Most of these woods are cut bare, so far as the underwood extends,
once in every seven years. But the cutting is always limited to a seventh
of the wood. This leaves the ground covered with seven stages of growth,
the large trees remaining unfelled. With the exception of this annual
disturbance of a seventh of the area, and a few days' hunting and
shooting, limited by the difficulty of beating such extensive tracts of
cover, the wood remains undisturbed for the twelve months, and all wild
animals are naturally tempted to make it a permanent home.
As I have said, the wood stands on the banks of the Thames, below the old
fortress of Sinodun Hill, and opposite to the junction of the River Thame.
All the British land carnivora except the martin cat and the wild cat are
found in it. The writer recently saw the skin of a cat which had reverted
to the exact size, colouring, and length of fur of the wild species,
killed in the well-known Bagley Wood, an area of similar character, but of
much greater extent, at a few miles distance in the direction of Oxford. A
polecat was domiciled in Wittenham Wood as lately as August, 1898. Though
this animal is reported to be very scarce in many counties, there is
little doubt that in such woods it is far commoner than is generally
believed.
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