Oct. 1 6, 1879J 



NATURE 



579 



{Sargasmm bacciferum), which scatters its feathery islets over 

 vast areas of warm, still water ; and affords rest and shelter 

 to the peculiar nomadic fauna to which I have already alluded 

 (vol. i. p. 186, &c.)." 



My colleague on board the Challcn^tr, Mr. H. N. Moseley, 

 on p. 567 of his recently-published "Notes by a Naturalist,"^ 

 refers to the pelagic habits of Sargassum and other sea-weeds in 

 the following words : — 



"Besides these smaller algae (Trichodesmiuut) living in the 

 open ocean, there are abundance of several species of larger 

 sea-weeds which are pelagic in habit. The Gulf-weed, Sar- 

 Xassum bacciferum, of the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic, is well 

 known. It is brown when dried or preserved, but when 

 living is of a very bright yellow colour, which contrasts 

 pleasingly with the deep blue of the open Atlantic. Another 

 sea-weed (Fiictis vesiculosu!) is to be found also living free in the 

 Atlantic, and the Giant Kelp (Macrocystis firi/era), in the floating 

 condition, ranges over a wide belt of the Southern Ocean, as 

 proved by Sir Joseph Hooker ('Flora Antarctica,' vol. i., 

 pp. 464-465)- 



"All theje sea-weeds grow attached to rocks on various 

 shores as well as free, but they all produce spores, only when 

 attached. The pelagic varieties multiply only by simple gi-owth 

 and i-ubdivision. A wide area covered with sea-weeds corre- 

 sponding to the Sargasso Sea occurs in the North Pacific 

 Ocean. 



In refutation of one of the fanciful reports alluded to by your 

 correspondent, namely, that some branches of the floating Sar- 

 gassum rise two inches above water, and are thus driven along 

 by the wind, I may add that the bunches of the Gulf-weed float 

 at, but not upon, the sea-Kurface, being almost completely im- 

 mersed in the water, and often entirely so. At times, when a 

 patch of weed is seen crowning the top of a wave, the tips of 

 the feathery bundles protrude abjvethe water, without, however, 

 presenting a surface large enough for the wind to act upon. 

 Probably, owing to the action of turfacc-currents, an apparently 

 endless procession of patches, large and small, may be often 

 observed drifting past the ship, forming in the .aggregate long 

 yellow streaks or bands, which cover the sea as far as the eye 

 can reach. J. J. Wild 



The Temple of Nodens in Lydney Park 



Prof. Rhys' interesting review on Mr. King's volume in 

 Nature, vol. xx. p. 285, has been recalled to mind by the 

 notice of the same quarto in Saturday's Alhinaum (September 

 27) ; and I would remind those interested of the occurrence of a 

 somewhat analogous relic of ancient rites in the pavement of the 

 primxval fane on the island of Gozo ; which relic was first (I 

 believe) noticed by myself in the pages of the Atlicnceuin in 

 November, 1872. A fuller account, with diagrams of the 

 pavement, appeared subsequently in the Journal of the Anthro- 

 pological Institute, vol. iv. (Plate vi.) in a paper on the "Non- 

 historic Stone Relics of the Mediterranean." 



Prof. Rhys writes: "We have not yet done with the pave- 

 ment, for in the part occupied by the dedicatory inscription, but 

 not quite in the centre, seemingly not to cut up the names, as 

 Mr. King thinks, there is w hat he describes as ' a circular 

 ojiening, nine inches in diameter, .'urrounded by a broad red 

 band again inclosed in two others of blue.' That some high 

 myftcry was involved in the setting of this unsightly object in 

 so conspicuous a position, cannot admit of any doubt." He 

 comes to the conclosion that this funnel was meant to receive 

 libations poured to the god, and that they were drunl; up by the 

 dry soil beneath. He further compares this opening in the 

 pavement " to the well of salt water, that famous memorial of 

 the former presence of Poseidon in the Acropolis of Athens." 



Compare this with my account cf the Gozo pavement in 1872, 

 as follows : — 



" In the pavement of the inner left-hand pair of chambers at 

 Gozo, to the right are the partially-covered remains of a large 

 stone basin, or hollowed stone « iih a broad raised brim, and in 

 the threshold of the entrance, between the two chamliers, a 

 broken holed stone, at the ba«e of which was some coarse burnt 

 clay, hollowed so that the stone could hold water. At Ilagiar 

 Khem these holed stones or stone rings are frequent, and may 

 have been used for holding the pins on which the viilves of 

 heavy doors turnc.i, or, more probably, may have served to 

 .snpport earthenware amphora or cadi, with pointed bases, as 



' " Nole« Ijy a Naturalist on the Clintleligrr," by H. N. Moseley, M A. 

 FR.S. (I,ohd n: Macmillan a.n<l Ca, 1879.) ' 



was commonly the practice amongst not only the ancient 

 Egyptians, but also the Greeks and Romans. 



' ' The most unaccountable feature, however, in the whole of 

 the monuments is to be found in the central stone of the platform of 

 the centre apse at Gozo, right opposite to the entrance of the left- 

 hand pair of chambers. This consists in a axdavs, funnel-shaped 



concavity, with one side cut away to the edge of the step of the 

 platform of which it forms part. It is sharply cut, and in 

 tolerable preservation, and seems designed as a species of socket 

 in which some portable pillar, pole, altar, or vase could be fitted 

 and fixed, or unshipped and replaced, on separate occasions. 

 The reader may suggest fome more practical use for which it 

 may have been intended." 



Accordingly, I would now adopt Mr. King's suggestion that, 

 like the terra-cotta funnel fitted into the similar orifice at Lydney, 

 it was meant to receive the drink-offerings of blood or libations 

 of wine poured to the " god of the deeps." Anyhow, this would 

 add effect to the surmise that a primeval fane of huge stones 

 (very doubtfully Druidical ! may I suggest Phanician ?) had been 

 converted into a Roman temple for the benefit of the Latin- 

 speakingiron-workers, " prope Sabrinum ostium," The AtheniTum 

 reviewer reminds Mr. King that there is no classical authority 

 that connects Druidis'i directly or indirectly with any stone 

 temple or megalithic remains, adding, however: " The dolmens 

 of Wales are probably posltrior to the withdrawal of the Romans" 

 What authority can he claim for this except Mr. Fergnsson's 

 Arthurian myths from the Welsh triads in Herbert's "Cyclops 

 Christianus." I should be glad if Prof. Rhys would deal with 

 this question, and ask if he can reconcile the following theories 

 of Fergusson in his " Rude Stone Monuments" : — 



1. The post-Reman dolmen-builders came "from the south, 

 first touched in Cornwall, and thence spread northwards, settling 

 on both sides of St. George's Channel, and leaving traces of 

 their existence on the south and both coasts of Ireland, as well 

 as in Wales and the west of England gener.-illy " (see p. 274). 



2. The Siluri and Brigantes emigrated from Spain to the 

 banks of the Severn 261 years before our era (p. 381). 



3. " We find the Bryts beginning to UfC stones after having 

 been driven from the fertile plains of the east into the fastnesses 

 of Cumberland and Wales ; so we find the Spaniards first adopting 

 rude stone monuments after having been driven into Portugal and 

 the Asturias " (p. 380). 



4. Locqmariaker and the monuments of the River Boyne 

 were all erected in the first four centuries after Christ (p. 370). 



5. The Crozon and Carnac monuments ascribed to the 

 Arthurian age, 380-550 a.d. (p. 375). 



6. The dolmen of Confolens : "It is a dolmen pure and 

 simple, and it was erected in the twelfth century" (p. 336). 



The Phoenicians, who dealt w ith the tin-workers of Cornwall, 

 must have been amongst the first navigators who explored the 

 hanks of the Severn and recognised the mineral treasures of the 

 Forest of Dean. S. P. Oliver 



P.S. — Since writing the above 1 notice that M. Carapanos 

 and M. Foucart found certain lead plates from the ruins of 

 Taracovista (the ancient Dodona), on which petitions similar to 

 that of Silulanus are inscribed ; for instance, one Agis consults 

 the great Zeus on the subject of his pillows and blankets, which 

 he has lost or had stolen from him ; whilst another, a shepherd 

 promises his gratitude to Zeus if he succeeds in rearing his 

 sheep, &c. These tablets and bronzes found with them were 

 exhibited at Paris last year. The great Dodonian ^eu! therefore 



