ON TREES. 
225 
the summer of 1831, another large fungus made 
its appearance at 8 feet from the ground. One 
Sunday morning, during a raging tempest, the 
trunk gave way at the fungus, carrying the remain- 
ing branch, the stonework, and the jackdaw's nests, 
with a tremendous crash, into the lake below. I 
roofed the remainder of the stump again, leaving 
an entrance for the owl. It is now quite covered 
with ivy, and has sent forth a partial vegetation 
annually from its last misfortune. In June of the 
present year, another huge fungus came out at 4 
feet from the ground. I understand the warning ; 
and I clearly foresee that the final doom of this 
"statio malefida" volucri is close at hand. 
Thus have two sycamores, within a few feet of 
each other, been a prey to distinct diseases, and 
both of them afforded an inward retreat to birds. 
The first, having entirely lost its inside, by the 
slow-consuming process of wet entering at a broken 
branch, still flourishes by the art of man. The 
second, for centuries the ornament of the rock 
upon which it grew, struck at last by the hand of 
Nature with an inward distemper which nothing 
could arrest, broke down at intervals in partial 
ruins ; and probably will disappear for ever during 
the next fierce wintry blast. 
There is still another process by which an en- 
trance is prepared for birds in the boles of trees. 
Frequently a large branch fails without any apparent 
cause ; and it remains dead on the tree for many 
years. At last, down it comes, having given way 
close to the stem. On inspection you will find 
Q 
