GILBERT WHITE. 
319 
ancient ivy-tree is prizing up tlie bricks with his strong levers, 
and in time down will come the outhouse. I understand from 
Mr. Fergusson that the fig-trees in India are destroying the 
Indian temples in this Avay. The vegetation, which is pulling 
down another house in a field belonging to the hotel, is also 
worthy of note. 
At page 11 will be found Mr. Delamotte's drawing of 
the rocky lane leading to Alton. White's description of these 
" hanging lanes " is admirable ; but they are now much 
more wild than in White's time a hundred years since. All 
traffic has ceased in them, a new road having been made to 
Alton. 
The only road from Alton in White's time was along these 
dreadful lanes, and it is difficult to conceive how a horse and 
cart could be got through them. This old lane takes a 
very circuitous course, and comes out at Alton near the Rail- 
way Station. The new road bisects it near iN'orton farm, 
one mile from Selborne : the visitor should get out and 
examine it at this point. I don't suppose that it has been 
traversed by human being for many years — it looks like a 
jungle. I should imagine these deep narrow cuttings are 
frightful traps for fox-hunters. There is another very good 
specimen of these hanging lanes on the road from Selborne to 
Liss Station : this is a terrible-looking place, almost dangerous 
to walk through. A native came to fetch water while we were 
there ; we followed her down a deep rugged incline, at the 
bottom there w^as a small hole, a little larger than a pail, 
containing water. This had evidently been dug out for land 
drainage. The woman took out of the so-called well two pails 
of muddy water, and said that it was the only water to be got 
near the place — it was only fit for a stickleback-pond. This 
water reminded me of a story I had heard in another part of the 
country where water was very scarce and very expensive. The 
curate of the |)arish, it was reported, used to wash his children 
in small beer, of which he had a stock in the house, as he 
found it less expensive than water. 
The only road to Selborne being through these " hanging 
lanes," it is plain that White could not have had much society. 
To the existence of these hanging lanes, therefore, I mainly attri- 
bute " White's History of Selborne." In these olden times 
White must have been hemmed in on all sides ; there were few 
or no human visitors arriving and departing ; the only arrivals 
and departures that White could notice Avere those that came 
through the air, i.e. birds ; and of Lis feathered parishioners he 
has indeed given us ample reports. The birds, so far as I can 
