of 'Fared Vegetation on Climate. 479 



We have, then, here a further testimony to the influence 

 exercised upon climates by the westerly winds, from which it 

 follows that neither forests, nor any other immediately terres- 

 trial agents, modify so effectually the phases of the phenomena 

 presented by the atmosphere, as those which bear upon the 

 intensity and direction of the winds (see M. N, H., viii. 4. et 

 seq.); and that any cause which materially affects the winds 

 in those respects must produce great physical changes upon 

 the surface of the earth. The question thus opened for inves- 

 tigation, as affecting the conditions of the vegetable world, and 

 the relative proportions of land and water at different periods, 

 cannot be further noticed here; but it occurs immediately 

 when contemplating such an expanse of forest in a flat sandy 

 tract as is met with in Lithuania.* 



Mr. Lyell (Prin. Geol., ii. 200.) has quoted the Phil. 

 Trans., ii. 294., for instances of diminution of rain, in Bar- 

 badoes and Jamaica, by the felling of forests. The following 



quhilk thaj fled to land, and syne it wes sey agane suddenlie, and never 

 nane pereist heirinto. Als thair wes ane hill callit [the name 



is not in the book, but a blank is left], quhilk brint be the said space ; men 

 rydand be the way, the menes and coillis [tailis ?] of thair horssis brunt, ze 

 the wands of thair hands brint ; pure men passand on the way, the stalfis 

 in thair hands brint, and quhen thaj wald dicht of the fyre thairof, it wald 

 entres agane." These phenomena appear to have happened about the end 

 of October. (From " A Diurnal of remarkable Occurrents that have passed 

 within the Country of Scotland since the Death of King James the Fourth, till 

 the Year MDLXXV. Printed at Edinburgh, 1833." 4to, p. 321.) 



* The prevalence of west winds in our part of Europe has been before 

 noticed by me, as well as one of its consequences, viz. the direction of 

 the branches of trees exposed to the west and south-west. (p. 143.) In 

 two recent rambles, (over ground frequently traversed before by me, but 

 never noticed in this way,) I have purposely looked out for examples; and 

 remarkable instances I noted down as occurring at Ventnor, Undercliff, 

 Isle of Wight, frequently on the road from Portsmouth to London, at 

 Bromley in Kent, near Seven Oaks, about Rye, Winchelsea, and Hastings, 

 and in the country intermediate between those places and London, wher- 

 ever high trees have been exposed to the west winds. 



Between Calais and St. Omer are many striking examples. The upper 

 boughs of the tall poplars near Pont Sanspareil and Ardres are many of 

 them broken as well as bent; and hundreds of smaller ones bear evidence 

 yet of the destructive fury of the hurricane of August, 1833. From 

 St. Omer to Cassel are many examples, and especially on the slopes of the 

 latter remarkable hill. All the way from Cassel to Lille, and thence to 

 Tournay, Halle, and Brussels, there is little difficulty in detecting examples. 

 From Brussels to Ghent the examples are not quite so frequent ; but in 

 the flat country between Ghent and Bruges, where the road is lined for 

 miles with tall trees, the instances are very striking. I made the observation 

 to a friend in Brussels, who confirmed it by pointing out instances in his 

 own walled-in and comparatively sheltered garden. There is a saying in 

 Brussels, that it never rains a whole day in England; but they have the 

 same weather as in England : nor can the fact, 1 think, be disputed, when 

 the positions of the places are considered. 



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