chalk was mined for dressing the land, but with a view to the subsequent utilisation of the cavity as a grain-store.

ANCIENT BOATS.

Two early boats, or "dug-outs," have recently been discovered in different parts of the country. One was found in the bed of the River Wey at Byfleet, in 15 ft. of water: it had been made of a single log, and was flat-bottomed, with the ends roughly shaped. The remains recovered measure 11 ft. 3 in. in length, 2 ft. in width, and 15 in. in depth. The other boat was dug out of the peat moor at Shapwick, in Somerset. This also was worked from a single log of oak, and its shape resembles that of a modern Thames punt, its dimensions being 20 ft. by 2 ft. 6 in. It was discovered nearly 12 ft. from the surface, close to the clay bottom of the bog, and the peat above had never been moved.

RELICS OF THE BRONZE AGE.

AN interesting discovery of Bronze Age relics has recently been made on land belonging to the Earl of Guilford, at Tilmanstone, near Dover, where a human skeleton has been found in a remarkably good state of preservation, some of the teeth being quite perfect. Beside the skeleton was a vase, which the British Museum authorities ascribe to the Bronze Age.

THE HERON PIT, NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE.

THROUGH the kindness of Mr. R. O. Heslop, F.S.A., we are able to give two illustrations of the discoveries described on page 137 of the present volume.

Fig. 1 shows the south curtain of the Castle, between the Black Gate and the outer wall of the Castle enclosure (looking east), near the Old Gate. A headless figure of Hercules stands in the nook between the early outer wall and the curtain built in A.D. 1247. Three courses of the plinth of the older wall may be seen above and a little to the left of Hercules. This plinth is very like the plinth of the Great Tower, or Keep, and if contemporary with the Keep its date will be 1172-1179. All the objects here are Roman: the open and coped coffins are from Clavering Place, Newcastle; Hercules from Pons Aelii; the lion from Corbridge.

Fig. 2 shows the south curtain, between the Black Gate and the ancient outer wall, looking west. The doorway seen on the left gives access to a Z-shaped passage through the entire thickness of the

curtain, having outwardly a latrine over the moat. Immediately below this doorway is the Heron Pit, access to which is obtained by the standing ladder seen in the foreground. The ladder rests on the wall-head separating the Pit from the dry moat, across which the inner drawbridge carried the roadway, the line of which was to the right of the view. The loop seen in the distant wall is in the south guard chamber of the Black Gate. The gash in the wall on the left is a flue hewn out and used for the kitchen of the old Two Bulls' Head Inn. The lions over their prey (possibly Mithraic) are from Corbridge.

EXCAVATIONS AT HAUGHMOND ABBEY, NEAR SHREWSBURY.

OWING to the kindness of Mr. Hugh Corbet, the owner of the abovenamed Abbey, Mr. Herbert Southam, F.S.A., one of our Associates, has been able to make some excavations, under the supervision of Mr. Harold Brakspear, F.S.A. The work done is of sufficient importance to show the necessity of further digging, in order that a correct plan may be made of the complete monastery, which, amongst other buildings, embraces Church, Chapter-house, Frater, Dortor, Infirmary, Gate House, and Guest House. From the lie of the land it is obvious that the Church possessed a most unusual feature for this country, in that the floor rises some 10 ft. from the west to the east end; and to trace how this rise was arranged will be of the utmost archæological interest. We understand that Mr. Southam will continue his valuable work next year.

YORK MINSTER.

SINCE 1899, when an appeal was made for funds to effect the restoration, or more correctly the preservation, of York Minster, an immense amount of work has been done to ensure the stability of this grand monument of medieval English architecture, more than £20,000 having already been expended, while much remains to be done, and further donations are ungently needed.

Through the kindness of the Dean of York, we have received a series of "Occasional Papers," which report the progress of the restoration, the ninth dealing with the work done during the year ending May, 1906. Work has been proceeding on the pinnacle of the west gable, the east and north sides of the south-west tower, and the Becket window in the south choir aisle, while some of the flying buttresses on the north side of the nave have been completed; on the

south of the nave two flying buttressses are finished, and the stonework for a third has been prepared.

Important work has also been carried out on the great west window, which is 54 ft. 4 in. in height, 25 ft. 4 in. in breadth, and contains 958 superficial feet of glass. This grand specimen of Late Decorated work was glazed by Archbishop Melton in 1338; and though, owing to wanton damage and injudicious restoration, the glass is but a wreck of the original, the window is still one of the sights of England, and its effect will be greatly enhanced by the careful treat ment which it has just received. The mullions and tracery have been restored, and the outer glazing has been replaced by a complete skin of clear " crown glass," which greatly increases the brilliancy and beauty of the mediævalwork.

SELBY ABBEY CHURCH.

THE sad disaster which has befallen this noble building will be deeply regretted by all archæologists. The great Benedictine Abbey of Selby was founded by William the Conqueror in A.D. 1069, the church being dedicated to St. Mary and St. Germanus; and the house was raised to the dignity of a Mitred Abbey by Pope Alexander II. King Henry I is said to have been born at Selby.

The church is of exceptional length and contains some fine Norman work the west front is mainly Early English, and the Choir is specially mentioned by Parker as one of the finest examples of Decorated work that the country possesses.