[ 270 ] 

 ARTldLK XXVIII. 



^he fame SuhjeEi continued^ 



TO THE secretary; 

 Sir, 



IT has been obferved that fir-trees m Lord 

 Ailefbury's plaiitations> particularly Scotch firs, 

 have been barked in the manner defcribed in your 

 circular letter; generally at the bottom of the leader 

 of each branch; the ground under fome of the 

 trees has been covered with the woody parts that 

 have been chewed, in fuch quantities, that a peck 

 or more might be colledled under one tree. This 

 mifchief has- been found to be more frequent, in 

 fcafons when there has been a large breed of fquir- 

 rels, and at a time when it may be fuppofed their 

 autumnal colledlions have been cxhaufted; and 

 about four years ago, when fquirrels were uncom- 

 monly numerous about Tottenham- park, upwards 

 of fift)^ trees, called Hornbeam, were barked in the! 

 trunks and branches a confiderable way down, 

 which occafioned moft of them to die* The in* 

 jury we at firft fuppofed to have been done by a 

 racoon, which efcaped from a gentleman's houfe in 

 the, neighbourhood, and went towards Tottenham- 

 park ; but I dp not find there was any good ground 

 for believing fo much execution could have been 

 done by one animal. 



This 



