The Natural History of Selborne

Mossed the white cucumber-bed.

Distant thunder.  The storm arose in the S. & parted; so that we had only the skirts.  When thunder arises in the S. we hardly ever receive the storm over us, because the clouds part to the right, & left before they reach us, influenced, I suppose, bu the hills that lie to that quarter.  The walnut-trees throw-out shoots two or three feet below the extremities of the boughs; all above is dead.

The Flycatchers, five in number, leave their nest in the vine over the parlor-window.  Hemerocallis, day-lily, blows.  Chaffers fall dead from the hedges; they have served their generation, & will be seen but little longer.

Annuals die thro’ heat. Hops run their poles. Mr Powlett of Rotherfield has no water for his cattle in the park, but what he fetched from Alton! He has a well for the house. Many years ago Mr Powletts’s grandfather fetched water from Alton for all his cattle, deer & all, for three months together. My well is low; but affords plenty of fine clear water. We draw great quantities for the garden. A constant spring runs through it.

Fallows dusty, & in mellow order. Young fawns in the Holt.  My walnut-trees are almost naked, & half-killed by the winter; while those at Rood are in full foliage, & shew fruit.

Turbid sunset: the disk of the sun looked like three suns.  Full moon.

Most of our oaks are naked of leaves, & even the Holt in general, having been ravaged by the caterpillars of a small phalaena, which is of a pale, yellow colour. These Insects tho’ a feeble race, yet from their infiinite numbers are of wonderful effect, being able to destroy the foliage of whole forests, & districts. At this season they leave their aurelia, & issue forth in their fly-state, swarming & covering the trees, & hedges. In a field at Greatham a saw a flight of Swifts busied in catching their prey near the ground; & found they were hawking after these phalenae. The aurelia of this moth is shining, & as black as jet; it lies wrapped-up in a leaf of the tree, which is rolled round it, & secured at the ends by a web, to preven the maggot from falling-out.

The yew-hedges at the vicarage half-killed by the winter.  My tall hedges are much injured by the severity of last winter: many boughs are killed, & the foliage in general is thin.

Fly-catchers have young.  Standard honey-suckles beautiful, & very sweet.

Established summer.  Corn-flag blows.