462 THE NATURAL HISTORY 



the points of contact, that, collectively, they assume 

 quite an anastomosing character. Another fine tree, 

 near the Belt plain, known as " Rover's drinking 

 fountain," has thrown out an enormous horizontal 

 branch a very few 'feet from the ground, and in the 

 angle between this branch and the parent trunk, 

 is a natural rounded cavity nearly always containing 

 a gallon or two of water, this discovery was made by 

 a thirsty spaniel. In Padswood bottom, about a 

 hundred yards from this, may be seen an ash and a 

 beech, apparently springing out of a single bole, and 

 in this instance we cannot but think that the " struggle 

 for existence" will in all probability end, as it began, 

 in a tie. We might easily extend our list of noble 

 old trees in the park, many of which present some 

 peculiarity of development, but we will only add one 

 more. This stands in the Old Rookery near the 

 park-keeper's lodge, a giant beech almost a grove in 

 itself, the stem of which is divided into half-a-dozen 

 colossal shafts. 



The " Gothic Arches," an avenue of comparatively 

 young beech, just within the southern boundary of 

 the park, is locally interesting, from the fact that 

 the land on which it was planted not quite a century 

 back, was formerly part of the patrimony of Gilbert 

 White, but it also has a special attraction quite apart 

 from its historical associations. The over-arching 

 terminal branches at one end of the avenue intersect 

 each other at acute angles, so as to very fairly 

 represent, when looked at from the opposite end, 

 the elaborate tracery above the mullions of a gothic 

 window, but obviously this effect can only be ap- 

 preciated during the winter months, and when the 

 trees are loaded with rime the effect is indescribably 

 beautiful. 



The graceful Beech, then (Fagus sylvatica\ thrives 

 well on the chalk, and is abundantly distributed over 

 the whole of the uplands, including Lady Holt Park, 

 East Harting Down, West Harting Down, and the 



