22 MR. C. B. PLOWRIGHT ON RIME-FROST OF JANUARY 1880. 
gradually less in number, until they almost disappeared. The fog 
from the valley of the Gay wood river, for instance, settled upon the 
Elm trees on the Wootton road, so that those near the second mile- 
stone were very much broken. Then, again, on the Shortrees Hill, 
on the road from Rising Lodge to Shortrees, the fog from the low- 
lying Roydon Fen settled heavily upon them, and for about a 
mile and a half, on both sides of the road, the Oaks and Elms 
were shattered by it. So, again, the fog from the low lands of 
West Winch and Setch drifted towards Middleton, and its effects 
began to be visible from the hill at North Runcton to the village 
of Middleton. Beyond these points in the higher lands at 
Massingham, Ilarpley, etc., scarcely a broken tree is to be seen. 
The particular trees suffered in different degrees, and the injuries 
Avere characterised by certain peculiarities that are worth noticing. 
Black Poplars. No trees suffered more than these did. The 
branches broken Avere, for the most part, large ones, Avliich almost 
invariably broke off, and fell to the ground. Very rarely did a 
broken branch remain attached to the tree. One instance of this 
A\ T as observed at SaddleloAV, and photographed by Mr. Herbert 
Tilson, avIio Avas kind enough to take a number of photographs for 
me of broken trees. Sometimes a large branch snapped off short, 
and Avas caught at one of its bifurcations upon a loAver branch, 
and hung in an inverted position in the tree, Avith its broken end 
pointing towards the sky. (West Lynn. Roydon.) 
Oaks. Great numbers of Oak trees of all sizes received injury 
by the rime. As a general rule, several branches of medium or 
small size Avere broken on each tree. These broken tAvigs and 
branches remained hanging to the trees for Aveeks and months, 
until in fact they Avere intentionally removed. The fractures 
occurred either in the continuity of a branch, or Avhere a small 
bough joined a larger one. The latter Avere the more frequent, 
especially Avith the twigs and smaller branches. This is clearly 
shoAvn in the specimens sent with this communication, Avhere it is 
obvious that the branches have given Avay at their junction with a 
larger branch, simply because of the Aveight they had to bear. 
In other cases, Avhere the Aveight Avas not quite sufficient to break 
off the branch entirely, it gave Avay partially, the fractures being 
longitudinal, so that Avhen the thaAv came, the injured branch 
returned to its original position by its inherent elasticity, as soon 
