of deception. Darwin vigorously combats such a theory, and retorts, "he who believes in this doctrine must rank very low the instinctive knowledge of many kinds of moths" (p. 46). He himself suggested an explanation, but his severelyaccurate mind, was not quite satisfied with it. It remains a subject of much interest, and worthy of the study of our entomologists. Thus it is not only botanists who are interested in our Orchidaceous plants. They possess almost as many attractions for entomologists. Even the most casual observer can scarcely fail to be charmed by their beauty; and those to whom mental effort is a pleasure may find the richest delight in investigating their wondrous mechanism, and trying to solve the mysteries which environ them. But to every lover of nature, and that includes every member of the Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club, they illustrate and empasize the truth so finely expressed by Pope All are but parts of one stupendous whole, Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club. AUGUST 27TH, 1885. RISBURY CAMP AND BLACKWARDINE. THURSDAY morning was a glorious day for the thirsty soil-all vegetation rejoiced in the pouring rain that had set in during the night, and gave every promise of continuing for the day. The brown fields would soon be green again, and the turnips would swell rapidly. Scarcely a shower had fallen for two months, and all true naturalists could not but rejoice in so beneficial a refreshment of nature. The members of the Woolhope Club did so, though the great majority of them preferred to acknowledge their feelings in the comforts of home. Those who did come deserve immediate mention. In the absence of the President, Mr. H. C. Moore, a vice-president, took his place for the day; there were present also Major Doughty; Dr. Bull, the Revs. W. H. Lambert, Augustin Ley and David Price; Messrs. H. C. Beddoe, Ernest Bull, T. Davies Burlton, Robert Clarke, Madeley, H. Vevers, and Theo. Lane, the secretary. Carriages were waiting at Leominster station, and set them down at Wickset, where the old Roman Road leaves the one in ordinary use to-day. Risbury Camp was in full view on the other side of the valley, but the visitors took the old Roman Road across some fields over the brow of the hill for about a mile, to Hill Hole. It boots not to tell of the fine views this walk commands, the numerous camps and distant hills, for the rain that was so happily reviving the turnips hid them all. A sight very unusual in Herefordshire, however, was seen, and that was, fields divided by stone walls. - From Hill Hole the way was taken up the dingle back to Risbury Camp, and beautiful it would have been if the gleams of sunshine had prevailed instead of the mists of rain. Some interesting plants grow here, whose discovery enlivened the walk. The green Hellebore, Helleborus viridis, grows on both sides of the brook from Hill Hole to Humber. This locality for the plant was pointed out by the Rev. T. Hutchinson many years ago, He thought it a true native here, and certainly it appears to be so. The Rosy Willow herb, Epilobium roseum, a very local plant, was very plentiful on the stream margins, at Hill Hole, Humber, and afterwards on the Lugg at Leominster. The Umbellate Hawkweed, Hieracium umbellatum, a rare species in Herefordshire, grew in a hedge at Hill Hole, and so too did Arctium majus, the Greater Burr. Leaving the brookside near the interesting arches of the old bridge Risbury Camp was soon gained. Its massive entrenchments were examined on all sides with critical scrutiny, and attention was called to its more interesting features--its entrances, and the construction of the great inner vallum. The rain still continued, and it was thought advisable to adjourn to the Court Farm, where Mr. Lambert very kindly received the visitors, and where the following paper was read : RISBURY CAMP. - This Camp is one of the strongest and most perfect fortifications in Herefordshire, and yet, from its remote situation, it is very seldom visited, and it is the one about which perhaps the least is known. History is absolutely silent about it, and tradition even fails to give any clue towards the discovery of its makers, or its occupants. The sole source of information is to be gained therefore from the plan and structure of the camp itself. A careful examination gave the following results the inner space, or the camp proper, is usually called oblong, but it is rather an irregular parallelogram, with the corners rounded off. It is 342 yards long, and 134 yards across the middle, and measures fully 8 acres in extent. It is nearly, but not quite north and south, though it may be spoken of as such for convenience. This inner space is level, and enclosed by a very remarkable vallum. From the inside it presents a rampart from 12 to 15 feet high, where it has not been opened for stone, and an external escarpment of 55 feet, at the steep angle of about 60°. This embankment, when last opened on the west side, was found to have a dry built stone wall, faced externally. From some 20 yards in extent "hundreds of loads of stone" have been taken. This high vallum contains very much more material than could have been taken from the wide trench that surrounds it, which leads to the inference that the earth and stones were obtained by levelling the inside space. There are two entrances to the inner camp, one on the eastern and the other on the western side, not quite in the middle but at a distance of about 151 yards from the southern end. These are simply cut straight through the foss and embankment, without any special earthwork protection. They are not quite opposite each other, the western end being about 10 yards nearer to the south than the other. The outer area incloses a ground space of some 25 acres. It presents a triple entrenchment on the east and south side, and double on the north and west, where the Holywell brook and Humber brook form the outer defence. The entrenchments without the great vallum-now much levelled down-enclose a space 80 yards wide. It is less wide on the south side, and still less on the west and north sides. The outer escarpment is about 40 feet deep, the present roadway occupying the trench on the south and eastern sides. There is an entrance from this roadway on the eastern side through the outer escarpment, but it is not quite opposite the eastern entrance to the camp, being further to the south. This also is a simple direct entrance without any earthwork protection. There is no water supply within the camp at the present time, but there is a guarded approach to the brook which flows at the foot of the entrenchments at the north-east corner. There may very readily have been a well within it for the trouble of sinking some 30 or 40 feet. There is a depression of the ground towards the southern end of the inner camp, which the natives absurdly call "the Queen's kitchen." This perhaps may show the position of the quarry from which stone was procured, or of the well, or both. The hops always grew with great luxuriance on this spot, Mr. Lambert, the tenant, says. 66 Such are the features now presented to the student of history at Risbury Camp. They have been interpreted very differently by different observers. It is generally considered to be an early British camp: one of the line of British encampments commencing at the Malvern Hills, by which Caractacus and the ancient British chieftains opposed the Romans." The objections to this view are overwhelming. Risbury Camp differs altogether in situation and mode of construction from the British camps which are so plentiful in Herefordshire. 1. It is situated in a valley instead of on a hill summit naturally difficult of approach. wall. 2. It is rather an irregular parallelogram, than oval, in shape. 3. Its inner surface has been levelled. 4. The largest vallum is within the foss, and supported by a central stone 5. The outer entrenchments are much less strong than the inner one, and are widely separated from each other on the east side. 6. The entrances to British camps are invariably curved, sometimes letter S-shaped, to aid the defence; and, in addition to this, are strongly protected by embankments, prolonged within and without. 7. The entrance to British camps is most frequently at the narrowest end, where the embankments approach each other and thus aid the defence. It may also be added that an early British camp would scarcely be required in this situation, with the Bache Camp 32 miles to the north, and Ivington Camp about 4 miles to the west, both in positions of greater natural strength. A second view supposes Risbury to be "a late British camp, erected by the British against the Saxons, long after the departure of the Romans." Mr. Flavell Edmunds took this view. When the club visited Risbury in 1868, Mr. Edmunds read a clever paper on the Camp, which was published in the transactions for that year.* Mr. Edmunds thought that Risbury Camp gave evidence of a comparatively advanced state of civilization, from its triple line of defence, its skilful plan, the elevated rampart around the inner camp, and the construction of its chief approach on the eastern side. He thought that, like the Herefordshire Beacon entrenchments, those at Risbury were erected by the British against the Saxons at perhaps as late a period as the 9th or beginning of the 10th century, which opinion, he thinks, is strengthened by the facts that the camp has no British or Roman name, and that the names of all the neighbouring places are purely Saxon. The arguments against this view are 1. That the British were not likely to possess the skill to make such elaborate fortifications. 2. If they had the skill, they would neither have had the men nor the * Woolhope Transactions, 1868, p. 19. time to make them; nor would they have been allowed to do so by the Saxons. 3. There are no signs of warfare in the immediate neighbourhood. Mr. H. H. Lines, of Worcester, who has made the plans of Roman and British entrenchments a life study, states that it is highly probable that the British tribes after the departure of the Romans, did not retain the practice of Roman fortification; with a newly awakened sense of former independence they relapsed into their old Celtic habits of misrule, and were in no condition to throw up such gigantic earthworks as their ancestors had formerly done. They doubtless occupied their former strongholds, which they found standing, and which still stand to the present day, simply because it would not pay to destroy them, for this is the true secret of their preservation. Mr. Lines is thus of opinion that such a camp as Risbury was not likely to have been formed after the departure of the Romans. The more the situation and scientific construction of Risbury Camp are considered with reference to the well-known principles of Roman castrametation, the more clearly does it become evident that it is of Roman origin and design. The arguments in proof of this supposition may be thus briefly stated: 1. The situation of the camp is in the valley and close to the Roman road. 2. Its immediate proximity to the Roman town, situated at Blackwardine, which was apparently unfortified. 3. Its elaborate construction and remarkable strength, such as it was the pride and glory of the Roman engineers to produce. 4. Its shape as an irregular parallelogram with rounded corners, but still admitting the Polybian arrangements of the camp. 5. The great strength of the inner vallum, and possibly its construction with a central wall of stone covered with earth. 6. The position of this large central vallum within the surrounding foss, and the protection afforded by its high rampart. 7. The fact of the entrances being cut straight through the foss and ramparts at right angles, as is the case with all Roman camps, of which an example precisely similar to Risbury exists at Brandon; (and the Roman formation and occupation of Brandon Camp has never been questioned). 8. The two entrances into the middle of the camp are opposite to each other. 9. The broad space between the outer embankments admitted also of the proper disposition of the cavalry without the inner camp, which was reserved for infantry. 10. The size of a Roman camp was always adapted to the number of troops it was required to hold, and this number also regulated the number of entrances. It was unnecessary here, from its size and situation, to make entrances at the ends of the camp. 11. The position of the camp at Risbury with reference to the Roman occupation of this county is precisely that on which a Roman fortified post would be required. The length of a day's march for Roman soldiers was considered to be 14 miles. It is 14 miles from Magna (Kenchester), the centre of Roman power here; it is 14 miles from Bravinium (Leintwardine), the second Roman town of |