wormsSubsidence　of　the　floorsThickness　of　the　mouldThe　old
  Roman　city　of　WroxeterThickness　of　the　mouldDepth　of　the
  foundations　of　some　of　the　BuildingsConclusion。
  Archaeologists　are　probably　not　aware　how　much　they　owe　to　worms
  for　the　preservation　of　many　ancient　objects。　　Coins；　gold
  ornaments；　stone　implements；　&c。；　if　dropped　on　the　surface　of　the
  ground；　will　infallibly　be　buried　by　the　castings　of　worms　in　a　few
  years；　and　will　thus　be　safely　preserved；　until　the　land　at　some
  future　time　is　turned　up。　　For　instance；　many　years　ago　a　grass…
  field　was　ploughed　on　the　northern　side　of　the　Severn；　not　far　from
  Shrewsbury；　and　a　surprising　number　of　iron　arrow…heads　were　found
  at　the　bottom　of　the　furrows；　which；　as　Mr。　Blakeway；　a　local
  antiquary；　believed；　were　relics　of　the　battle　of　Shrewsbury　in　the
  year　1403；　and　no　doubt　had　been　originally　left　strewed　on　the
  battle…field。　　In　the　present　chapter　I　shall　show　that　not　only
  implements；　&c。；　are　thus　preserved；　but　that　the　floors　and　the
  remains　of　many　ancient　buildings　in　England　have　been　buried　so
  effectually；　in　large　part　through　the　action　of　worms；　that　they
  have　been　discovered　in　recent　times　solely　through　various
  accidents。　　The　enormous　beds　of　rubbish；　several　yards　in
  thickness；　which　underlie　many　cities；　such　as　Rome；　Paris；　and
  London；　the　lower　ones　being　of　great　antiquity；　are　not　here
  referred　to；　as　they　have　not　been　in　any　way　acted　on　by　worms。
  When　we　consider　how　much　matter　is　daily　brought　into　a　great　city
  for　building；　fuel；　clothing　and　food；　and　that　in　old　times　when
  the　roads　were　bad　and　the　work　of　the　scavenger　was　neglected；　a
  comparatively　small　amount　was　carried　away；　we　may　agree　with　Elie
  de　Beaumont；　who；　in　discussing　this　subject；　says；　〃pour　une
  voiture　de　materiaux　qui　en　sort；　on　y　en　fait　entrer　cent。〃　｛53｝
  Nor　should　we　overlook　the　effects　of　fires；　the　demolition　of　old
  buildings；　and　the　removal　of　rubbish　to　the　nearest　vacant　space；
  Abinger；　Surrey。Late　in　the　autumn　of　1876；　the　ground　in　an　old
  farm…yard　at　this　place　was　dug　to　a　depth　of　2　to　2。5　feet；　and
  the　workmen　found　various　ancient　remains。　　This　led　Mr。　T。　H。
  Farrer　of　Abinger　Hall　to　have　an　adjoining　ploughed　field
  searched。　　On　a　trench　being　dug；　a　layer　of　concrete；　still　partly
  covered　with　tesserae　（small　red　tiles）；　and　surrounded　on　two
  sides　by　broken…down　walls；　was　soon　discovered。　　It　is　believed；
  ｛54｝　that　this　room　formed　part　of　the　atrium　or　reception…room　of
  a　Roman　villa。　　The　walls　of　two　or　three　other　small　rooms　were
  afterwards　discovered。　　Many　fragments　of　pottery；　other　objects；
  and　coins　of　several　Roman　emperors；　dating　from　133　to　361；　and
  perhaps　to　375　A。D。；　were　likewise　found。　　Also　a　half…penny　of
  George　I。；　1715。　　The　presence　of　this　latter　coin　seems　an
  anomaly；　but　no　doubt　it　was　dropped　on　the　ground　during　the　last
  century；　and　since　then　there　has　been　ample　time　for　its　burial
  under　a　considerable　depth　of　the　castings　of　worms。　　From　the
  different　dates　of　the　Roman　coins　we　may　infer　that　the　building
  was　long　inhabited。　　It　was　probably　ruined　and　deserted　1400　or
  1500　years　ago。
  I　was　present　during　the　commencement　of　the　excavations　（August
  20；　1877）　and　Mr。　Farrer　had　two　deep　trenches　dug　at　opposite　ends
  of　the　atrium；　so　that　I　might　examine　the　nature　of　the　soil　near
  the　remains。　　The　field　sloped　from　east　to　west　at　an　angle　of
  about　7　degrees；　and　one　of　the　two　trenches；　shown　in　the
  accompanying　section　（Fig。　8）　was　at　the　upper　or　eastern　end。　　The
  diagram　is　on　a　scale　of　1/20　of　an　inch　to　an　inch；　but　the
  trench；　which　was　between　4　and　5　feet　broad；　and　in　parts　above　5
  feet　deep；　has　necessarily　been　reduced　out　of　all　proportion。　　The
  fine　mould　over　the　floor　of　the　atrium　varied　in　thickness　from　11
  to　16　inches；　and　on　the　side　of　the　trench　in　the　section　was　a
  little　over　13　inches。　　After　the　mould　had　been　removed；　the　floor
  appeared　as　a　whole　moderately　level；　but　it　sloped　in　parts　at　an
  angle　of　1　degree；　and　in　one　place　near　the　outside　at　as　much　as
  8　degrees　30　minutes。　　The　wall　surrounding　the　pavement　was　built
  of　rough　stones；　and　was　23　inches　in　thickness　where　the　trench
  was　dug。　　Its　broken　summit　was　here　13　inches；　but　in　another　part
  15　inches；　beneath　the　surface　of　the　field；　being　covered　by　this
  thickness　of　mould。　　In　one　spot；　however；　it　rose　to　within　6
  inches　of　the　surface。　　On　two　sides　of　the　room；　where　the
  junction　of　the　concrete　floor　with　the　bounding　walls　could　be
  carefully　examined；　there　was　no　crack　or　separation。　　This　trench
  afterwards　proved　to　have　been　dug　within　an　adjoining　room　（11　ft。
  by　11　ft。　6　in。　in　size）；　the　existence　of　which　was　not　even
  suspected　whilst　I　was　present。
  On　the　side　of　the　trench　farthest　from　the　buried　wall　（W）；　the
  mould　varied　from　9　to　14　inches　in　thickness；　it　rested　on　a　mass
  （B）　23　inches　thick　of　blackish　earth；　including　many　large　stones。
  Beneath　this　was　a　thin　bed　of　very　black　mould　（C）；　then　a　layer
  of　earth　full　of　fragments　of　mortar　（D）；　and　then　another　thin　bed
  （about　3　inches　thick）　（E）　of　very　black　mould；　which　rested　on　the
  undisturbed　subsoil　（F）　of　firm；　yellowish；　argillaceous　sand。　　The
  23…inch　bed　（B）　was　probably　made　ground；　as　this　would　have
  brought　up　the　floor　of　the　room　to　a　level　with　that　of　the
  atrium。　　The　two　thin　beds　of　black　mould　at　the　bottom　of　the
  trench　evidently　marked　two　former　land…surfaces。　　Outside　the
  walls　of　the　northern　room；　many　bones；　ashes；　oyster…shells；
  broken　pottery　and　an　entire　pot　were　subsequently　found　at　a　depth
  of　16　inches　beneath　the　surface。
  The　second　trench　was　dug　on　the　western　or　lower　side　of　the
  villa：　　the　mould　was　here　only　6。5　inches　in　thickness；　and　it
  rested　on　a　mass　of　fine　earth　full　of　stones；　broken　tiles　and
  fragments　of　mortar；　34　inches　in　thickness；　beneath　which　was　the
  undisturbed　sand。　　Most　of　this　earth　had　probably　been　washed　down
  from　the　upper　part　of　the　field；　and　the　fragments　of　stones；
  tiles；　&c。；　must　have　come　from　the　immediately　adjoining　ruins。
  It　appears　at　first　sight　a　surprising　fact　that　this　field　of
  light　sandy　soil　should　have　been　cultivated　and　ploughed　during
  many　years；　and　that　not　a　vestige　of　these　buildings　should　have
  been　discovered。　　No　one　even　suspected　that　the　remains　of　a　Roman
  villa　lay　hidden　close　beneath　the　surface。　　But　the　fact　is　less
  surprising　when　it　is　known　that　the　field；　as　the　bailiff
  believed；　had　never　been　ploughed　to　a　greater　depth　than　4　inches。
  It　is　certain　that　when　the　land　was　first　ploughed；　the　pavement
  and　the　surrounding　broken　walls　must　have　been　covered　by　at　least
  4　inches　of　soil；　for　otherwise　the　rotten　concrete　floor　would
  have　been　scored　by　the　ploughshare；　the　tesserae　torn　up；　and　the
  tops　of　the　old　walls　knocked　down。
  When　the　concrete　and　tesserae　were　first　cleared　over　a　space　of
  14　by　9　ft。；　the　floor　which　was　coated　with　trodden…down　earth
  exhibited　no　signs　of　having　been　penetrated　by　worms；　and　although
  the　overlying　fine　mould　closely　resembled　that　which　in　many
  places　has　certainly　been　accumulated　by　worms；　yet　it　seemed
  hardly　possible　that　this　mould　could　have　been　brought　up　by　worms
  from　beneath　the　apparently　sound　floor。　　It　seemed　also　extremely
  improbable　that　the　thick　walls；　surrounding　the　room　and　still
  united　to　the　concrete；　had　been　undermined　by　worms；　and　had　thus
  been　caused　to　sink；　being　afterwards　covered　up　by　their　castings。
  I　therefore　at　first　concluded　that　all　the　fine　mould　above　the
  ruins　had　been　washed　down　from　the　upper　parts　of　the　field；　but
  we　shall　soon　see　that　this　conclusion　was　certainly　erroneous；
  though　much　fine　earth　is　known　to　be　washed　down　from　the　upper
  part　of　the　field　in　its　present　ploughed　state　during　heavy　rains。
  Although　the　concrete　floor　did　not　at　first　appear　to　have　been
  anywhere　penetrated　by　worms；　yet　by　the　next　morning　little　cakes
  of　the　trodden…down　earth　had　been　lifted　up　by　worms　over　the
  mouths　of　seven　burrows；　which　passed　through　the　softer　parts　of
  the　naked　concrete；　or　between　the　interstices　of　the　tesserae。　　On
  the　third　morning　twenty…five　burrows　were　counted；　and　by　suddenly
  lifting　up　the　little　cakes　of　earth；　four　worms　were　seen　in　the
  act　of　quickly　retreating。　　Two　castings　were　thrown　up　during　the
  third　night　on　the　floor；　and　these　were　of　large　size。　　The　season
  was　not　favourable　for　the　full　activity　of　worms；　and　the　weather
  had　lately　been　hot　and　dry；　so　that　most　of　the　worms　now　lived　at
  a　considerable　depth。　　In　digging　the　two　trenches　many　open
  burrows　and　some　worms　were　encountered　at　between　30　and　40　inches
  beneath　the　surface；　but　at　a　greater　depth　they　became　rare。　　One
  worm；　however；　was　cut　through　at　48。5；　and　another　at　51。5　inches
  beneath　the　surface。　　A　fresh　humus…lined　burrow　was　also　met　with
  at　a　depth　of　57　and　another　at　65。5　inches。　　At　greater　depths
  than　this；　neither　burrows　nor　worms　were　seen。
  As