22 FORESTRY IN EARLY TIMES 



did not form one of the animals of the chase. The 

 fox, badger, otter, and wild cat are also mentioned 

 as preserved animals. 



I have said that the forests were under the charge 

 of foresters. There was, in fact, a considerable staff 

 of varying grades a^d appellations, from nobles 

 downwards. The lower grades had distinguishing 

 badges of rank, and many of these are to be seen 

 on old tombstones in graveyards in the Forest of 

 Dean and elsewhere. For instance, the badge 

 of a verderer was an axe ; that of a forester-of-fee, 

 a huiiting-sword and horn'; that of a chief forester, 

 a bow or an arrow ; of a forester, a hunting-horn ; and 

 so forth. The clerical staff of the forest was repre- 

 sented by the agisters, who collected the grazing 

 and pannage fees from the people. 



The one hundred and eighty years succeeding 

 Edward I.'s disafforesting edict witnessed a con- 

 siderable curtailment of the forest areas of the 

 country since the existing forest law did nothing 

 towards protecting the woods of the disafforested 

 areas. Thus at the end of the period — i.e. in the 

 latter part of the fifteenth century — ^the forestry 

 question in its economic sense had begun to make 

 its appearance in the country. This forms the 

 history of our second period. 



