PREFACE.
books to the Forest have been published; but
they do not enter with sufficient minuteness into
topographical details to serve as a handbook to
the stranger who desires to penetrate the wilder
parts of the wood. An essential part of my
scheme is that the descriptions should be accom-
panied by correct maps of a scale sufficiently
large to facilitate identification of the leading
features. Taking the official map published by
the conservators, which is of the scale of 3 inches
to the mile, I have divided it into sections of a
convenient size, which, after careful correction,
have been engraved with great care by Mr. Stan-
ford, to whose manager, Mr. Bolton, my acknow-
ledgments are especially due.
To the Itinerary I added an historical chapter,
believing that those who use the Forest would
wish to know the influences which, centuries ago,
made it what it is, and how it came to be rescued
for their enjoyment. For some very useful sug-
gestions bearing on this part of the work I have
to thank Sir Arthur Hobhouse and Mr. Robert
Hunter, than whom no men are better acquainted
with the legal aspects of the question.
I find that the most intelligent interest is taken
in our woodlands by those who there pursue their
studies in one or other of the branches of Natural
History. Many of them are of humble station;
but as members of societies, which are very
numerous in London, of botanists, ornithologists,
fungologists and microscopists, they are enthusiastic