160 



THE ASH. 



somewliat speckled. On examining the tree most 

 minutely mth several other workmen, no mark 

 or protuberance was found to indicate the least 

 injury. The bark was perfectly smooth and the 

 tree quite sound." In endeavouring to account 

 for this curious fact, we can only suppose that 

 some accidental hole was made in the tree before 

 it arrived at any great size, in which a bird had 

 built its nest, and forsaken it after she had laid 

 three eggs. As the tree grew larger, the bark 

 grew over the hole, and in process of time the 

 nest became imbedded in the tree. 



I cannot better conclude this chapter than by 

 quoting Strutt's description of the Ash at Carnock 

 in Stirlingshire, with which he closes his Sylva 

 Britannica. ^' Its dimensions are as follows : ninety 

 feet in height ; thirty-one feet in circumference 

 at the ground ; nineteen feet three inchp-^ at five 

 feet from the ground, and twenty-one -^/^.J a half 

 feet at four feet higher up. The soHd contents of 

 the tree are six hundred and seventy-nine cubic 

 feet. It was planted about the year 1596, by Sir 

 Thos. Nicholson of Carnock, Lord Advocate of 

 Scotland in the reign of James VI. It is at pre- 

 sent in full vigour and beauty, combining airy 

 grace in the lightness of its foliage and the playful 

 ramifications of its smaller branches, with solidity 

 and strength in its silvery stem and principal arms. 

 Delightful indeed is it to contemplate the variety 

 and surpassing beauty of many of these houses 

 not built with hands," proclaiming to the viewless 

 winds, to the eyes of Heaven and to the heart of 

 man the wisdom and the love of the Eternal Ar- 

 chitect, whose fiat calls them into existence, and 

 whose benevolence wills them to live." 



