The Natural History of Selborne

Timothy the tortoise came out into the walk, & grazed. Mr Edmd White, while he was at South Lambeth, this summer, kept for a time a regular journal of his Father’s barometer, which, when compared with a journal of my own for the same space, proves that the Mercury at S. Lambeth at an average stands full three tenths of an inch higher than at Selborne. Now as we have remarked that the barometer at Newton Valence is invariably three tneth lower than my own at Selborne, it plainly appears that the mercury at S. Lambeth exceeds in height at an average the mercury at Newton by six tenths at least. Hence it follows, according to some calculations, that Nweton vicarge house is 600 feet higher than the hamlet of S. Lambeth, which, as may be seen by the tide coming-up the creek before some of the houses, stands but a few feet above high water mark. It is much to be wished that all persons who attend to barometers would take care to use none but pure distilled Mercury in their tubes: because Mercury adulterated with lead, as it often is, loses much of it’s true gravity, & must often stand in tubes above it’s proper pitch on account of the diminution of it’s specific weight by lead, which is lighter than mercury. The remarks above show the futility of marking the plates of barometers with the words– fair, changeable, &c, instead of inches, & tenths; since by means of different elevations they are very poor directions, & have but little reference to the weather. After the servants have gone to bed, the kitchen-hearth swarms with young crickets, Blattae molendinariae, of all sized from the most minuted growth to their full proportions. They seem to live in a friendly manner together, & not prey the one on the other.