OCCASIONAL NOTES. 61 
Close to this a quantity of hemp-seed, and of what appeared to be small 
beans in the same well-preserved condition, were found, and among them 
considerable fragments of the sacks in which they had been kept, the fibre 
and texture clearly distinguishable. Behind these heaps and aguinst the 
wall more seed was dug out, mixed with heaps of carbonised wood, iron 
hinges and nails, and some iron hoops, evidently the remains of small 
barrels and bins which had been ranged on this side, while along the opposite 
wall a double row of terra-cotta ollee for holding grain was gradually revealed. 
Suddenly there arose a cry, ‘un ossa,’ ‘un scheletro,’ and the excitement 
became intense; but the bones were small—at first they seemed mere 
fragments, and then the Director exclaimed, amid quickly following laughter, 
‘A chicken!’ Here the filling in had become somewhat solidified, and as 
it broke apart a complete skeleton was revealed. It was that of a little 
singing bird, entirely embedded in the mass, and near it were fragments of 
other tiny bones. There could no longer be any doubt that the use of the 
little terra-cotta pots had been correctly described. It became clear why so 
many of them were found there, and that the number of plain bronze rings 
of about an inch and a half in diameter, and pieces of fine chainwork 
discovered, had been used for hanging birdcages. But what connexion had 
all those bronze vessels and ornaments near the door with a seed and bird- 
seller's shop? This also soon became evident. As the excavators continued 
farther into the room, great masses of carbonised beams of wood were found, 
each somewhat inclined downwards, and among them a quantity of frag- 
ments of intonaco and stucco wall-facing, coloured porphyry with a border 
of green and white. These were at once seen to be the remains of the floor 
of the room above with some of the plastering of its walls, and from the 
direction in which the beams were lying it was evideut the floor had given 
way in the middle and towards the door of the shop below, precipitating 
the greater part of the contents of the upper room in that direction, the 
remainder falling towards the middle, and it was here the elegant long- 
stemmed candelabrum was found among the masses and fragments of 
carbonised wood. Did the worthy birdseller live above his shop? Did this 
candelabrum and the various bronze vases and other utensils form part of 
his domestic furniture? Who can tell?” 
[In all probability the ground-floor only was occupied by the bird-dealer, 
while the floor above was perhaps tenanted by a dealer in candelabra and 
vases. One can hardly suppose that a bird-dealer could afford to own such 
works of art as were here discovered.—J. E. Harrine. | 
SISKINS BREEDING JN CONFINEMENT.—It is now some ten years since 
I first tried to get Siskins to breed in confinement, and although, after 
many failures, I obtained nests of eggs, and occasionally young ones, it was 
only last year (1878) that I succeeded for the first time in rearing one out 
