below the surface, and under a growth of peat. It was discovered in a dark soil with animal bones, and had probably been brought down from the higher land at some remote period in a watercourse. Some distance off at a higher level was an ancient cemetery, where interments had been made both by inhumation and cremation, the latter being undoubtedly Roman.

The second bead is of the usual pattern, 1 in. long and 1 in. in diameter, with the ends bevelled off in facets. It was found in 1837, in deepening a well at Wye, Kent, in a house near the church. It was taken by Mr. Matthews, the owner of the premises, out of the mud from the well thrown up in the garden. He bequeathed it, together with the house, to a relative, from whom I obtained it. Mr. Matthews thought the bead had been thrown into the well "to charm the water." It has been figured in Morris's "Topography of Wye,” p. 21, and is represented in Plate XXII. fig. 6.

The third bead is of the same form as the last, but smaller in size, measuring 14 in. in length and 1 in. in diameter. It belongs to Mr. Cecil Brent, F.S.A. by whom it was purchased from a curiosity dealer in Canterbury, who stated that he had obtained it from a labouring man, with the account that it was found in the neighbourhood. At the time in question extensive excavations were going on at Canterbury. This bead has the appearance of great antiquity, the glass being much oxidised or perhaps waterworn.

A certain number of these beads are preserved in various collections, which it may be desirable to describe:

In the British Museum there are to be found thirteen specimens, of which the following account has been furnished to me by Mr. Franks :

"1. In the Egyptian collection, length 24 in.; diameter 16 in.; ends facetted. Obtained by the Rev. Greville Chester, at Dakkeh, in Nubia, where he purchased it of an Arab girl. It is represented in Plate XXII. fig. 5.

"2. Fragment of a large bead with facetted ends; present length 1 in. It was obtained in 1853 from the collection of Dr. Gideon Mantell, but unfortunately nothing is known of its history. It may, however, have been found in Kent or Sussex, as most of his antiquities were derived from those counties.

"3. Large bead, much oxidised, and worn or bruised; the ends truncated and very slightly rounded; length 21⁄2 in.; diameter 1 in. The outer blue surface is partially ground or worn off so as to exhibit the ridges of the outermost star of opaque white, which gives the bead the effect of being striped. Purchased in 1861, without any history.

"4. Unusually short bead, measuring in. in length and 1 in. in diameter;

ends facetted. The white lines are somewhat curved, so as to resemble a toothed wheel; but little of the outer coating of blue is visible, which forms a herringbone pattern. It belonged to the late Mr. B. Nightingale, and was found in 1848 in the Greta, near Keswick, Westmoreland, by Mr. Donaldson, while angling. "5. An egg-shaped bead, rather worn; length 1 in.; diameter 17 in.; ends facetted. From the collection of the Duc de Blacas, 1867. No history, but probably foreign.

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"6. Fragment of a bead, with facetted end; present length in.; acquired in 1868 from the collection of the late Mr. Woodhouse, of Corfu, and probably found in that island; it is slightly iridescent.

"7. A perfect bead; well preserved; length 13 in.; diameter 1 in.; ends facetted. Believed to have been found in London.

“8. A small bead, evidently much more modern than those described above. It is in. long and in. in diameter. The outer coating is of a deep green instead of blue. It is only worth noticing as being the specimen formerly in Mr. B. Nightingale's collection, and engraved in Archæologia, xxxiv. pl. v. fig. 9. It is stated to have been found in the Thames near London Bridge, June, 1847, and was obtained by the British Museum with the collection of the late Mr. Lucas, of Ashborne, Derbyshire.

"The five following specimens are from the Slade collection :"9. A large bead; 2 in. long.; 1 in. diameter; ends facetted, showing numerous smaller holes parallel to the rod. It is described in the catalogue of the Slade Collection No. 50, and the woodcut illustrating it in that work is here reproduced."

"10. A very similar bead; length 2 in.; diameter 13 in.; ends facetted. No history.

"11. A bead nearly globular, with rounded ends; length in.; diameter 1 in.

0

12. 13. A pair of beads, exactly similar, with facetted ends, mounted in metal loops, length in.; diameter in. These do not appear to be very ancient, and are said to have been used as ear-rings.

BEAD IN THE SLADE COLLECTION.
Full size.

"14. A bead very recently obtained through the kindness of W. Edkins, Esq. Length 1 in. It was found in railway cuttings in Somersetshire (Plate XXII. fig. 4.)"

"The British Museum also possesses a portion of a rod of glass from which such beads could be made, a section of which is shown in Plate XXII. fig. 1. This belonged to the collection of Sir William Hamilton, and probably therefore was brought from Southern Italy. In the manuscript catalogue of the Hamilton Collection by d'Hancarville it is noticed among the antique glass as follows: "Le cylindre, No. 72a, composé de fleurons peints de bleu, de blanc, de rouge, et de vert, concentriquement posés, était fait pour être divisé en diverses tables que l'on appliquait ensuite à differens ouvrages." The rod has been broken, but is 6 in. long and about 1 in. in diameter. It is not at all oxidised. Douglas alludes to it in the Nenia Britannica, p. 87.

"Besides this rod, there are in the collection two transverse sections of a similar rod or bead 1 in. in diameter, which were presented by Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S., and one of which is reproduced in the accompanying plate (Plate XXII. fig. 2).

"It should be added that in the Slade Collection is a large pattern-book of Venetian beads, among which are some that recall the beads in question. There are thirteen varieties (Nos. 646 to 658) of the same general construction, but differing in colour; two of them exhibit the same succession of colours as the beads under consideration, excepting that the inner layers of clear glass are replaced by opaque white. They vary in length from 1 in. to in. and in diameter from to in."

In the South Kensington Museum are two beads of this kind :1. Large bead of usual pattern, but much worn or worked down on the outer surface, so that much of the blue has been removed, and the ridges of the exterior white star have become visible, giving a striped appearance to the bead; in some places even the red layer is exposed; ends rounded; length 23 in.; diameter 1ğ in. It is described as Antique Roman, and was presented by the Rev. Greville Chester, who believes that he obtained it in Italy.

2. A smaller bead with the ends facetted; length 1 in.; diameter 13 in. Purchased in 1868 from Mr. John Webb's Collection.

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In the Jermyn Street Museum is one bead 1 in. long and in. in diameter. It differs slightly in the colouring, narrow lines of opaque red being introduced between the opaque white lines. It is believed to have been presented in May, 1843, by the Rev. H. R. Lloyd, vicar of Carew, Pembrokeshire, as a "Druid's bead."

In the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford are preserved five specimens. I am informed by Mr. Rowell, the assistant curator, that two of them were in the