Notes on the Forests of British Guiana. 
No. \.—By M. McTurk. 
HE necessity for the conservance of the forests, 
has long been apparent to many, not only those 
resident in the colony, but to casual visitors 
who have had the opportunity of seeing the reckless 
manner in which the forest is being denuded of its most 
valuable trees. 
No restrictions as to size, time of cutting, or kind to 
be cut, are placed on the licensed wood-cutter by the 
Government, and as long as the wood-cutter has com- 
plied with the existing Crown Lands regulations and 
procured his licence, he has a perfectly legal right to 
cut and remove from his grant every growing plant of 
any size or kind. Again, — there are large tracts of 
land, on the Essequibo River particularly, over which 
persons exercise all the rights of ownership, basing 
their claims in most cases on titles supposed to have been 
granted them by the Government while the colony was in 
possession of the Dutch. These tracts of land are in 
some cases as large as the smaller counties of England, 
and in many cases their limits are undefined, A 
Commission was appointed in 1854 to inquire into 
the titles to these lands in Essequibo, and an exten- 
sive and interesting report was sent in to the Govern- 
ment. The suggestions of the Commissioners have 
never been acted upon, and for all the benefit that 
has accrued, the Commission might never have existed. 
Y 
