The Natural History of Selborne

Storm in the night, that blew down my rain-measurer.  The newspapers say that there are floods on the Thames.

Our rivulets were much flooded; &  the water at Oakhanger ran over the bridge, which in in old days was called tun-bridge.

Dark & dismal.  Mr. Churton came from Oxford.

Walked down to short heath: the sands were very comfortable, & agreeable to the feet: the grass grounds, & arable paths were wet, & unpleasant.

One of my neighbours, shot a ring-dove on an evening as it was returning from feed, & going to roost. When his wife had picked & drawn it, she found its craw stuffed with the most nice & tender tops of turnips. These she washed & boiled, & so sate down to a choice & delicate plated of greens, culled & provided in this extraordinary manner. Hence we may see that granivourous birds, when grain fails, can subsist on the leaves of vegetables. There is reason to suppose that they would not long be healthy without; for turkies, tho’ corn fed, delight in a variety of plants, such as cabbage, lettuce, endive, &c., & poultry pick much grass while gees live for months together on commons by grazing alone.

“Nought is useless made;…/
… On the barren heath/
The shepherd tends his flock, that daily crop/
Their verdant dinner from the mossy turf/
Sufficient: after them the cackling Goose/
Close-grazer, finds wherwith to ease her want.”
Philips’s Cyder

The Emshot hounds kill a leash of hares on the hill.

The Bramshot hounds kill a leash of hares on the hill.

A bushel of American wheat, which Bro. Tho. sent last year to one of his tenants in the hundreds of Essex from Nore hill, produced this harvest 40 bushels of seed: — and is much admired in that district, because from the stiffness of it’s straw it does not lodge.  Wheat is so apt to lodge in these parts, that they are often obliged to mow it down in the blade about May, lest it should fall flat to the ground.  This process they call swonging.

Mrs Ben White brought to bed of a Son, who makes my nephews & nieces 55 in number.

Beautiful picturesque, partial fogs along the vales, representing rivers, islands, & arms of the sea!  These fogs in London & other parts were so deep that much mischief was occasioned by men falling into rivers, & being over-turned into ditches, etc.