54 SECOND ANNUAL MEETING. 
Quantocks, where they are so numerous that within less 
than a mile from Mr. Poole’s residence, there are more than 
forty ; coloured drawings of some of which were exhibited. 
They vary in diameter from thirty to sixty feet, and differ 
very much in depth. More than fifty years ago, during a 
a very dry summer, he had one of them emptied. The 
water was got out easily, the deposit with more diflieulty, 
and at last he had the pleasure of standing on the bottom. 
Many opinions had been formed respecting the object of 
these excavations. He thought the most probable was, 
that the pits were dug, many ages since, to obtain clay to 
alloy the rich vegetable surface soil, when the ground was 
first cultivated after the clearing of the primeval forests. 
Mr. MARKLAND then addressed the meeting on the 
sculpture of the west end of Wells Cathedral, and read 
some communications which he had received from C. R. 
Cockerell, Esq. R.A. He (Mr. Markland) deeply regretted 
the absence of that gentleman from the present meeting, 
a feeling in which all present would participate, especially 
when they heard that it was caused by severe indis- 
position. Knowing the great attention which Mr. Cockerell 
had paid to these remains of ancient art, and having had 
the benefit of hearing, last year, at the meeting of the 
Archaeological Institute, at Salisbury, a very able paper 
on the sculpture of that Cathedral from the pen of Mr. 
Cockerell, he (Mr. Markland) had felt anxious that the 
members ofthe Somersetshire Archaeological Society should 
have been similarly benefitted by listening to remarks from 
Mr. Cockerell’s own lips, on the present subject. 
Mr. Cockerell, in his first letter, dated, “ Bank of Eng- 
land, 4th September,” says, “ Iam much honoured and gra- 
tified by your note and proposition of yesterday, regarding 
our beloved Wells, which, without any extreme or enthusi- 
