The Natural History of Selborne

London.  When I came to town I found that herrings were out of season, but sprats, which Ray says are undoubtedly young herrings, abounded in such quantities, that in these hard times they were a great help to the poor.  Cods & haddocks in plenty: smelts beginning to come in.  The public papers here abounded with accounts of most severe & early frosts, not only in the more Northern parts of Europe, but on the Rhine, & in Holland.  The news of severe weather usually reaches us some days before the cold arrives; which most times follows soon when we hear of rigorous cold on the Continent.

Trimmed, & tacked the vines: pretty good wood towards the S.E. for next year’s bearing.  The S.W. vines are weak in the wood.

Frost, sun.

Gathered-in all the grapes.  Snow on the hills.

First day of winter.  Snow on the ground.

Grapes now delicate, & in good plenty: they had never ripened, had not Octr proved a lovely month.  The rallus porzana, or spotted water-rail, a rare bird, was shot in the sedge of Bean’s pond.  This was the first of the sort that ever I hear-of in these parts.  I sent it to London to be stuffed & preserved.  A beautiful bird.

Great field-fares flock on the down.

Rooks gather acorns from the oaks.