from various members, was peculiarly successful from the amount 

 of original information contributed by those who took part. 



After the paper on " The Faults and Contortions of the Somer- 

 setshire Coal Field," by Mr. McMurtrie (published in our last 

 Number), the remainder of the evening of Feb. 24 was occupied 



