NOTES FROM THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 73 



injurious to the corn growing within the spread of their branches, even 

 if no excrementitious matter is ejected by their roots, and that their 

 roots penetrate too deep into the earth to draw nourishment from the 

 soil in contact with the rootlets of the corn. Light and exposure to 

 the passing breeze are necessary to the rearing a good crop of corn, as 

 they are to the production of wide- spreading, useful, and ornamental 

 timber. But to the root under notice. 



A portion of the root reposes on the undulating surface of a meadow 

 near the road's-side, furnishing daily conversation for those travellers 

 whose attention may be directed towards its extraordinary appearance. 

 The root was divided into three parts by the workman employed to fell 

 the tree, and the greatest circumference, of that part detached from the 

 trunk of the tree, was about three feet ; its length about twenty feet ; the 

 second and middle part was taken from the soil, and measured ninety-five 

 feet in length ; its greatest circumference measured eighteen inches ; the 

 third part was severed at the distance of. one hundred and fifteen feet 

 from the trunk of the tree, and took a zig-zag direction through the 

 space of eighteen feet, making the entire root one hundred and thirty- 

 three feet in length. When in its natural position, its distance under the 

 surface soil was from one foot to one foot and a half. The tree itself 

 was about forty-five feet in height ; it grew on a poor sandy soil, on 

 the brink of a rivulet ; its age was from ninety to one hundred years ; 

 and it contained about two loads of timber. 



Shouldham, 



NOTES FROM THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 



ABOUT six weeks ago, a countryman brought me a specimen of the 

 Night-Jar, which he had just taken. He fell in with it suddenly, by a 

 hedge-side in his field. The sun was shining brightly at the time, and 

 he thought that the bird was asleep : it was probably dazzled by the 

 glare, as he caught it in hand without its attempting to escape. It 

 appeared perfectly uninjured when brought to me. I am not sufficiently 

 acquainted with the species to know its age, but a want of full plumage 

 under the wing makes me suppose that it is a young bird. It could 

 not fly perfectly, alighting, after having flown about half across a field, 



VOL. II. NO. II. L, 



