A Penny Weekly Magazine of Natural History. 



No. 12. JANUARY 17th, 1880. Vol, 1. 



SHERWOOD FOREST. 



By S. L. MOSLEY. 



If thou art worn and hard beset 

 7ith sorrows that thou would'st forget ; 

 P thou would'st learn a lesson that will keep 

 hy heart from fainting, and thy soul from sleep : 

 o to the woods and hills ! No tears 

 im the sweet look that nature wears." 



Longfellow, 



pVsjV^HO, on a bright, sunny, summer's 

 yfQ day, does not feel the truth of 

 e above quotation 1 those especially who 

 e shut up from morning till night, and 

 >m Monday to Saturday, under the 

 ngy smoke of some of our large centres 

 manufacture ; with the beat of the 

 gine, the spinning of wheels, and the | 

 liking of hammers, constantly dinning \ 

 their ears. If you want to enjoy life, 

 with me ; leave these life-destroying 

 pupations, and, if but for one day, let 

 ramble out into the country, and breathe j 

 H air, pure as it comes from nature's 1 

 1, uncontaminated by chemical fumes , 

 1 the improvements (?) of modern j 

 ilization. Nothing can allure you to 

 fresh and fragrant country so well as 

 )ve for nature ; and whether you go 

 h the object of making a bouquet of 



wild flowers ; whether you go with the 

 object of peering into birds'nests; whether 

 you go for the purpose of catching 

 butterflies or moths ; or whether you 

 take your pencil and block, and go for 

 the purpose of pourtraying the scenes 

 upon paper; in all these pursuits it is the 

 love of nature that draws you there, the 

 knowledge that you will there find scenes, 

 and objects, and beauties, which it is 

 impossible for you to find in towns, and 

 that there you can breathe the air which 

 invigorates you with new life. 



How well I remember my first visit to 

 Sherwood Forest ! It was in August, 1872. 

 I was then only a beginner at collecting- 

 insects, but I had the advantage of a 

 more experienced entomologist for my 

 companion. I had often heard of Sher- 

 wood, and of the beautiful scenery, and 

 the insects to be taken there ; and when 

 I found myself at the railway station, 

 with two companions, ready to start by 

 the noon train to Worksop, I thought 

 I was going round the world. I was so 

 delighted with my first visit that I went 

 again the next month. I paid another 

 visit in May, 1873, and in August, 1874, 

 I took up my residence there, and stayed 

 some months. Sherwood I have made 



