he common long-tailed
field mouse, and the short-tailed. There were about fifty of these
latter sort to one of the former. The long-tailed mice had all white
breasts, and the tail was about the same length as the body. {95} These
were chiefly caught on the wet greens in the Forest, and the short-tailed
were caught both on the wet and dry grounds.

A variety of means were resorted to for their destruction, such as cats,
poisons, and traps, but with little success. A Mr. Broad, who had been
employed by the Admiralty, and had been successful, in killing the rats
and mice in the fleet, was sent down, and tried several plans, all of
which failed. At last, a miner living on Edge Hills, named Simmons, came
forward, and said that he had often, when sinking wells or pits, found
mice fallen in, and dead, in consequence of their endeavours to extricate
themselves, and he had little doubt that the same plan would succeed in
the Forest. It was tried, and holes were dug over the enclosures about
two feet deep, and the same size across, and rather hollowed out at the
bottom, and at the distance of about twenty yards apart, into which the
mice fell, and were unable to get out again. Simmons and others were
employed, and paid by the numbers of tails which they brought in, which
amounted in the whole to more than 100,000. In addition to this it may
be mentioned that polecats, kites, hawks, and owls visited the holes
regularly, and preyed upon the mice caught in them; and a small owl,
called by Pennant, Strix passerina, never known in the Forest before or
since, appeared at that time, and was particularly active in their
destruction. The mice in the holes also ate each other.

Four more steam engines were allowed to be erected about the close of
this year at Palmer's Flat and at Hopewell.

Proceeding to the following year, we find that in 1815 the number of
plantations was increased by the addition of--

A. R. P.
Leonard's 66 0 32 near Cinderford.
Hill,
containing
Edge Hills 494 1 36 ,, Little
Dean.
Cock Shot 598 0 22 ,, Blakeney.
Yew-tree 183 0 0 ,, Cinderford.
Brake
---- -- --
1341 3