Appendix No. 1.
xxix
attitude is compatible with the instruction that " the Conservators shall
at all times as far as possible preserve the natural aspect of the Forest,"
and " shall by all lawful means prevent, resist, and abate all future
enclosures, encroachments, and buildings, and all attempts to enclose,
encroach, or build on any part thereof, or to appropriate or use the same,
or the soil, timber, or roads thereof, or any part thereof, or for any pur-
pose inconsistent with the objects of " the Act of 1878. It must not be
supposed that there is any desire on the part of naturalists to exclude the
general public. I wish only to emphasise the fact that up to the present
time it would appear that the Forest has fallen into the hands of those
who are disposed to regard it exclusively from the point of view of excur-
sionists and " cheap trips," and in accordance with the principle that
supply and demand act and re-act it may be expected that this class—
which has thus far alone been catered for—will more and more frequent
the Forest district. Increased accommodation for excursionists means,
if we may judge from the line of action pursued by the Conservators, an
extension of facilities for swinging and donkey-riding. The " improve-
ments " that have hitherto been made have not been of such a nature as
to preserve the woodland in its native beauty, but have been limited to
the conversion of a portion of the Forest land into a resort for pleasure-
seekers of the class indicated. To the naturalist—and, I am sure, I may
say to the intelligent public generally—such a tract of primitive country
is beautiful only so long as Nature is given full sway, and the adjustments
which for long ages have been going on slowly and silently under the
operation of natural laws remain unchecked and uninterfered with by
man. No unscientific body of Conservators can possibly realise to the
fullest extent the seriousness of the charge committed to their care.
With respect to the management of the Forest, the views of naturalists
are now so well known that no excuse can be made for ignoring them.
Our wants are of the simplest and most economical nature—our case is
perfectly met by the trite aphorism, " let well alone." The whole forest
area at present existing may be considered to consist of primitive wood-
land and of tracts formerly under cultivation. The former can best be
dealt with by leaving the "management" to Nature; whilst the latter
should be naturalised as soon as possible. And here we cannot close our
eyes to the fact that while a large amount of money has been expended
in altering portions of the Forest proper, no attempt has yet been made
to plant or to restore to a natural condition those unsightly tracts which
were formerly enclosed, and of which many remain as barren wastes to
the present time. The cause of the naturalist is thus imperilled, both by
the active and by the passive position of the Committee ; he is like the
pitcher in the Italian proverb, which says that "whether the pitcher hits
the stone or the stone hits the pitcher, it is always the worse for the
pitcher."
It is now quite unnecessary to make detailed statements of the views
of individual naturalists with reference to the present subject. It will be
remembered that at a meeting of this Society held last year, Sir Thomas
Fowell Buxton brought forward a proposal—and a very excellent one it
was—that all land-owners round the Forest district should agree to stop
generally the destruction of all birds and animals on their estates, so that
a great experiment might be carried out for some years, leading to a true
" balance of nature " in the whole area comprised between the valleys of
the Lea and Boding. At the discussion arising from that suggestion, the
preservation of the fauna and flora as a whole was advocated, and many
naturalists, whose opinions will carry great weight, expressed their views
on the question of forest management. The complete report of this
meeting appears herewith, with appended papers by Dr. Cooke, Mr. J. E,