A Letter from Mr. Christ. Hunter, to Dr. Mortimer, Secr. R. S. Serving to Accompany a Copy of an Antient Roman Inscription at Rochester in Northumberland, and Two Others at Risingham

Our common Fresh-Water Muscles differ from our Salt-Marsh Muscle, in that they are not fixed to any Place or Thing, but have a Method of trailing along on the sandy Bottoms of Creeks and Rivers: They have the Power not only of opening and shutting their Shells at Pleasure, but have, moreover, the Power of creeping (a) along as it were like a Snail, by turning upon the upper Edge that opens, and so work themselves along the soft yielding Sand in little Furrows about half an Inch deep. I have traced them for several Yards, by these little Channels, when the Tide is down, and left the Sands bare. If these few Observations prove acceptable, it will be a Pleasure to Your Friend, John Bartram. VII. A Letter from Mr. Christ. Hunter, to Dr. Mortimer, Secr. R. S. serving to accompany a Copy of an antient Roman Inscription at Rochester in Northumberland, and two others at Risingham. Worthy Sir, Durham, Sept. 9. 1744. Read Nov. 8. 1744. Kind Providence enabling me to outlive such Members of the Royal Society I have had the Happiness to correspond withal, Dr. (a) I have seen this of our Horse-Muscles in Ponds here in England. C. M. Dr. Lister, Dr. Woodward, and the much respected dear Mr. Gale, I make bold to address the following Inscriptions to the honourable Society by your Hands. A Transcript of the first Inscription, sent to me six Months ago, was copied by a Person of too narrow Judgment to be depended upon; which obliged me to take a Journey to Rochester, to be exact in every Circumstance relating to the same (a): The Stone was found erected upon two Supporters, and discovered last Year in the midst of a Heap of Rubbish, and the Inscription intire to the last Line, where the Name of the Praefectus is visibly obliterated, in some ensuing Reign. The two following (b) I took out of the Earth at Risingham, another Roman Fort, eight Miles South from Rochester upon the Banks of Reed's Water mentioned by Mr. Camden: They are both Altars broken; the first falling from the Top of the highest Wall of a Dwelling-house deserted above fifty Years; the two initial Letters of the third and fourth Lines broken off; as IVLIUS, LIVIVS, LIBIVS, LICIVS, or LIDIVS. The other is upon the Margin of Mr. Warburton's Map of Northumberland, I fear, omitted by Mr. Horsley in Britannia Romana among his Sculptures; but find it in pag. 240. of his Observations, so quite different from my Copy. I am, Good Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant, Christopher Hunter. (a) See Tab. II. Fig. 2. (b) See Tab. II. Fig. 3 and 4. IMP·CAES·M·AVRELI·SEVERO·ANTONINI·PIO·FELICI·XXG·PARVUS·MAX·BRIT·MAX·GERM·MAX·PONTIFICI·MAX·TRIB·POTEST·XVIII·IMPER·COS·III·PROCONS·PP·COS·FIDA·WARDVL·CREC·NNANA·FECIT·SVB·LEG· Fig. 1. p.158. Fig. 2. p.160. Fig. 3. p.238. Fig. 4. p.238. Fig. 5. p.177. Fig. 6. p.177. Fig. 7. p.177. Fig. 8. p.195-200.