3-2 



LARCH. 



professors, give the romance instead of the reality 

 the enticing nonsense rather than the instructive truth 

 it is asserted that the lapwings can, by the tread of 

 their feet, force the worms out of the ground, and 

 thus by their own exertions collect to the surface a 

 supply of food for themselves This, however, very 

 much resembles the pretended capability of Owen 

 Glendower of calling spirits from the vasty deep, as it 

 is not likely that the worms would answer to any call 

 which might be made upon them to eome out of the 

 ground in order to be eaten. The fact, indeed, is 

 quite the reverse ; for any agitation of the surface of 

 the ground invariably sends the worms farther down, 

 instead of bringing them to the surface ; and this is 

 proved by the conduct of earth-worms when hunted 

 by the mole, for they always endeavour to get below 

 the runs of that animal, instead of resorting to the 

 surface, in order to escape from it. Besides this, the 

 lapwing is so light an animal, that any concussion 

 which it could give to the earth with its feet could 

 not affect earth-worms, delicate as they are ; and the 

 peculiar elasticity of its feet, and the lightness of its 

 tread, are obviously intended to prevent it from alarm- 

 ing its vermicular prey, and driving them into the 

 earth by any concussion which it may impart to the 

 surface. Such are a few particulars of the history of 

 the common or crested lapwing, which is, all circum- 

 stances considered, one of the most interesting of 

 British birds ; and one which, notwithstanding its 

 wailing notes and the waywardness of its manner, is 

 one of the most interesting in every place where it 

 makes its appearance. 



THE GREY LAPWING, OR GREY PLOVER (Squa- 

 tarola cinerca) is a bird nearly allied to the lapwing, 

 but holding a situation intermediate between it and 

 the plovers. It is not so large or so weighty a bird 

 as the lapwing, neither is it so powerfully winged in 

 proportion to its dimensions and volume. The lap- 

 wing measures nearly fourteen inches from the point 

 of the bill to the extremity of the tail, and two feet 

 and a half in the expanse of its ample wings, and its 

 weight is at least half a pound when it is in good con- 

 dition. The species now under consideration is only 

 twelve inches in length, and two feet in the expansion 

 of the wings ; and it is an ounce, or an ounce and a 

 half, lighter than the lapwing. It is, however, a more 

 elongated bird, in proportion to its length, than any 

 of the other two ; and for this reason it is probably a 

 bird of more powerful wing. Its bill is also longer in 

 proportion than that of either the lapwing or the 

 plover ; and the hind toe is merely rudimental, being 

 destitute of a claw, and never of such length as to 

 reach the ground. The wings are also of a different 

 construction from those of the common lapwing. 

 They are pointed wings, but the point is not in the 

 same part of the wing ; for while it is in the middle 

 in the common lapwing, it is in the anterior part in 

 this bird, the first quill in the wing being the longest. 

 Its habits are but little known, though it is probable 

 that it occurs in more parts of Britain than is gene- 

 rally supposed. Small flocks, consisting of old ones 

 and young ones blended together, appear on different 

 parts of the season, and there is reason to believe 

 that the young members of those flocks are reared 

 within the country ; but too little is known of the 

 habits of the bird in its breeding places, to enable 

 us to draw any certain conclusion respecting it. It is 

 an upland bird in respect to its breeding ground ; but 

 as a British bird, it appears to resort only to those 



places which are nearest to the continent of Europe ; 

 and we believe that, during the summer season, it is 

 more frequently met with in the mountains or hills in 

 the county of Kincardine, than in any other part of 

 the British islands. In England, it appears only in 

 the winter season, and chiefly on the coasts, which 

 shows that it is a bird which spends the summer in 

 more inclement regions ; but it is so local and com- 

 paratively rare, that no distinct conclusion can be 

 come to respecting it. 



THE SPURRED LAPWING ( V. albicillus) is the only 

 other species which we shall notice. It is of a rich 

 grey on the upper part ; the breast and the belly, the 

 cheeks, the sides of the head, and the throat, arc 

 streaked with black and white, and there is a yellowish 

 appendage to the head arising from the front and 

 neck. The quills are black, the middle coverts of the 

 wings bordered with white, the tail feathers whitish, 

 the bill yellow, the feet orange, the length is thirteen 

 inches, and the turn of the wing is armed with a spur. 



LARCH is the Larix Europaia of Decandolle. 

 It belongs to Conifcrce, and though a native of Ger- 

 many, it is one of our most plentiful forest-trees. 

 The larch is remarkable for the conical elegance of 

 its growth, and the durability of its timber ; in the 

 last respect even rivalling the oak. The trees are 

 readily raised from seed ; and after being planted in 

 rows in the nursery for a few years, are fit to be trans- 

 planted into their final stations. 



It is considered an Alpine tree, being remarkably 

 hardy ; and, therefore, vast numbers of them have 

 been planted on the mountains and poor wastes of 

 Great Britain and Ireland within these last four-score 

 years. The late dukes of Athol have been most suc- 

 cessful planters ; large tracts of hilly country, on the 

 Athol estates, have been clothed with the larch, to 

 the incalculably increased value of that in other 

 respects almost barren possession. Nor has the intro- 

 duction of this tree been confined to the Highlands ; 

 as they have been planted everywhere to the great 

 advantage of the planters. 



" In 1809, larch timber, grown by the duke of 

 Athol, at Dunkeld, was first used in the British navy 

 at Woolwich, in the building of the Serajris store- 

 ship, the Sybille frigate, the bottom of a lighter, and 

 for piles driven into the mud, alternately wet and dry ; 

 and in all these stations proved a durable wood. The 

 Athol of twenty-eight guns was also built entirely of 

 larch timber from his grace's estate ; and at the same 

 time the Niemen of the best Riga. After their first 

 course of service, on being examined, the Niemen was 

 found in a decayed state, and condemned accordingly ; 

 whilst the Athol was again put into commission, and 

 is at this time (December, 1832) on a voyage to the 

 West Indies. It was also remarked that, during the 

 time this larch timber lay in Woolwich dock-yard, 

 exposed to the weather, neither the heart or sapwood 

 was in the least decomposed ; nor was there the 

 slightest appearance of fungi growing upon it." 



Mr. Pontey, forester to the duke of Portland, in 

 his " Forest Pruner," highly recommends the larch as 

 a durable timber tree, and hundreds of thousands 

 have been planted at his instigation. 



Within these five or six years, however, it has been 

 found that the larch, in various parts of this country, 

 has become liable to a serious defect called jnunjnn^ 

 that is, from the decay of the heart-wood, the tree be- 

 comes hollow like a pump. Much has been written 

 on the subject, but no satisfactory reason has yet been 



