The Natural History of Selborne

Much snow on the ground.  My laurel-hedge, & laurustines, quite discoloured, & burnt as it were with the frost.

Stagg, the keeper, who inhabits the house at the end of Wolmer Pond, tells me that he has seen no wild-fowl on that lake during the whole frost; & that the whole expanse is entirely frozen up to such a thickness that the ice would bear a waggon.  500 ducks are seen some times together on that pond.

Many labourers are employed in shoveling the snow, & opening the hollow, stony lane, that leads to the forest.  Snow frozen so as almost to bear.

Farmer Lassam’s Dorsetshire ewes begin to lamb.  His turnips are frozen as hard as stones.

My laurel-hedge is scorched, & looks very brown!

Titmice pull the moss off the from trees in search for insects.

Deep snow still. Snow drifts on the down, & fills up the path which we shoveled.

Finished shovelling the path to Newton. Dame Loe came to help.

Shoveled out the bostal.  Snow very deep still.

My apples, pears, & potatoes secured in the cellar, & kitchen-closet; my meat in the cellar.  Severe frost, & deep snow.  Several men, that were much abroad, made sick by the cold; their hands, & feet were frozen.  We hung-out two thermometers, one made by Dollond, & one by B: Martin: the latter was graduated only to 4 below ten, or 6 degrees short of zero: so that when the cold became intense, & our remarks interesting, the mercury went all into the ball, & the instrument was of no service.