536 Area of Woodlands in Great Britain, [dec, 



hatched out in the woods and fields they live very largely on 

 flies, grasshoppers, moths, and grubs of all kinds. These being 

 their natural foods, the more of them that can be given to the 

 chicks in a state of domestication the healthier they will be. 

 It is therefore advisable that when a few weeks old the chicks 

 should be given a free run with the old hen, and the best kind 

 of range for them is an overgrown, weed-covered garden, 

 orchard, or shrubbery. In such a place they can find as much 

 insect food as they need to keep them in health ; but if the 

 run is small, or if too many birds are kept on it, it becomes 

 necessary to feed guinea chicks with a small quantity of meat 

 in their mash. One of the prepared meat foods or finely- 

 chopped fresh meat and fresh bone may be used. 



For table use guinea fowls are but little inferior to the 

 pheasant. The flesh is somewhat dark, but has a decided 

 gamey flavour, and is appreciated when game is out of season. 



H. DE COURCY. 



AREA OF WOODLANDS IN GREAT BRITAIN. 



In connection with the Agricultural Returns of the present 

 year special inquiries were made with the view of ascertaining 

 the extent of land now occupied by woods in Great Britain, in 

 pursuance of a recommendation by the recent Departmental 

 Committee on British Forestry that a return should be obtained 

 by the Board in continuation of that in 1895. The difficulties 

 of securing an exhaustive return of all land under wood have 

 been pointed out in commenting on the previous returns of 

 this nature, but it is believed that the special pains taken by 

 the officers of Inland Revenue in the distribution and collection 

 of the schedules have resulted in rendering the present return 

 substantially accurate. It is to be observed, however, that in 

 some instances the inclusion of woodland areas, which were 

 formerly overlooked, may tend to vitiate comparisons with 

 previous figures for particular counties or districts, and may 

 account to some extent for apparent increases in the areas 

 returned.* 



The woodland area is now returned under the several cate- 



* The figures are given for each County in the Agricultural Returns (Acreage and 

 Live Stock) 1905. Price 6d. 



