The Natural History of Selborne

The farmers have long since sown all their wheat, & ploughed-up most of their wheat-stubbles.

The stream in Gracious-street runs, after having been dry for many months.

Winter is established.

“Fled is the blasted verdure of the fields;
And, shrunk into their beds, the flowery race/
Their sunny robes resign. E’en what remain’d/
Of stronger fruits falls from the naked tree/
And woods, fields, gardens, orchards, all around/
The desolated prospect thrills the soul.”

Thomson’s Autumn

Wind all night.  At Selborne, a storm at 11 A:M:  Sea-gulls abound on the Alresford-stream: they frequent those waters for many months in the year.

Mr Mulso’s grapes at his prebendal-house are in paper bags: but the daws descend from the Cathedral, break open the bags, & eat the fruit.  Looked sharply for house-martins along the chalk-cliff at Wharel, but none appeared.  On Novr 3rd 1782: I saw several at that place.

This country swarms with pigeons from dove-houses.  Millers complain for want of water.

My niece of Alton (Clement) was brought to bed of a girl.  This child makes my 40th nephew & niece, all living; Mr Clement, & Mr Brown inclusive.

A chaced hind ran thro’ the parish, & was taken at Penton.  She ran but two hours the ground being too hard for her feet.  She was carryed home in a cart to Grateley.

Wild-geese appear.  On the downs, & Salisbury plain they feed much on green wheat in the winter, & towards the spring damage it much, so that the farmers set up figures to scare them away.

The stream at Fyfield is dry.  My brother Henry’s crops of trufles have failed for two or three years past.  He supposed they may have been devoured by large broods of turkies that have ranged much about his home-fields, & little groves.