The Roman Cemetery of Uriconium. 83 



here and there form thickened sheaths for the support of the 

 various delicate organs above described. 



The larval condition of Amphistoma conicum is at present 

 unknown, but in all probability it lives in or upon the body of 

 snails. This we infer from the circumstance that the larvae or 

 cercarice of a closely allied species — the Amphistoma subcla- 

 vatum, which infests the alimentary canal of frogs and newts — 

 have been found by Professor de Filippi of Turin, and by Dr. 

 Pagenstecher of Heidelberg, on the surface of the body of 

 various species of Planorbis ; whilst Professor Van Beneden, 

 of the Louvain University, has discovered the larvae in various 

 species of Oyclas. 



There can be little doubt, therefore, that some of the water 

 snails harbour the larvae of Amphistoma conicum; and, as a 

 natural consequence, when deer, sheep, or cattle resort to 

 ponds or running streams for the purpose of quenching their 

 thirst, they swallow, accidentally, as it were, the aforesaid 

 pond-snails. The cercariae, or larvae, are thus transferred to 

 the paunch, where, attaching themselves to the walls of the 

 interior, they complete their final stage of development. 



THE ROMAN CEMETERY OF URICONIUM, AT 

 WROXETER, SALOP. 



EY THOMAS WEIGHT, M.A., F.S.A. 



Foe several reasons, among which not the least was the want 

 of funds, the excavations at Wroxeter on the site of the Roman 

 city of Uriconium were discontinued during the spring and 

 summer of the past year (1861), and further delay was caused 

 in the autumn by the necessity of waiting until the crops had 

 been cleared off from the ground. It had been determined to 

 commence operations on this occasion upon the site of the 

 principal cemetery of the Roman city, which lies at a consider- 

 able distance from the former excavations. At length, in the 

 month of September, the ground was very liberally placed at 

 the disposal of the Committee of Excavations by the tenant- 

 farmer, Mr. George Juckes, of Beslow, and the men were 

 employed in exploring this ground, by means of trenches, from 

 the middle of that month to the end of November. 



A slight plan of the ground will enable us best to explain 

 the object and progress of these excavations. It may be pre- 

 mised that the invariable custom of the Romans forbade the 

 burial of the dead within the limits of a town, for religious as 

 VOL. i. — NO. i. D 



