10 THE BIRDS OF SHERWOOD FOREST. 
a large portion of the timber used in the construction of 
our “wooden walls,” now, alas! becoming things of the 
past. | 
At various times portions of the forest had been 
granted to different lords of manors, the last which 
changed owners being that beautiful tract adjoining the. 
little town of Ollerton, comprising the two Hays, or divi- 
sions, of “ Birkland” and “ Bilhagh,” still covered with 
trees. This about sixty years since was granted to the 
late Duke of Portland in exchange for the perpetual 
advowson of St. Mary-le-Bone, then held by the duke. 
The division of Birkland (so called from the numerous 
birch trees which are interspersed amongst the oaks), 
was reconveyed by the duke to the late Earl Manvers 
in exchange for the manors of Holbeck and Bon Busk, 
which were contiguous to the duke’s domain at Welbeck 
—Thoresby Park, the seat of the earl, being only 
separated from the forest by a fence. 
Some idea of the value of the timber derived from 
the forest in bygone times may be estimated from the 
fact that in 104 years—viz., from 1686 to 1790—there 
had been cut down no fewer than 27,199 oak trees, all 
of large size. From a survey made in 1609 it was - 
found that even then the majority of the trees were past 
maturity. The result of the survey was that Birkland 
numbered 21,009 oak trees, and Biihagh 28,900. I 
have heard my father say he remembered that in each 
of the three consecutive years before the Crown parted 
with the forest, a large fall of trees was taken for the 
royal dockyards. . 
Some curious instances of inosculation occur amongst 
the trees in Thoresby Park, but this peculiarity does not 
seem to be possessed by all trees even of the same 
