204 
NATURAL HISTORY 
tree a deep hole was bored with an anger, and a poor devoted 
nirew-moufe was thruft in alive, and plugged in, no doubt, with 
feveral quaint incantations long fince forgotten. As the ceremonies 
neceffary for fuch a confecration are no longer underftood, all fuc- 
ceffion is at an end, and no fuch tree is known to fubfift in the 
manor, or hundred. 
As to that on the Plejlor 
" The late vicar ftubb'd and burnt it." 
when he was way-warden, regardlefs of the remonftrances of th/e 
by-ftanders, who interceded in vain for it's prefervation, urging 
it's power and efficacy, and alledging that it had been 
♦* Rellglone patrum multos fervaia per annos." 
I am, &c» 
LETTER XXIX. 
TO THE SAME. 
DEAR SIR, Seleorne, Feb. 7, 1776. 
In heavy fogs, on elevated fituations efpecially, trees are perfe6t 
alembics ; and no one that has not attended to fuch matters can 
imagine how much water one tree will diftil in a night's time, by 
condenfmg the vapour, which trickles down the twigs and boughs, 
fo as to make the ground below quite in a float. In Newton-lane, 
ia 
