306 



METEOROLOGY^ 



[Feb. 



the bare wood, extending half-way to the ground ; on the west side 

 it left extremely little bark on the whole 2 5 feet of trunk ; alto- 

 gether about two-thirds of the whole trunk was barkless, and the 

 bark, wherever stripped off, was carried away through its entire 

 thickness, down to the very wood. After two years there were two 

 long fissures, through part of which narrow chinks of light were 

 discernible, showing that they penetrated quite the trunk, where it 

 is between 18 and 24 inches in diameter. Probably these were 

 immediate results of the electric fluid when it struck the tree. 



'l '1^^ 



'W 



In the same way a large ash at Moreduu House was struck at a 

 forking, split down the middle of the trunk, and one-half shattered 

 into fragments, while the other half M-as left standing. In both 

 cases fatal injury was inflicted, though the death was a waning one, 

 interesting from a biological point of view to watch. 



Our drawing may be a testimony to either the first or third pro- 

 cesses of destruction ; natural decay having had much ado, though 

 a second hand, in bringing about so noble a wreck. 



