XXXI. 



having been buried by some unfortunate citizen at the moment of leaving 

 the doomed city, with the hope perhaps of future recovery. Passing the 

 Roman wall, which was 31ft. in depth when discovered, the party 

 inspected the pottery and other articles in the several table cases 

 notably the fine red ware called " Samian," which the learned 

 doctor characterised as patrician pottery, made of clay of a fine texture, 

 heavily baked, the colouring matter being peroxide of iron. The 

 figures on it are most graceful designs in foliage and hunting scenes, 

 and numbers of the vessels bear the names of the potters stamped 

 on their bases, Dr. Stevens remarking that he had deciphered 

 some 70 names. In reference to other pottery, the vaiious cases 

 contain a great variety in shape, colour, and ornamentation. A good 

 deal of the pottery found at Silchester was made in the New Forest, and 

 much of the ware was of a maroon colour and baked to an intense hard- 

 ness, a common form in this material being the small drinking cup with 

 indented sides. Two strong forms should receive mention the very 

 large vessels called amphorcc, which were receptacles for wine, some 

 containing several gallons, and were carried by handles on each side of 

 the neck ; and the necessary appendages to the kitchen known as 

 mortars (morlaria) or mortar basins. Much of the pottery would be 

 observed to be glazed red, black, or maroon, and in some of the reddish 

 glaze small fragments of mica could be seen. There were numerous 

 impressions of the feet of various animals left on bricks and tiles 

 when the clay was plastic ; specimens represent a dog, cat, goat 

 and kid, bird, moulds of shoe nails, and in one instance the impress of a 

 child's foot, whilst there are pieces of dried clay into which the thumb had 

 apparently been thrust in various places, with the object, perhaps, of 

 testing the plasticity of the material for working. The iron series is 

 large, varied, and most instructive. Among those now cleaned and 

 prepared for permanent exhibition are such as were in daily requisition 

 for household purposes and used by mechanics, such as knives, keys, 

 locks, bolts, holdfasts, latches, catches, drawer and bucket handles, 

 nails, horseshoes, padlocks and keys, and some peculiar carpenters' tools 

 such as a plane (very rare), and some chisels ; also a blacksmith's anvil 

 and pincers, shoemaker's anvils, plough coulters, iron hammers, &c. The 

 padlock and key of the West Gate of the city of Silchester are complete ; 

 and beside them are to be seen an iron band, also from the 

 West Gate. The visitors had an opportunity of seeing the latest 

 discoveries made last year at Silchester, which are now at the Museum. 

 They include some large panels of tesselation, at the present standing 

 in the large window till the gallery (now in course of erection) for their 



