OF SELBOHNE. 



29 



(for in their natural state they are all birds of the night) 

 to feed in the brooks and meadows ; returning again with 

 the dawn of the morning. Had this lake an arm or two 

 more, and were it planted round with thick covert (for now 

 it is perfectly naked), it might make a valuable decoy. 1 



Yet neither its extent, nor the clearness of its water, nor 

 the resort of various and curious fowls, nor its picturesque 

 groups of cattle, can render this mere so remarkable as the 

 great quantity of coins that were found in its bed about 

 forty years ago. But as such discoveries more properly 

 belong to the antiquities of this place, I shall suppress all 

 particulars for the present, till I enter professedly on my 

 series of Letters respecting the more remote history of this 

 village and district. 



LETTER IX. 



of years. 



TO THOMAS PENNANT, ESQUIRE. 



Y way of supplement, I shall trouble you once 

 more on this subject, to inform you that 

 Wolmer, with her sister forest Ayles Holt, 

 alias Alice Holt, 2 as it is called in old records, 

 is held by grant from the crown for a term 



1 The broad expanse of Wolmer Great Pond still affords a safe retreat 

 to flocks of wild-fowl during the winter season ; and wild-ducks and 

 teal still breed in the forest ; the ducks in the heath, at long distances 

 from the swamp ; the teal nearer to the water. But the numbers of 

 both these species are yearly decreasing. ED. 



2 In Rot. Inquisit. de statu forest, in Scaccar. 36 Ed. III. it is called 

 Aisholt. In the same, " Tit. Woolmer & Aisholt Hantisc. Dominus Rex 

 habit unam capellam in haia sua de Kingesle." " Haia, sepes, sepimentum, 

 parcus : a Gall, haie and haye" Spelman's Glossary. Several additional 

 documents relating to the earlier history of the forests, both that of 

 "Wolmer and The Holt, are given in a note to Letter X. of the Autiqui 

 ties. G. W. 



