The Natural History of Selborne

Pulled off many hundreds of nectarines, which grew in clusters.  The leaves are distempered, & the trees make few shoots.  Vast crop of wall-fruit.

The shell of the martin’s nest begun May 16 is finished.

The crows, rooks, & daws in great numbers continue to devour the chafers on the hanger. Was it not for those birds chafers would destroy everything. Rooks, now their young are flown, do not roost on their nest-trees, but retire in the evening towards Hartley-woods. Martins roost in the their new nests as soon as ever they are large enough to contain them.

Planted one of the ephrys nidus avis with a good root to it in my garden, under a shady hedge.  The shell of the martin’s nest begun May 16, is about half finished.

The martins have just finished the shell of a nest left unfinished in some former year under the eaves of my stable.  Apis longicornis bores holes in the grass-walks.

Ophrys nidus avis  Bro Tomas.  This curious plant was found in bloom in the long Lythe among the dead leaves under the thickest beeches: & also among some bushes on Dorton.

Apple-trees in fine bloom.  Began to tack some shoots of vines.  Few whitethroats this year.

Flycatcher appears: the latest summer-bird of passage.  The stoparola is most punctual to the 20th of May!!!  This bird, which comes so late, begins building immediately.

The first leaves of the peaches & nect: sadly blotched, & rivelled.  These leaves seem not to be affected by animals; but are monstrously distorted.  Mem: to observe whether the peaches & nect. whose leaves are so blotched, can bear any well-flavoured fruit.  [later note:]  They bore fine fruit in plenty, considering the wet shady season.

Thinned the apricots & took off a large basket of fruit.