85 



However, it flourished afterwards better than before, it is nearly 

 three feet long, of a pendulous nature, not growing so rigid as 

 Mistletoe usually does. During the past summer a Sparrow buUt 

 her nest in the midst of the bunch. It does not injure the tree 

 at present, but has in fact been the means of its preservation, 

 for the Mistletoe branch saved the tree from the axe some years 

 ago. The Oak grows alone in a piece of pasture, but another 

 which formerly stood near it, has spoUt the beauty of the tree. 

 The soil of the district is the weald clay of Surrey and Sussex 

 where the Oak used to flourish and abound." (April 19th. 1864.) 

 No. 5. On an Oak in Hackwood Park, neah Basing- 

 stoke, Mistletoe has long been know to grow.— C. Hooper, Esq., 

 of Eastrop House, Basingstoke, has very kindly obtained for me 

 the foUowing account of this tree. "The first Lord Bolton, 

 [grandfather of the present Lord] sent a specimen of the Mistle- 

 toe from this tree to Sir Joseph Banks, who gave an account of 

 it in the Philosophical Transactions. The Oak is still a fine large 

 tree, but evidently very old and reduced in size from what it 

 formerly was, but whether this is from the presence of the 

 Mistletoe, or from storms, it is difficult to say. The Mistletoe 

 grows near the middle of the tree at a considerable height from 

 the ground and in several places among the branches." [April 

 28th 1864.]— Mr. Hooper had not seen the tree himself but 

 described it from a sketch which had been shewn to him by Mr. 

 Hill, of Basingstoke. 



No. 6. The Plymouth Oak.— On recent authority, that 

 of Mr. Edward Lees as quoted by Mr. T. W. Giping in the 

 Phytologist [vol. i. p. 151.] it grows in an Oak tree not far 

 from Plymouth by the side of the South Devon Railway. A 

 single bush grows in the topmost branches of a scraggy Oak 

 tree. It is the first wood that occurs by raHway north of 

 Plymouth and two or three miles distant from that town. I am 

 unable to state whether this Oak is still in existence with the 

 Mistletoe upon it. The authority for it however, is so good 

 and so recent, that I am prepared to have faith in it. 



