In 1849, Mr. Doswell, who had the conduct of experiments on different descriptions of wood at Southampton, where the river was so full of the worm that piles of 14 inches square had been eaten down to 4 inches in four years, reported as follows: “From my examination, last spring tides, of the specimen blocks attached, on the 22nd February, 1848, to some worm-eaten piles of the Royal Pier, I am enabled to report that Bethell’s creosoted timbers all continue to be unaffected by the worms; that the pieces saturated with Payne’s solution continue to lose in substance by their ravages; and that the unprepared timbers diminish very fast, except the American elm, which stands as well (or nearly so) as that prepared by ‘Payne’s solution.’” The following are the detailed particulars: BETHELL’S CREOSOTED BLOCKS, PLACED FEBRUARY 22, 1848. Memel, at low water of spring tides } Unaffected by worms. Red pine, at low water of neap tides } Yellow fir, at high water of neap tides A few barnacles. PAYNIZED BLOCKS, PLACED APRIL 6, 1848. Red pine, at low water of spring tides Worm-eaten. American elm, at low water of neap tides } A few barnacles. Fir, at high water of neap tides } UNPREPARED BLOCKS, PLACED APRIL 6, 1848. Memel, at low water of spring tides Much worm-eaten. American elm, at low water of neap tides A few barnacles. Fir, at high water of neap tides Much worm-eaten. On 1st January, 1852, Mr. Doswell ascertained that, notwithstanding the number of _teredines_ and _limnoria_ to be found in the Southampton Waters, none of the creosoted blocks had been attacked by them. According to M. Forestier, similar results have been obtained at Brighton, Sunderland, and Teignmouth. Allusion has already been made to Mr. Pritchard, of Shoreham, with reference to preserving timber. On July 26, 1842, he presented a report to the Treasurer of the Brighton Suspension Chain Pier Company, upon the preservation of timber from the action of sea-worms. We give a portion of it, as follows: “Stockholm tar has been used, and proved to be of little service; this tar is objectionable owing to its high price, and also from its being manufactured from vegetable substances. All tars containing vegetable productions must be detrimental to the preservation of timber, especially when used in, and exposed to, salt water. This tar does not penetrate into the wood, and in a very few months the salt acid of the sea will eat it all away.