346 NATURAL IIISTOIiY 



the remonstrances of the by-standers, who 

 interceded in vain for its preservation, 

 urging its power and efficacy and alleging 

 that it had been 



" Religione patrum iiiyltos servata per annos." 



I am, See. 



LETTER XXIX. 



TO THE SAME. 



DEAR SIR; Selborne, Feb. 7, 1776. 



In heavy fogs, on elevated situations espe- 

 cially, trees are perfect alembics : and no 

 one that has not attended to such matters 

 can imagine how much water one tree will 

 distil in a night's time, by condensing the 

 vapour, which trickles down the twigs and 

 boughs, so as to make the ground below 

 quite in a float. In New ton- lane, in October, 

 177o, on a misty day, a particular oak in 

 leaf dropped so fast that the cart-way stood 

 in puddles and the ruts ran with water, 

 though the ground in general was dusty. 



