SELBORNIANA. 
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natural history is woven into the narrative. The illustrations give an unnecessarily 
old-fashioned air to the volumes, and might, we think, have been omitted with 
advantage. The books are published by Messrs. Macmillan, price 3s. 6d. each. 
Mr. John Wilkins has put forward a plain unvarnished tale in his Auto- 
biography of an English Gamekeeper (T. Fisher Unwin, 6s.). It must be con- 
fessed that this beautifully printed book is not altogether delightful reading for 
Selbornians, although it contains an interesting record of a life which is typical, 
of that led by the class whom Mr. Wilkins not unfavourably represents. It also 
throws a curious light on the ethical or moral code by which the life of a game- 
keeper is governed and regulated ; and it affords one more proof that a man may 
be brought into daily contact with nature without being one whit moved or 
softened by her marvels. Farmers whose crops are destroyed by hares may like 
to know how this result is secured. “ You take a pound or more of parsley seed 
and sow in the night time all over the field. Let no one know anything about it, 
but take the seed in your large pockets, and scatter it broadcast all over the field ; 
the hares will then feed in that field in preference to any other. I have done the 
same thing on land sown with clover, near the cover, that is, home fields, not 
those a long way from your woods. This is one dodge to make the hares feed at 
home, and take to that particular field for feeding. The hares will keep the 
parsley down, and even if the farmer does find a sprig of parsley in the clover, he 
will think that it slipped in amongst the clover seed.” “The farmer in question, 
be it noted,” adds a reviewer commenting on this passage, “paying our master 
rent for the field, putting his own capital into it, and being convicted of poaching 
if he kill a hare.” 
Messrs. F. Warne & Co. send us a re-issue of Dr. M. C. Cooke’s Fern Book 
for Everybody (is.), a cheap and handy account of British Ferns, with many wood- 
cuts and twelve coloured plates. The same publishers are responsible for English 
Wild Flowers, by Mr. J. T. Burgess, which may fairly claim to be the very worst 
volume yet put together upon a subject to which many bad books have been 
devoted. 
SELBORNIANA. 
An Exemplary Sentence. — The following extract from the Gardeners’ 
Chronicle of April 9 will interest Selbornians, and specially our correspondent 
who asked (p. 57), “ What is to be done ?” : — “ At the Axminster Petty Sessions, 
on Tuesday, James Dorey, of the West Quarter, Exeter, was summoned for doing 
damage to underwood on land belonging to Sir W. Pole. Mr. Tweed, of Honiton, 
stated that the defendant was one of a gang of pilferers who, by their depredations, 
did much damage to the grounds of country gentlemen. The offence at present 
under consideration was committed on March 19. In broad day, P.C. Gervis 
came upon defendant at Morwenhayes Copse, pulling up ferns, and two acres of 
land were laid bare, and 1080 fern-roots extracted. This flower and fern 
pilfering, Mr. Tweed continued, was become a general nuisance, and he hoped an 
exemplary punishment would be inflicted. P.C. Gervis bore out this statement. 
Defendant was sent to prison for a fortnight. A second charge was preferred 
against him for damage to the fence by creating a gap, and evidence having been 
adduced by the constable and gamekeeper, a fine of 15s. inclusive was inflicted.” 
— Devon Weekly Times, April 1, 1892. 
Apropos of the above condemnable practice, our correspondent sends the 
following (we purposely omit the names and addresses), culled from Exchange and 
Mart, March 2i, 1892; — 
“ Fernery. — Beautiful varieties of Devon and Cornish Ferns, 40 good roots, 
free, is. 6d. 
“ Hardy Dorset Fern roots, various varieties, carefully packed in moss, 50 is., 
ICX3 IS. 9d., free. 
