552 



Struts s Sylva Britdnnica. 



curiosity to measure this tree. Its head was as green and 

 vigorous last summer as it was at that time ; and though hol- 

 low as a tube, it has increased in its measure some inches. 

 Upon the whole, this bears every mark of having been a 

 short-stemmed branchy tree, of the first magnitude, spreading 

 its arms in all directions round it. Its aperture is a small, ill- 

 formed, Gothic arch, hewn out, or enlarged with an axe, and 

 the bark now curls over the wound, a sure sign that it con- 

 tinues growing: and hence it is evident, that the hollow oaks. 



135 



of enormous size, recorded by antiquaries, did not obtain such 

 bulk whilst sound ; for the shell increases when the substance 

 is no more. The blea and the inner bark receive annual tri- 

 butes of nutritious particles from the sap, in its progress to 

 the leaves ; and thence acquire a power of extending the 

 outer bark, and increasing its circumference slowly. Thus a 

 tree, which at 300 years old was sound, and 5 ft. in diameter, 

 like the Langley oak, would, if left to perish gradually, in its 



thousandth year become a shell of 10 ft. diameter Bull 



oaks," continues Mr. South, " are thus denominated from the 



