REPORTS OF SOCIETIES. 211 



within a few days of the meeting. Mention was also made of the way in which 

 the larva could be forced to leave its l;ome uninjured, and, being placed in a 

 saucer of water with coloured beads, etc., its mode of building could be watched. 

 A fine specimen of L. flavicornis thus engaged was shown. The paper was 

 replete with interesting matter, Mr. Humfrey being warmly applauded at its 

 conclusion.— Mr. S. Stuttei-d gave an account of two species of Sini/nthuruft 

 which he had lately noticed on Snap-dragons, illustrating his remarks by 

 specimens under the microscope, and by drawings. He also exhibited living 

 specimens of Sinynthuriis Utteas and S. ijallipes, which at that time were 

 abundant in gardens on the leaves of Snap-dragons and Phlo.xes. They are small 

 insects of about 1'33 of an inch in length.— The President read a report of an 

 excursion which some of the members had lately made to Stonesfleld, Oxon, for 

 the purpose of examining the beds of limestone yielding the well-known 

 calcareous slates which still cover the roofs of many of the older houses in the 

 town, and of collecting the rare snails for which the neighbourhood is famous, 

 and the plants which love a limestone soil. The report contained much interest- 

 ing matter. Lists of the various objects collected were on the table.— ^Mr. \V. J. 

 Patey exhibited specimens of, and read a note on, Cephnlanthera (irandiflora, 

 which he had recently discovered near Faniborough, and which was new to the 

 district. This is an Oxfordshire habitat, the beech copse in which the plant 

 gi-ew being just over the boundary. — The President exhibited HesperU 

 matronalis from Newbottle Spinney; Mr. R. C. Humfrey— 17 species of land 

 shells collected at Stonesfleld, amongst which were Helix pomatia, H. cantian'i. 

 H. capeiata, H. pulchelhi. and Clausilia laminati: the President and Mr. 

 E. .\. Walford, F.G.S.— characteristic fossils from the --tonesfield beds; Mr. 

 O. V. X-filin—Uredo saxifraoariim, from Wroxton (new to the district). Geranium 

 pusilhan (rai-e in the neighbourhood), and plants collected at Stonesfleld. 

 July .3Ist— Monthly Meeting— :Mr. T. Beesley, F.G.S., President, in the chair.— 

 The President read his Meteorological Reiiort for July. Mean height of baro- 

 meter at 32°, 29-.5.53 ; highest on tlie 27th, :!0-0G5 ; lowest on the 1.5th, -iO-OiS. Moan 

 temperature, 60\6 (0^.5 below averagel ; max. on '2nd and 3rd, 75'' ; min. on the 8th, 

 47-5. Rain fell on 2! days, amounting to 4-29 inches ; thunder and lightning on 

 the 2nd and 8th ; hail on 7th and 8th. The abundance of weeds was mentioned, 

 especially in the hedges, thistles and grasses almost hiding them. The weather 

 was very unfavoural)le for hay-making.— The Rev. 0. J. Bowen gave a most 

 interesting account of " An afternoon in the Catacombs on the .\ppian Way." 

 He first commented upon the fact of the Appian Way being a continuation of 

 the old Roman Watling Street which traverses England. It was the custom of 

 the Romans to raise monuments to their dead by the wayside. Though, he said, 

 a few of the Pagans buried their deal, yet such was an exceptional method : the 

 bodies were burned, and the ashes were placed in brazen vases in tombs, called 

 Columbarii. The columbarii were descended into by steps, and tlie little 

 recesses in which the vases were jilaced were easily distinguishable from the 

 square stone shelves used by the early Christians. The tombs were cut in a kind 

 of volcanic rock, called tufa granulare. The catacomb of Sau Calisto, bo 

 frequently visited, was only one of the many which surround Rome : there were 

 reckoned to be from .500 to GOO miles of such mortuary subterranean passages. 

 The longitudinal recesses in which tlio ntermeuts were made were closed with 

 tiles, which generally bore the brand of the reign in which they were manu- 

 factured. The Cubiculi were often beautifully painted and decorated. So it was 

 possible to determine not only the date of the tomb, but also, by aid of the 

 designs and inscriptions, to find out what kind of martyrdom ennobled the occu- 

 pants of these altar-tombs. Fastened to the cement of the loculi were found 

 little bottles which had contained small i)ortions of the blood of the martyrs. 

 There were also in these recesses little oratorios used by the early Christians with 

 cemented roofs, in many cases beautifully decorated, those of the first century 

 being the finest, those of subsequent date having been designed during the decline 

 of art. Mr. Bowen exhibited some magnificently illustrated quarto volumes 

 descriptive of the ground he had visited. The lecture was the first of a series. 

 A warm vote of thanks to Mr. Bowen was passed. — Mr. E. A. Walford, F.G.S., 



