h century. Other busts are evidently portraits of persons
interred. In some are the father, mother and child;--one has the name
of Cerontius; another of two busts, Cericia and Sottacus;--another is
a family group, father, mother and four children; the name is partly
broken off ....N ... BVSVISTRIS. P. Z. remains.--Abraham with a drawn
sword in his hand, and Isaac with his eyes bound, kneeling at his
feet, with the ram. A tall female figure with the hands uplifted in
prayer; the inscription is PETRVS PAVLVS ANE possibly for AGNES.
Another similar subject consists of two figures seated facing each
other; over the left hand figure the name CRISTVS, over the right hand
one ISTEFANVS. Several of the subjects are distinctly Pagan; others
are evidently from the Jews' catacomb, as two lions guarding the ark,
and under them two of the seven-branched candlesticks, with leaves and
vases and palm-branch.

S. CALIXTUS.

This is one of the earliest of the catacombs; it is mentioned at a
very early period as a burying-place, then in use, not as being then
just made. Michele de Rossi, in the course of his investigations in
this catacomb, found a brick staircase and some brick _loculi_,
evidently an alteration of and addition to the original catacombs, and
the stamps on these bricks were those of Marcus Aurelius, A.D.
161-180. This staircase is in the lower part of the catacomb, made for
the purpose of enlarging it, and seems to show that the ground had
been used as a cemetery in the first century. The original part was
probably made before there were any Christians to be buried. Although
the staircase is later, and the bricks used again, they were probably
found on the spot.

Calixtus is said to have been entrusted with the government of the
clergy, and set over _the cemetery_ by Zephyrinus his predecessor,
before he became bishop or pope. This expression, _over the cemetery_,
seems to prove that the whole of the catacombs were considered as one
cemetery, and that he had the general superintendence of the burial of
the Christians.

This is the catacomb usually exhibited to strangers and now used for
pilgrimages; its present state is very uninteresting to the
archaeologist. The upper part of it nearest to the entrance has been so
much _restored_ that it has lost all archaeological importance. This
portion of the catacomb is illuminated on certain occasions, and is
employed to excite the devotion of the faithful. A low mass is sai