Abstract
I GREATLY fear that practical builders will be uncourteous enough to smile at Mrs. Murray-Aynsley's idea (NATURE, August 18, p. 364) that the S-shaped iron bars seen on the walls of houses are fire-emblems or survivals of sun-worship. They are common enough in every county of England and elsewhere; in fact, wherever the scamping of jerry builders or the lapse of time has caused walls to give way or bulge outwards. The bolt in the centre is not merely to hang them up, but is the end of a long and strong iron bar passing right through the building and attached to a similar curved brace on the other side, or at any rate fixed to some firm unyielding part of the masonry. The curved shape is simply chosen as that which embraces and gives support to the greatest area of brick or stone surface without the necessity of having a solid, continuous plate.
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