INTRODUCTION Xxiii 



The only woodland tract -which now remains to be mentioned is the 

 Forest of Windsor, which was made a Royal Forest by William the 

 Conqueror ; it was once of great extent, being 120 miles round. As 

 time went on its area became more circumscribed ; in the reign of 

 King James I, Norden estimated the circumference at 77 miles, and 

 the forest then contained 300 head of deer. In later years it 

 dwindled in size, so that in the map published by Rocque its circuit 

 is given as 56 miles. In the year 1813 an Act of Parliament was 

 passed for its enclosure. The portion which had been previously 

 enclosed, known as Windsor Great Park, was of small extent compared 

 with the whole range of the forest, being less than 4,000 acres, while 

 the open unenclosed forest amounted to 24,000 acres. The district 

 once occupied by it still shows by its local names, such as Crowthorn, 

 Hackley Bushes, Wickham Bushes, Whortleberry Hill, Hagthorn 

 Hill, that the ground in which they are situated was a forest tract. 

 At the present time, although much diminished in extent, the Royal 

 Forest possesses not only the charm which its historic associations 

 give it, but has in itself great natural beauty : from its heights very 

 extensive views may be had over a rich and beautiful countrv • 

 its splendid specimens of Oak, Beech, Birch, Scotch Fir, and other 

 forest trees, its noble avenues of Elms, and its fine sheets of orna- 

 mental waters, combine to make it a scene of great interest, while the 

 pleasure of seeing it is enhanced by the sense of freedom to wander 

 without hindrance through its verdant alleys. 



The King Oak, which is said to have been a favourite tree of William 

 the Conqueror, stands near Cranbourn enclosure. In some rides, near 

 the entrance to the St. Leonard property, are four trees known as the 

 Queens' trees, which were selected respectively by Queen Anne, Queen 

 Charlotte, Queen Adelaide, and Queen Victoria. Another fine Oak, 

 called the Grandfather of the Forest, can be seen close to the road 

 leading froni Forest Gate to High Standing Hill. Heme's Oak, im- 

 mortalized by Shakespeare, fell in 1863 : her Majesty has a cabinet 

 made of the wood. The Elms in the great avenue known as the Long 

 Walk were planted in 1680. 



METEOROLOGY. 



RATNFALL.^From thirty-seven years' observations made at Oxford 

 Observatory, from the year 1851 to 1887 inclusive, the mean yearly 

 rainfall is shown to be 26.391 inches. The driest year was 1870, 

 when only 17-564 inches wei-e registered, and the wettest year 1852, 

 when 40.416 inches were registered. The maximum monthly fall was 

 in October, 1875, and amounted to 7.531 inches ; the minimum amount 



