10 FEBRUARY 1912, Page 17

AYE BURY. tTo TEN EDITOR OF THE ° SPECTATOR.") SIIL—In

an article on ancient monuments in your issue of January 20th you speak of Avebury as being now "in the

elfest of bands—those of the peer who takes his title from the stone circle to which Stonehenge is but a piece of crude modernism:" The portion of the great circle of Avebury, however, which is owned by Lord Avebury is not more than one-third of the whole, the remainder being in several different hands. At some distance from the circle stand, or rather stood, the stones known as the " Longstones," or " Longetone 'Cave," once—according. to Stukeley—an adjunct of the' Beek- hampton Avenue," which, if it ever existed, has long entirely disappeared. One of these stones fell on December 2nd, and the Committee of the Wiltshire Arclueological Society has resolved to appeal for funds to re-erect it. As the stone is estimated to weigh between thirty and forty tons, the work of setting it up and concreting its base will probably not be less than 250. The consent of the owner of the site, Mr. Brown, his been obtained, and in answer to an appeal in the local papers I have up to the present received about £15. Some £35 more is needed.. Will those who are willing to help in this work send their contributions to myself as hon. secretary of the Wiltshire Society P—I am, Sir, Ise.,