23 MAY 1952, Page 18

" The Beasts of the Field "

Sta,—Dr. C. K. Allen's delightful article calls to mind the late Lord Atkin's famous "neighbour" dictum in the case of Donoghue v. Steven- son (1932):

" You must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasoqably foresee would be likely to injure your neigh- bdur. Who, then, in law is my neighbour ? The answer seems to be—persons who are so closely and directly affected by my act that 1 ought reasonably, to have them in contemplation as being so affected when I am directing my mind to the acts or omissions which are called in question."

Might not this criterion of duty be applied to the relations between the owner of straying animals and the users of the highway ?—Yours faithfully, _ - . _ RICHARD' FEILDEN. Up-Along,,Knowle Hill,,Mayfield, Sussex,