24 On GOTHIC J R C H It ECTU RE, 



owing to the unequal contradtion of its different layers. This 

 takes place varioully in different woods ; in fome, the bark bends 

 inwards, in fome outwards, in fome acrofs the branch, and in 

 fome lengthways. 1 have had occafion to obferve, that, univer- 

 fally, the bark of the willow bends concave outwards, and length- 

 ways with refpeifl to the branch. One of the firft diftincft ex- 

 amples I met with, of this kind, was on a rail at St Mary's Ifle in 

 Galloway, in the fummer of 1792, (PI. V. fig. 38.). The rail had 

 been made entirely of frefh willow, and the pofts had all flruck 

 root, having then the third year's growth upon them ; the hori- 

 zontal bars had died of courfe, and were in the a6l of lofing their 

 bark. This, in fome places, was feen feparated from the wood 

 at one end, and adhering to it at the other, forming a gentle and 

 continued curve with the mafs of bark, which ftill remained at- 

 tached to the wood ; fome pieces of bark, a few inches in length, 

 had feparated at both ends, and remained adhering only by the 

 middle ; in fome places two contiguous pieces of rifing bark 

 met, and exhibited a ihape very much refembling that of the 

 cufped ornament which I have juft defcribed. In the fummer 

 of 1795, I faw, at the fame place, a ftill more ftriking example 

 of this, upon an upright poft of willow, (fig. 40. )> in which 

 the two pieces of curling bark formed, together, a cufp from 

 nine inches to a foot in length. In a few days, the under 

 piece of bark fell off; but the upper one remained for. more 

 than a month, lying clofe to the wood during rain, and rifing 

 from it when the weather was dry. Figure 39. reprefents a 

 large branch, which I cut from an old willow, having the 

 curled bark upon it, and which, being kept dry, ftill retains its 

 fhape. 



There is great reafon to fuppofe, that this accident has fug- 

 gefted the cufped ornament : For if we fuppofe a window of the 

 willow houfe, (fig. 41.), in the fame ftate of decay with the rails 

 juft mentioned, to have come under the obfervation of an archi- 



ted 



