2. _The presence of the Pontifices and Vestals._—The former would be present, partly as the representative sacred college of the united city[439], partly as having under their special care the sacred bridge from which the puppets were thrown. Whether or not the word _pontifex_ be directly derived from _pons_[440], it is certain that the ancient bridge, with its strong religious associations, was under their care, and that the river was an object of their constant liturgical attention[441]. It has been suggested that the whole ceremony was one of bridge-worship[442]; but this view, as we shall see, will hardly explain all the facts. It leaves the March rites unexplained, and also the presence of the Vestals; nor does it seem to suit the season of the year. The presence of the Vestals is more significant; and it was they, as it seems, who performed the act of throwing the puppets from the bridge[443]. In all the public duties performed by them (as we shall see more fully in dealing with the Vestalia[444]) a reference can be traced to one leading idea, viz. that the food and nourishment of the State, of which the sacred fire was the symbol, depended for its maintenance on the accurate performance of these duties. We have just seen that they spent the seven days preceding the Ides of May in preparing their sacred cakes from the first ripening ears of corn. We shall see them using these cakes in June, September, and at the Lupercalia. At the Parilia and the Fordicidia they also take a prominent part, both of them festivals relating to the fruitfulness of herds and flocks; so also at the harvest festivals in August of Ops Consiva and Consus. And we can hardly suppose that their presence at the rite under discussion should have a different significance from that of their public service on all other occasions. Even if we had no other evidence to go upon, we might on the facts just adduced base a fair inference that this ceremony too had some relation to the processes and perils awaiting the ripening crops.