Chap. 566.—An ACT to establish a rule of evidence in actions of ejectment and
unlawful entry, or detainer involving the location of reservations within the
exterior boundaries of grants or other conveyances.

Approved January 2, 1904.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That on the
trial of any action of ejectment, or unlawful entry or detainer, where it
appears from the evidence that the land in dispute, or any portion
thereof, is embraced within the exterior boundaries of a grant or other
conveyance under which the plaintiff claims his title, which grant or
other conveyance reserves one or more parcels of land within said boun-
daries from the operation thereof, but without sufficient description of
said reserved land on the face thereof, or by reference on the face thereof
to other grants or conveyances of public record, containing such suffi-
cient description, by courses and distances, natural boundaries or land
marks, or otherwise of such reserved land, as will enable the same to be
readily and accurately located by a competent surveyor, the plaintiff
shall be entitled to recover so much of said land within said exterior
lines, as does not appear by a preponderance of the evidence to be within
the limits of any such reservation, and as he would otherwise be entitled
to recover if such grant or other conveyance had contained no such reser-
vation: provided, that this act shall not apply where it shall appear from
the evidence that the defendant is in possession of such reserved land
under claim of title thereto.