ANIMALS INJURIOUS TO CONIFEROUS TREES. 179 



(2) Animals. 



Hare and Rabbit. — These must come first on the 

 list, being the most generally destructive to coniferous trees 

 of any of our woodland animals. Immense damage has re- 

 sulted from the depredations of both, particularly on estates 

 where they are preserved and occur in quantity. Few coni- 

 ferous trees would seem to come amiss to either the hare or 

 rabbit, particularly during long-continued frosty weather ; and 

 amongst others we have found the various species of Cedrus, 

 Qipressus, Picea, Abies, and Larix at times badly damaged. 

 The species of Finns are, from their rough bark, more 

 exempt from attacks, but under exceptional circumstances we 

 have known many to suffer from the gnawing of both these 

 animals, and some of the rarer and more tender have been 

 proved to be particularly susceptible. P. Bungeana, P. Hart- 

 wegii, P. longifolia, and P. inonticola, are freely attacked in a 

 young state. 



The best preventive, undoubtedly, is wire-netting placed 

 around the specimens, and inserted in the ground in an out- 

 ward curved position for about 6 inches. With standard 

 specimens, where the stems are unbranched, the bark of the 

 oak or Spanish chestnut, placed around the trunk and kept in 

 position by bands of wire, has been found of decided value in 

 warding off attacks. This system of protection is cheap, and 

 well worthy of wide adoption. 



Squirrels are far more destructive to coniferous trees 

 than is generally supposed, they attacking not only the bark 

 but the buds, young shoots, and cones. For the soft, woolly 

 bark of Sequoia sevipervirens, they have a far-famed liking, 

 while the young shoots of many species of Pimis and Picea 

 suffer to an inordinate extent during certain seasons. Even 

 large branches and stems of Pinus silvestris, Abies pcctinata, 

 and Larix europcBa have been so severely gnawed by squirrels 

 that they readily broke across during stormy weather. The 



