14 



NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



WOLMER FOREST. 



LETTER VI. 



TO THE SAME. 



SHOULD I omit to describe with some exactness the forest of Wolmer, 

 of which three-fifths perhaps lie in this parish, my account of Selborne 

 would be very imperfect, as it is a district abounding with many 

 curious productions, both animal and vegetable ; and has often afforded 

 me much entertainment both as a sportsman and as a naturalist. 



The royal forest of Wolmer is a tract of land of about seven miles in 

 length, by two and a half in breadth, running nearly from north to 

 south, and is abutted on, to begin to the south, and so to proceed 

 eastward, by the parishes of Greatham, Lysse, Kogate, and Trotton, in 

 the county of Sussex ; by Bramshot, Hedleigh, and Kingsley. This 

 royalty consists entirely of sand covered with heath and fern ; but is 

 somewhat diversified with hills and dales, without having one standing 

 tree in the whole extent. In the bottoms, where the waters stagnate, 

 are many bogs, which formerly abounded with subterraneous trees; 

 though Dr. Plot says positively,* that "there never were any fallen 

 trees hidden in the mosses of the southern counties." But he was 

 mistaken : for I myself have seen cottages on the verge of this wild 



* See his " History of Staffordshire." 



