VOL. XV. (3) EXCURSION—BATH_ 177 
peculiarly his own. The speaker reminded his hearers that they were 
now standing near some of the most remarkable Roman ruins that 
England could produce. The piers which formerly sustained the roof 
showed how massive and strong must have been the structure in its 
original state. Mr Winwood related how the Baths came to be dis- 
covered, and how the Corporation undertook the work of excavation. 
Opinion is divided as to whether the pool itself was sheltered by a 
roof, but there is no doubt that the corridor which surrounds it was 
covered in. After the Romans retired from Britain the Baths dropped 
into a state of decay, and became covered with a lacustrine deposit. 
From this was recovered a teal’s egg, which is now exhibited with 
other relics in the Pump Room. It may be mentioned that the water 
from the thermal spring, which in a great measure has made Bath 
famous, remains invariably at a temperature of 117 degrees. There is 
no doubt that the Baths were of a very considerable size, and the 
remains cannot fail to excite the interest and admiration of those who 
behold them. Bath was known to the Romans by the name of Aque 
Solis, and the latter word at first suggests as the meaning of the name 
“Springs of the Sun.” It has been pointed out, however, that 
inscribed stones dug up at Bath show that there was a deity wor- 
shipped there under the title of Sul Minerva, and that in all probability 
the word is preserved in Aquz Solis. 
After making a tour of the Baths, the party ascended to the Pump 
Room, where some of the members treated themselves to a glass of 
water preparatory for lunch, which was served at Fisher’s restaurant. 
From the restaurant the Members were driven toa gravel-pit near Old- 
field Park, where some mammalian remains were recently discovered. 
Mr Winwood amused the company by explaining that some workmen 
were very excited when they discovered what they took to be an 
elephant’s tail. They were quite sure it was a tail because it was 
“‘curled right round.” However, it turned out to be a tusk of 
Elephas primigentus, portions of which were scattered about. This 
mammalian gravel, situated about 100 feet above the present river, is 
of a very different description from that associated with the present 
bed of the Avon, for so far from the river cutting out a deeper bed, it 
seemed to be engaged in the task of getting choked with mud. In 
the gravel-pit are found pieces of sarsen-stone, flint, Carboniferous 
Limestone, Old Red Sandstone, &c., thus suggesting that the river 
flowed with a strong current, and brought material from distant places. 
From the gravel-pit the party were driven to a fine section of 
Lower Lias capped with gravel, at the Victoria Brick and Tile Com- 
pany’s works at Lower Twerton. Here some climbing had to be 
effected on a yielding bank of dislodged gravel, and when it is 
mentioned that a fence of barbed wire had to be negotiated at the top, 
readers will see that elderly gentlemen, at all events, had their work 
cut out. The exposure of Lower Lias clay is very extensive, but so 
far it has not yielded many fossils. The same holds good with 
regard to the superimposed gravel, in which Teeth of Llephas 
O 
