74 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



but under the authority of the Acts 9 and 10 William III. c. 36 (1698) and 

 48 George ITT. c. 79 (1808), the Crown was empowered to enclose, and 

 keep enclosed, freed and discharged from all rights of Common, such 

 quantity of land in the Forest as would amount to 6000 acres for the growth 

 of timber. By the Act of 14 and 15 Vict. c. 76 (the Deer Removal Act of 

 1851) the Crown was authorised to enclose and plant with trees anv 

 quantity of land not exceeding 10,000 acres, in addition to the 6000 acres 

 already in enclosure under the authority of the Acts before mentioned. 

 The powers conferred by these Acts are not repealed by 40 and 41 Vict. 

 c. 121 (the 'New Forest Act, 1877'); but the rights of enclosure are by 

 sec. 5 of the last-cited Act limited to 'such lands as are at the date of the 

 passing of this Act enclosed, or as have, previously to such date, been 

 enclosed by virtue of commissions issued in pursuance of the said Acts or 

 some of them.' The New Forest Act of 1877 practically secured the New 

 Forest to the public, but the Act is virtually repealed by the 10th section 

 of the Ranges Act, 1891 (and other Acts therein referred to), under the 

 authority of which the War Department, with the consent of the Com- 

 missioners of Woods and Forests, can take possession of any part of the 

 Forest for military purposes, and exclude the public from the enjoyment of 

 any tract so taken. Already it is proposed to take 800 acres for a Rifle 

 Range and the site of a Camp, and there is nothing to prevent the exercise 

 of such rights throughout the district, and the conversion of the Forest into 

 a second Aldershot. Wherever a portion of the Forest is taken, the rights 

 of the commoners, if they complain, will be bought up and extinguished ; 

 and thus by taking different areas at different times the Commissioners 

 may, before very long, extinguish the common rights and reduce the Forest 

 into private ownership. It is clear that the proposed enclosure of 800 acres 

 and the user of the Forest generally in the way described is in direct violation 

 of the spirit and intention, as well as of the express provisions, of the New 

 Forest Act of 1877. The object, therefore, of the New Forest Bill is to 

 make it clear that the Forest shall not be deemed to be within the provisions 

 of the 10th section of the Ranges Act, 1891, and that the provisions 

 of the New Forest Act, 1877, shall remain in force. The rights secured 

 by the Act of 1877, and the preservation of the Forest as an open space, 

 are of the greatest importance to naturalists, artists, and the general public, 

 and every possible effort should be made to secure the passing of the Bill 

 by signing petitions in support of it."— H. Goss (Surbiton). 



MAMMALIA. 



Polecat in Merionethshire.— Although, owing to the nature of the 

 country, the total extirpation of the Polecat in Merionethshire will probably 

 not be accomplished for many years, it may be of use to preserve the 

 following records of destruction. During the severe weather of 1890-91 a 



