and, therefore, rather suppose that they were parts of a willow or alder, or some such aquatic tree.*

This lonely domain is a very agreeable haunt for many sorts of wild fowls, which not only frequent it in the winter, but breed there in the summer; such as lapwings, snipes, wild-ducks, and, as I have discovered within these few years, teals. Partridges in vast plenty are bred in good seasons on the verge of this forest, into which they love to make excursions; and in particular, in the dry summer of 1740 and 1741, and some years after, they swarmed to such a degree, that parties of unreasonable sportsmen killed twenty and sometimes thirty brace in a day.t

But there was a nobler species of game in this forest, now extinct, which I have heard old people say abounded much before shooting flying became so common, and that was the heath-cock, or black game. When I was a little boy, I recollect one coming now and then to my father's table. The last pack remembered was killed about thirtyfive years ago; and within these ten years one solitary grey hen was sprung by some beagles, in beating for a hare. The sportsman cried out, "A hen pheasant! "but a gentleman present, who had often seen black game in the north of England, assured me that it was a grey hen.‡

* The remains of trees are found in most of the marshes in Great Britain; but the mosses in the north of England, and all those of Scotland, contain trees often of immense size. These are generally oak, birch, different willows, or alder, and the Scotch fir, pinus sylvestris. Being embedded to considerable depths, they are sometimes in a perfect state, and completely saturated with the soil in which they lie. In the Highlands, the Scotch fir abounds, and retains so much resin as to be used for lights during winter, for which purpose it is dug out, dried and split into narrow lengths.-W.J.

+ Black game may now be found in the forest, and a few grouse.-ED.

Black game have increased greatly in the southern counties of Scotland and north of England within the last few years. It is a pretty general opinion, though an erroneous one, that they drive away the red grouse; the two species require very different kinds of cover, and will never interfere. It is to be regretted that some of our extensive and wealthy northern proprietors do not attempt the introduction of the wood grouse; extensive pine or birch forests with quiet, would be all the requisites; and the birds themselves, or their young, could be very easily obtained, and at a trifling expense. In Mr. J. Wilson's Zoological Illustrations, there is an excellent plate of the tetrao urophasianus of North America, a very handsome species, which, with some others lately discovered by Mr. Douglas, might be introduced into this country, and form

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Nor does the loss of our black game prove the only gap in the Fauna Selborniensis, or Natural History of Selborne ;" for another beautiful link in the chain of beings is wanting, I mean the red-deer,* which, toward the beginning of this century, amounted to about five hundred head, and made a stately appearance. There is an old keeper, now alive, named Adams, whose great-grandfather (mentioned in a perambulation taken in 1635), grandfather, father, and self, enjoyed the head keepership of Wolmer Forest in succession, for more than an hundred years. This person assures me, that his father has often told him that Queen Anne, as she was journeying on the Portsmouth road, did not think the Forest of Wolmer beneath her royal regard. For she came out of the great road at Liphock, which is just by, and reposing herself, on a bank, smoothed for that purpose, lying about half a mile to the east of Wolmer Pond, and still called Queen's Bank, saw with great complacency and satisfaction the whole herd of reddeer brought by the keepers along the vale before her, consisting then of about five hundred head.† A sight this, worthy the attention of the greatest sovereign! But he farther adds, that, by means of the Waltham blacks, or, to use his own expression, as soon as they began blacking, they were reduced to about fifty head, and so continued decreasing till the time of the late Duke of Cumberland. It is now more than thirty years ago that his highness sent down a huntsman, and six yeoman prickers, in scarlet jackets laced with gold, attended by the stag-hounds, order

a fine addition to our feathered game. The little American partridge, the ortyx borealis of naturalists, has been introduced, and is now plentiful, in some counties in England.-W. J.

* Red deer are still to be found in the New Forest, and Her Majesty's buck-hounds are sent there every year to hunt them. One stag a few years ago found near Lyndhurst was taken not far from Salisbury.-ED.

The following curious fact may be mentioned with respect to red deer, as proving their attachment to favourite localities. The late Duke of Atholl, wishing to increase the stock of red deer in his park, took the opportunity of a very severe winter to draw the deer from their hills and mountains. This was done by scattering food in a line to the park, and a great extent of the paling of it was removed. When hunger had thus compelled the deer to enter it, toils were put up, the fencing was replaced and the deer enclosed. They pined away, however, and in two years not one was left alive.-Ed.

ing them to take every deer in this forest alive, and to convey them in carts to Windsor. In the course of the summer they caught every stag, some of which showed extraordinary diversion; but, in the following winter, when the hinds were also carried off, such fine chases were exhibited as served the country people for matter of talk and wonder for years afterwards. I saw myself one of the yeoman prickers single out a stag from the herd, and must confess that it was the most curious feat of activity I ever beheld, superior to anything in Mr. Astley's riding-school. The exertions made by the horse and deer much exceeded all my expectations, though the former greatly excelled the latter in speed. When the devoted deer was separated from his companions, they gave him, by their watches, law, as they called it, for twenty minutes; when, sounding their horns, the stop-dogs were permitted to pursue, and a most gallant scene ensued.

LETTER VII.

TO THE SAME.

THOUGH large herds of deer do much harm to the neighbourhood, yet the injury to the morals of the people is of more moment than the loss of their crops.* The temptation is irresistible; for most men are sportsmen by constitution: and there is such an inherent spirit for hunting in human nature, as scarce any inhibitions can restrain. Hence, towards the beginning of this century, all this country was wild about deer-stealing. Unless he were a hunter, as they affected to call themselves, no young person was allowed to

* Nothing can be more true than these remarks. The state of demoralisation of the people in the neighbourhood of the New Forest, for instance, is beyond what can well be imagined. Deer stealing is a temptation which few of them can resist, and the consequence is idleness, drunkenness, and immorality. The Act of Parliament which removes the deer from the New Forest, will confer a blessing on the whole neighbourhood.-ED.