Appearances of Mice in oilier Forests. 441 



up one acorn after the other, without leaving one. This happens 

 most commonly when there is not a very abundant crop of acorns.* 

 If they do not find enough in the woods, they come and search for 

 them in the lands which have been newly sown with acorns, which 

 they do not eat on the spot, but carry to their holes, where they 

 heap them up, and leave them often till they dry and rot. These 

 animals do more harm to land sown for timber, than all the birds 

 and other animals put together." He then mentions, as the only 

 method he had found of preventing this mischief, very nearly the 

 most simple sort of trap which we have used both in Dean and 

 New Forests, but which has proved so inefficient in our extensive 

 plantations. He says, he had used the same means against the 

 Campagnol. At first, in the space of about forty acres, he caught 

 about one hundred of the two sorts daily, and had taken, in that 

 space, more than 2,000 in three weeks. He says, that, during the 

 hard frosts, they confine themselves to their holes, and feed on the 

 acorns, &c. they have amassed there. This has been the case in 

 both our Forests. 



You will pardon these imperfect compilations from Buffon and 

 Pennant, although they will probably be found of little use after 

 your own more accurate enquiries, and the scientific investigation 

 of Dr. Leach, to whom, at your desire, have been transmitted 

 numerous specimens of the two sorts of Mice in our two Forests, 

 and an accurate drawing and colouring of one of each sort. Per- 

 haps the details given by Buffon may merit a little more attention 

 in this case, than in many others, where that eloquent writer is 

 more than suspected of having too often indulged his imagination 

 and love of theory in his representation of facts; because, as a 

 planter, his personal interest seems to have attracted his atten- 

 tion in a peculiar manner to this particular subject. 



Mr. Harvey, a very intelligent person, who has long had the 

 management of Lord Bagot's extensive woods in Staffordshire, 

 has informed me, that some years ago, an extraordinary quantity of 

 Mice made their appearanco. in those woods. There were no 



* There had been an extraordinary failure of acorns in both our Forests 

 the three last years. 



