12 CHELTENHAM COLLEGE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 
were shown of a typical Roman villa in Pompeii, and the use of 
the different rooms explained. A restoration of the interior and 
general view was shown; and copies of some extremely interesting 
mosaics. These belonged to the palace of Pompeianus, Procon- 
sul of Africa in the reign of Honorius (the modern name of the 
place is Oued-Atmenia—see Zrans. Roval Lnst. British Architects, 
1884-5, p. 139). This man was so proud of his house that he had 
a picture of it done in mosaic and put down on his dining-room 
floor. It shows the outside aspect, with a noble disregard of per- 
spective. The place looks like a large College or even Castle. It 
is three stories in height, not reckoning the ground-floor. Along the 
upper stories ran rows of windows, of different shapes, with shutters. 
Every here and there are high towers. The roof slopes, and there 
seem to be chimneys along the top. At the top of the towers is an 
awning. Over the roof are seen the tops of fir and other trees which 
grow in the interior square. The owner was a sporting man; and 
he has elaborate pictures of his stables ; inside are seen the horses 
tethered in their stalls, each with his name over him. The Roman 
house has one other interesting point. The earliest monastic houses 
were modelled upon it, because it so happened that one was actually 
used as a monastry. Hence our Colleges are lineal descendants of 
the Roman villa. A few words were then said of the gigantic palaces 
of some of the Roman Emperors, such as Nero’s Golden House. 
The next day an excursion was taken to Whitcomb. The re- 
mains of the villa are the floors of two bath-rooms. Both are in 
fairly good preservation. One is of a rather common kind, with- 
out any fine mosaic, and was perhaps meant for the servants. The 
walls are standing about two or three feet high. Underneath the 
better bath can be seen the hypocaust. The floor is supported on 
pillars built of flat square bricks. In the field adjoining can be 
traced the foundations and part of the walls of the dwelling rooms; 
while large unshapely mounds show that there is plenty to be found 
here. It is a lasting disgrace that the ruins are not properly excavated 
and cared for. 
In the Summer Term, a party visited Deerhurst. The sights of 
interest are the Church and a Saxon Chapel. The Church itself 
dates from the Saxon period, but contains work of other dates as 
well. There are several doors and windows made in characteristic 
Saxon style. One in particular is remarkable for its ornamentation. 
