GILBERT WHITE. 11 



ancient ivy-tree is prizing up the bricks with his strong levers, 

 and in time down will come the outhouse. I understand from 

 Mr. Fergusson that the fig-trees in India are destroying the 

 Indian temples in this way. The vegetation, which is pulling 

 down another house in a field belonging to the hotel, is also 

 worthy of note. 



At page 11 will be found Mr. Delamotte's drawing of 

 the rocky lane leading to Alton. White's description of these 

 " hanging lanes " is admirable ; but they are now much 

 more wild than in White's time a hundred years since. All 

 traffic has ceased in them, a new road having been made to 

 Alton. 



The only road from Alton in White's time was along these 

 dreadful lanes, and it is difficult to conceive how a horse and 

 cart could be got through them. This old lane takes a 

 very circuitous course, and comes out at Alton near the Bail- 

 way Station. The new road bisects it near Norton farm, 

 one mile from Selborne : the visitor should get out and 

 examine it at this point. I don't suppose that it has been 

 traversed by human being for many years it looks like a 

 jungle. I should imagine these deep narrow cuttings are 

 frightful traps for fox-hunters. There is another very good 

 specimen of these hanging lanes on the road from Selborne to 

 Liss Station : this is a terrible-looking place, almost dangerous 

 to walk through. A native came to fetch water while we were 

 there; we followed her down a deep rugged incline, at the 

 bottom there was a small hole, a little larger than a pail, 

 containing water. This had evidently been dug out for land 

 drainage. The woman took out of the so-called well two pails 

 of muddy water, and said that it was the only water to be got 

 near the place it was only fit for a stickleback-pond. This 

 water reminded me of a story I had heard in another part of the 

 country where water was very scarce and very expensive. The 

 curate of the parish, it was reported, used to wash his children 

 in small beer, of which he had a stock in the house, as he 

 found it less expensive than water. 



The' only road to Selborne being through these "hanging 

 lanes," it is plain that White could not have had much society. 

 To the existence of these Imnging lanes, therefore, I mainly attri- 

 bute " White's History of Selborne." In these olden times 

 White must have been hemmed in on all sides ; there were few 

 or no human visitors arriving and departing ; the only arrivals 

 and departures that White could notice were those that came 

 through the air, i.e. birds ; and of Ids feathered parishioners he 

 has indeed given us ample reports. The birds, so far as I can 



