394 MISCHIEF ARISING 



mended, it will, after a time, injure the fine yellow 

 of the sulphur butterfly (papilio rhamni), by turn- 

 ing parts of it brown and dirty ; but even in its 

 reduced state it has a manifest effect upon the 

 colours of two of our moths, the Dartford emerald 

 (phalsena lucidata), and what is commonly called 

 the green housewife moth (phalaena vernaria) chang- 

 ing their plumage in several places, to a red buffy 

 hue, when at the same time the beautiful green 

 wings of the small oak moth (phalsena viridana) 

 are in no way altered by it. But notwithstand- 

 ing these circumstances, it will, I apprehend, be 

 considered as a very useful preservative, and save 

 many specimens from destruction which other means 

 usually fail of effecting. 



There are not many of our rural practices, that 

 deserve more the disapprobation of the landed 

 proprietor than that of pollarding trees. " It is 

 an evil under the sun, and common among men." 

 Here it is universal. This system of cutting off 

 the heads- of the young trees in the hedge-rows is 

 resorted to by the farmer for the purpose of forcing 

 them, thus deprived of their leaders, to throw out 

 collateral shoots, serving for stakes for the fences, 

 and for firewood. These purposes are effected ; but 

 of all hopes of timber, or profit to the proprietor, 

 there is an end. No trees suffer more in this respect 

 than the ash. Prohibitions against mangling trees, 

 in agreements, are usual; but, with some excep- 

 tions in regard to oak, little attention seems paid to 



