The Natural History of Selborne

Vast crops of cow-grass. Much hay made. Vast lights in the air from all quarters.  Crickets swarm in my kitchen-chimney.

*  The flies, called by our people Nose flies, torment the horses at plow.  They lay their eggs in the ears as well as the noses of cattle.  Some of our farmer’s work their teams with little baskets tyed-on over the horses noses.  These flies seem to prevail only in Italy.  Round the eaves of the Priory farmhouse are 40 martins-nests, which have sent forth their first brood in swarms, At 4 young to a nest only, the first brood will produce 160; & the second the same, which together make 320: add to these the 40 pairs of old ones, which make in all 400; a vast flight for one house!! The first, when congregating on the tiles, covers one side of the roof!