away　for　building　a　castle；　and　it　is　certain　that　they　have　been
  removed。　　The　positions　of　the　nave　and　transepts　were　ascertained
  not　long　ago　by　the　foundations　having　been　found；　and　the　place　is
  now　marked　by　stones　let　into　the　ground。　　Where　the　abbey　formerly
  stood；　there　now　extends　a　smooth　grass…covered　surface；　which
  resembles　in　all　respects　the　rest　of　the　field。　　The　guardian；　a
  very　old　man；　said　the　surface　had　never　been　levelled　in　his　time。
  In　the　year　1853；　the　Duke　of　Buccleuch　had　three　holes　dug　in　the
  turf　within　a　few　yards　of　one　another；　at　the　western　end　of　the
  nave；　and　the　old　tesselated　pavement　of　the　abbey　was　thus
  discovered。　　These　holes　were　afterwards　surrounded　by　brickwork；
  and　protected　by　trap…doors；　so　that　the　pavement　might　be　readily
  inspected　and　preserved。　　When　my　son　William　examined　the　place　on
  January　5；　1872；　he　found　that　the　pavement　in　the　three　holes　lay
  at　depths　of　6。75；　10　and　11。5　inches　beneath　the　surrounding　turf…
  covered　surface。　　The　old　guardian　asserted　that　he　was　often
  forced　to　remove　worm…castings　from　the　pavement；　and　that　he　had
  done　so　about　six　months　before。　　My　son　collected　all　from　one　of
  the　holes；　the　area　of　which　was　5。32　square　feet；　and　they　weighed
  7。97　ounces。　　Assuming　that　this　amount　had　accumulated　in　six
  months；　the　accumulation　during　a　year　on　a　square　yard　would　be
  1。68　pounds；　which；　though　a　large　amount；　is　very　small　compared
  with　what；　as　we　have　seen；　is　often　ejected　on　fields　and　commons。
  When　I　visited　the　abbey　on　June　22；　1877；　the　old　man　said　that　he
  had　cleared　out　the　holes　about　a　month　before；　but　a　good　many
  castings　had　since　been　ejected。　　I　suspect　that　he　imagined　that
  he　swept　the　pavements　oftener　than　he　really　did；　for　the
  conditions　were　in　several　respects　very　unfavourable　for　the
  accumulation　of　even　a　moderate　amount　of　castings。　　The　tiles　are
  rather　large；　viz。；　about　5。5　inches　square；　and　the　mortar　between
  them　was　in　most　places　sound；　so　that　the　worms　were　able　to　bring
  up　earth　from　below　only　at　certain　points。　　The　tiles　rested　on　a
  bed　of　concrete；　and　the　castings　in　consequence　consisted　in　large
  part　（viz。；　in　the　proportion　of　19　to　33）　of　particles　of　mortar；
  grains　of　sand；　little　fragments　of　rock；　bricks　or　tile；　and　such
  substances　could　hardly　be　agreeable；　and　certainly　not　nutritious；
  to　worms。
  My　son　dug　holes　in　several　places　within　the　former　walls　of　the
  abbey；　at　a　distance　of　several　yards　from　the　above　described
  bricked　squares。　　He　did　not　find　any　tiles；　though　these　are　known
  to　occur　in　some　other　parts；　but　he　came　in　one　spot　to　concrete
  on　which　tiles　had　once　rested。　　The　fine　mould　beneath　the　turf　on
  the　sides　of　the　several　holes；　varied　in　thickness　from　only　2　to
  2。75　inches；　and　this　rested　on　a　layer　from　8。75　to　above　11
  inches　in　thickness；　consisting　of　fragments　of　mortar　and　stone…
  rubbish　with　the　interstices　compactly　filled　up　with　black　mould。
  In　the　surrounding　field；　at　a　distance　of　20　yards　from　the　abbey；
  the　fine　vegetable　mould　was　11　inches　thick。
  We　may　conclude　from　these　facts　that　when　the　abbey　was　destroyed
  and　the　stones　removed；　a　layer　of　rubbish　was　left　over　the　whole
  surface；　and　that　as　soon　as　the　worms　were　able　to　penetrate　the
  decayed　concrete　and　the　joints　between　the　tiles；　they　slowly
  filled　up　the　interstices　in　the　overlying　rubbish　with　their
  castings；　which　were　afterwards　accumulated　to　a　thickness　of
  nearly　three　inches　over　the　whole　surface。　　If　we　add　to　this
  latter　amount　the　mould　between　the　fragments　of　stones；　some　five
  or　six　inches　of　mould　must　have　been　brought　up　from　beneath　the
  concrete　or　tiles。　　The　concrete　or　tiles　will　consequently　have
  subsided　to　nearly　this　amount。　　The　bases　of　the　columns　of　the
  aisles　are　now　buried　beneath　mould　and　turf。　　It　is　not　probable
  that　they　can　have　been　undermined　by　worms；　for　their　foundations
  would　no　doubt　have　been　laid　at　a　considerable　depth。　　If　they
  have　not　subsided；　the　stones　of　which　the　columns　were　constructed
  must　have　been　removed　from　beneath　the　former　level　of　the　floor。
  Chedworth；　Gloucestershire。The　remains　of　a　large　Roman　villa
  were　discovered　here　in　1866；　on　ground　which　had　been　covered　with
  wood　from　time　immemorial。　　No　suspicion　seems　ever　to　have　been
  entertained　that　ancient　buildings　lay　buried　here；　until　a
  gamekeeper；　in　digging　for　rabbits；　encountered　some　remains。　｛55｝
  But　subsequently　the　tops　of　some　stone　walls　were　detected　in
  parts　of　the　wood；　projecting　a　little　above　the　surface　of　the
  ground。　　Most　of　the　coins　found　here　belonged　to　Constans　（who
  died　350　A。D。）　and　the　Constantine　family。　　My　sons　Francis　and
  Horace　visited　the　place　in　November　1877；　for　the　sake　of
  ascertaining　what　part　worms　may　have　played　in　the　burial　of　these
  extensive　remains。　　But　the　circumstances　were　not　favourable　for
  this　object；　as　the　ruins　are　surrounded　on　three　sides　by　rather
  steep　banks；　down　which　earth　is　washed　during　rainy　weather。
  Moreover　most　of　the　old　rooms　have　been　covered　with　roofs；　for
  the　protection　of　the　elegant　tesselated　pavements。
  A　few　facts　may；　however；　be　given　on　the　thickness　of　the　soil
  over　these　ruins。　　Close　outside　the　northern　rooms　there　is　a
  broken　wall；　the　summit　of　which　was　covered　by　5　inches　of　black
  mould；　and　in　a　hole　dug　on　the　outer　side　of　this　wall；　where　the
  ground　had　never　before　been　disturbed；　black　mould；　full　of
  stones；　26　inches　in　thickness；　was　found；　resting　on　the
  undisturbed　sub…soil　of　yellow　clay。　　At　a　depth　of　22　inches　from
  the　surface　a　pig's　jaw　and　a　fragment　of　a　tile　were　found。　　When
  the　excavations　were　first　made；　some　large　trees　grew　over　the
  ruins；　and　the　stump　of　one　has　been　left　directly　over　a　party…
  wall　near　the　bath…room；　for　the　sake　of　showing　the　thickness　of
  the　superincumbent　soil；　which　was　here　38　inches。　　In　one　small
  room；　which；　after　being　cleared　out；　had　not　been　roofed　over；　my
  sons　observed　the　hole　of　a　worm　passing　through　the　rotten
  concrete；　and　a　living　worm　was　found　within　the　concrete。　　In
  another　open　room　worm…castings　were　seen　on　the　floor；　over　which
  some　earth　had　by　this　means　been　deposited；　and　here　grass　now
  grew。
  Brading；　Isle　of　Wight。A　fine　Roman　villa　was　discovered　here　in
  1880；　and　by　the　end　of　October　no　less　than　18　chambers　had　been
  more　or　less　cleared。　　A　coin　dated　337　A。D。　　was　found。　　My　son
  William　visited　the　place　before　the　excavations　were　completed；
  and　he　informs　me　that　most　of　the　floors　were　at　first　covered
  with　much　rubbish　and　fallen　stones；　having　their　interstices
  completely　filled　up　with　mould；　abounding；　as　the　workmen　said；
  with　worms；　above　which　there　was　mould　without　any　stones。　　The
  whole　mass　was　in　most　places　from　3　to　above　4　ft。　in　thickness。
  In　one　very　large　room　the　overlying　earth　was　only　2　ft。　6　in。
  thick；　and　after　this　had　been　removed；　so　many　castings　were
  thrown　up　between　the　tiles　that　the　surface　had　to　be　almost　daily
  swept。　　Most　of　the　floors　were　fairly　level。　　The　tops　of　the
  broken…down　walls　were　covered　in　some　places　by　only　4　or　5　inches
  of　soil；　so　that　they　were　occasionally　struck　by　the　plough；　but
  in　other　places　they　were　covered　by　from　13　to　18　inches　of　soil。
  It　is　not　probable　that　these　walls　could　have　been　undermined　by
  worms　and　subsided；　as　they　rested　on　a　foundation　of　very　hard　red
  sand；　into　which　worms　could　hardly　burrow。　　The　mortar；　however；
  between　the　stones　of　the　walls　of　a　hypocaust　was　found　by　my　son
  to　have　been　penetrated　by　many　worm…burrows。　　The　remains　of　this
  villa　stand　on　land　which　slopes　at　an　angle　of　about　3　degrees；
  and　the　land　appears　to　have　been　long　cultivated。　　Therefore　no
  doubt　a　considerable　quantity　of　fine　earth　has　been　washed　down
  from　the　upper　parts　of　the　field；　and　has　largely　aided　in　the
  burial　of　these　remains。
  Silchester；　Hampshire。The　ruins　of　this　small　Roman　town　have
  been　better　preserved　than　any　other　remains　of　the　kind　in
  England。　　A　broken　wall；　in　most　parts　from　15　to　18　feet　in　height
  and　about　1。5　mile　in　compass；　now　surrounds　a　space　of　about　100
  acres　of　cultivated　land；　on　which　a　farm…house　and　a　church　stand。
  ｛56｝　　Formerly；　when　the　weather　was　dry；　the　lines　of　the　buried
  walls　could　be　traced　by　the　appearance　of　the　crops；　and　recently
  very　extensive　excavations　have　been　undertaken　by　the　Duke　of
  Wellington；　under　the　superintendence　of　the　late　Rev。　J。　G。　Joyce；
  by　which　means　many　large　buildings　have　been　discovered。　　Mr。
  Joyce　made　careful　coloured　sections；　and　measured　the　thickness　of
  each　bed　of　rubbish；　whilst　the　excavations　were　in　progress；　and
  he　has　had　the　kindness　to　send　me　copies　of　several　of　them。　　When
  my　sons　Francis　and　Horace　visited　these　ruins；　he　accompanied
  them；　and　added　his　notes　to　theirs。
  Mr。　Joyce　estimates　that　the　town　was　inhabited　by　the　Romans　for
  about　three　centuries；　and　no　doubt　much　matter　must　have
  accumulated　within　the　walls　du