The Natural History of Selborne

• 1792: November 10, 1792 – On this day Brother Benjamin quitted South Lambeth, & came to reside at His House at Mareland.
• 1788: November 10, 1788 – Planted 10 roses, 2 cypresses, 6 violae tricolores, 3 sent from S. Lambeth by Bro. Ben.
• 1781: November 10, 1781 – Hares eat down the pinks, & cloves in the the garden: & yet sportsmen complain that the breed this year is very small; alleging that dry summers, tho’ kindly for partridges, are detrimental to hares.
• 1776: November 10, 1776 – Redwings.  These birds begin to appear at last.
• 1773: November 10, 1773 – Rains have lasted ten weeks.  Saw a flock of seven or 8 stone-curlews.  These birds generally retire before this time.
• 1772: November 10, 1772 – Vast quantities of rain.
• 1771: Novmeber 10, 1771 – Tortoise comes out in the sun about noon, but soon returns to his work of digging a hole to retire into.
• 1769: November 10, 1769 – A few stock-doves, Oenas, sive vinago, or wood-pigeons appear.

Notes: The redwing is a small thrush with breeding-grounds mainly in Scandanavia. Their short migration carries them sometimes to southern England for the winter.

• 1791: November 9, 1791 – Planted a row of Hyacinths on the verge of the fruit-border; & tulips along the broad walk.  Planted winter-cabbages.  Potatoes dug up.
• 1788: November 9, 1788 – Many people are sick.
• 1786: November 9, 1786 – This day compleats the 28th of this dry fit, which has done infinite service to the low districts, that were floated with water by the heavy rains in the beginning of last month.
• 1785: November 9, 1785 – The great holly at Burhant-house is now beginning to blow. Farmer Lasham finishes hay-making!!
• 1780: November 9, 1780 – Timothy does not stir.
• 1776: November 9, 1776 – Grey, clouds & sun, sweet day.
• 1773: November 9, 1773 – Ground to be levelled is under water.  Wood-cocks pretty common.  The country all in a flood.
• 1770: November 9, 1770 – Lime-tree leaves fall all at once.  Floods: torrents & cataracts in the lanes.
• 1768: November 9, 1768 – Fallows begin to work well.  Woodcocks in the high wood.

• 1792: November 8, 1792 – Planted 3 quarters of an hundred more cabbages to stand the winter: dug-up potatoes; those in the garden large, & fine, those in the meadow small, & rotting.
• 1791: November 8, 1791 – Planted one doz. of red hairy gooseberries, & one doz. of smooth amber, from Armstrong, in the quarters of the garden.  Gathered-in the grapes: decaying.  Two rills run now into my well, the water of which begins to get clear.
• 1787: November 8, 1787 – Rain, blowing, & showers.  Stormy, hail.  Red, turbid N. Aurora.  Bror Henry’s grapes did not ripen well.
• 1786: November 8, 1786 – Mrs. Etty returned to Selborne.
• 1785: November 8, 1785 – A Gent: writes word from St. Mary’s, Scilly, that in the night between the 10th & 11th of this month, the wind being W. there fell such a flight of Woodcocks within the walls of the Garrison, that he himself shot & carryed home 26 couple, besides 3 couple which he wounded, but did not give himself the trouble to retrieve.  On the following day, the 12th the wind continuing W. he found but few.  This person further observes, that easterly & Northerly winds only have usually been remarked propitious in bringing Woodcocks to those islands, viz. Scilly.  So that he is totally at a loss to account for this Western flight, unless they came from Ireland.  As they took their departure in the night between the 11th & 12th, the wind still continuing West, he supposes they were gone to make a visit to the Counties of Cornwall & Devonshire.  From circumstances in the letter, it appears that the ground within the lines of the Garrison abounds with furze.  Some Woodcocks settled in the street of St Mary’s, & ran into the houses & out-houses.
• 1784: November 8, 1784 – The hanger is almost naked: some parts of my tall hedges still finely variegated: the fading foliage of the elm is beautifully contrasted to the beeches.
• 1783: November 8, 1783 – 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.
• 1782: November 8, 1782 – Men are interrupted in their wheat-sowing in the mornings by hard frost.
• 1781: November 8, 1781 – The tortoise came out of his coop, & has buried himself in the laurel-hedge.  When my great parlor is kept close shut-up it is not at all affected by condensations on on the wainscot or paper, tho’ the hall & entry are all in a float.
• 1780: November 8, 1780 – Gathered-in a great many grapes, because the vines cast their leaves.  The crop of grapes is prodigious: perhaps the greatest I ever had.
• 1777: November 8, 1777 – Put the first coat of plaster on the battin work & ceiling of my new room.
• 1776: November 8, 1776 – Infinite quantities of haws & sloes.  Nothing could be more lovely than the ride from Andover to Alresford over the Hants downs.  The shepherds mow the charlock growing among the wheat.  I saw no fieldfares all thro’ my Journey.  If they come, as Rays says they do, “ventis vehementer spriantibus” they can have had no advantage of that kind; for the autumn has been remarkably still.
• 1773: November 8, 1773 – Snipes leave the moors & marshes which are flooded, & get up into the uplands.
• 1771: November 8, 1771 – Few petrifacations about Ringmer & Lewes.  Ringmer soil not clay at top but brick-loam: bears good apples, pears, & grapes.  Clay under, which holds water like a dish.  The trees are mostly elms.
• 1770: November 8, 1770 – Heavy rain for 24 hours.  Vast flood at Gracious street, & dorton.
• 1769: Novmeber 8, 1769 – Goldfinch & red-breast sing.

• 1787: November 7, 1787 – Saw several grey crows on the downs between Winchester, & Andover; & four pheasants feeding at the corner of Whorwel-wood.  Green wheat beautiful on the downs, but not forward sown.  The Fyfield Comedians performed Much Ado About Nothing, with the Romp.
• 1783: November 7, 1783 – 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.
• 1781: November 7, 1781 – John Hale has cleansed the pond on the down, & carried out a large quantity of mud.  Husbandry seems to be much improved at Selborne within these 20 years, & their crops of wheat are generally better: not that they plough oftener, or perhaps manure more than they did formerly; but from the more frequent harrowings & draggings now in use, which pulverize our strong soil, & render it more fertile than any other expedient yet in practice.
• 1780: November 7, 1780 – Some snow on the ground.  Many trees were stripped last night: vine-leaves begin to fall.  Winter-weather.  Gathered the barberries, a vast crop.
• 1778: November 7, 1778 – My Chaumontelle pears now come into eating, & are very delicate.
• 1777: November 7, 1777 – Put the sashes into my new room.
• 1776: November 7, 1776 – The great fieldfare returns.  Beetles abound every evening.  Farmer Canning’s new barley-ricks smoke & ferment like hot-beds already.
• 1772: November 7, 1772 – Warm air.  Flesh-flies blow the meat in the larder still.

Admin note: I apologize for the sporadic posting over the past week, indeed the past few months. I’ve had some personal disruptions lately but hope to be more settled now and give Gilbert better attention.

• 1790: November 6, 1790 – Very rough weather at Portsmouth: boats over-set, & people drowned in coming from Spit-head.
• 1789: November 6, 1789 – The hermitage capped with snow.
• 1788: November 6, 1788 – Bro. Tho. & T.H.W. left us, & went to London.
• 1787: November 6, 1787 – Several wood-cocks in Harteley wood: they are in poor condition.
• 1781: November 6, 1781 – The walls of the hall & entry are all afloat with condensation.
• 1780: November 6, 1780 – The tortoise begins to dig mould for his winter-retreat: he has much moss in his coop, under which he conceals himself.
• 1778: November 6, 1778 – Planted six proliferous fiery lily-bulbs from Hambledon in the flower-borders.
• 1776: November 6, 1776 – Flies abound.  They stay long after the hirundines are withdrawn.  Tipulae sport in the air.
• 1771: November 6, 1771 – Whitings in high season: herrings going out.

• 1792: November 5, 1792 – Gossamer abounds.  Vast dew lies on the grass all day, even in the sun.
• 1789: November 5, 1789 – Bro. & Sister Benj. came to us from Newton.
• 1788: November 5, 1788 – Swarms of sporting gnats come streaming out from the tops of the hedges, just as at Midsumr.  On this soft summer-like day some h. martins might have been expected along the hanger; but none appeared.
• 1785: November 5, 1785 – Wild wood-pigeons appear in a large flock in the coppices above Coomwood pond.  Timothy Turner housed the remainder of the hay in Baker’s hill.  Dame Loe came.
• 1784: November 5, 1784 – The deep, golden colour of the larches amidst the dark evergreens makes a lovely contrast.
• 1783: November 5, 1783 – 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.
• 1776: November 5, 1776 – Farmer Cannings has fine weather for his barley harvest, Mr Cannings has now 48 acres of barley abroad either standing or in cock: it was not sown ’til the rains came in the beginning of June.  He is now ricking one field; the other is standing.  The grain is lank, & the cocks cold, & damp.
• 1773: November 5, 1773 – Cornix cinerea.  Flying over Faringdon heath.  The first grey crow that I ever saw in the district of Selborne.  They are common on the downs about Andover: about Winton, & Bagshot.  Most of the earth to be removed in levelling the garden is taken away in some places to the depth of 18 inches.  The continued rains much interrupt the work, & make it a nasty jobb.  The best mould is laid on the quarters of the garden, the clayey soil is wheeled into the meadow.
• 1771: November 5, 1771 – Phyteuma orbicularis in bloom on the downs S. of Lewes.
• 1769: November 5, 1769 – Grass grows.  Ricks much torn at Faringdon.
• 1768: November 5, 1768 – Glass rises violently.  Planted a plot of cabbages to stand the winter.  Wheat is sown.

• 1791: November 4, 1791 – Grey, gleams.  Snow gone.
• 1790: November 4, 1790 – Green wheat comes up well.  Stewed some trufles: the flavour of their juice very fine, but the roots hard, & gritty.  They were boiled in water, then sliced, & stewed in gravy.
• 1789: November 4, 1789 – The wind on Saturday last occasioned much damage among the shipping in the river, & on the E. coast.
• 1784: November 4, 1784 – Timothy out.  Great meteor.
• 1783: November 4, 1783 – 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.
• 1782: November 4, 1782 – I watched the S.E. end of the hanger, hoping to see some house-martins, as they sometimes appear about this day but was disappointed.
• 1781: November 4, 1781 – The wintry & huge constellation, Orion, begins now to make his appearance in the evening, exhibiting his enormous figure in the E.  Tho’ my grapes ripen in the most disadvantageous years: yet from the concurring circumstances of a hot summer, & a failure of wasps, I think my crop was never so delicate before, nor ever supplyed my table for so long.
• 1780: November 4, 1780 – Planted out some slips of red pinks: & set some rows of Tulips.
• 1778: November 4, 1778 – Full moon.  Tit-mice creep into the martin’s nests, & probably eat the pupae of the hippoboscae hirundinis.
• 1777: November 4, 1777 – 21 house-martins appeared playing about under the hanger.  The air was full of insects.  Others that saw the martins in an other part of the hanger say there were more than 150!  This was a mistake.  Note: no martins have been observed since Oct. 7th ’til this day, when more than 20 were playing about & catching their food over my fields, & along the side of the hanger.  It is remarkable that tho’ this species of Hirundines usually withdraws pretty early in Oct. yet a flight has for many years been seen again for one day on or about the 4th of Novr.  Father it is worthy of notice, that when the Thermr rises above 50, the bat awakens, & comes forth to feed of an evening in every winter-month.  These circumstances favour the notion of a torpid state in birds; & are against the migration of swallows in this kingdom.
• 1776: November 4, 1776 – The trufle-hunter was here this morning: he did not take more than half a pound, & those were small.
• 1774: November 4, 1774 – Grapes now delicate, & in good plenty: they had never ripened, had not Octr proved a lovely month.  The rallus porzana, or spotted water-rail, a rare bird, was shot in the sedge of Bean’s pond.  This was the first of the sort that ever I hear-of in these parts.  I sent it to London to be stuffed & preserved.  A beautiful bird.
• 1773: November 4, 1773 – Stock-dove, or wood-pigeon appears.  Redwing appears.
• 1772: November 4, 1772 – Saw one martin.
• 1771: November 4, 1771 – Saw three house swallows flying briskly at Newhaven at the mouth of the Lewes river!!
• 1769: November 4, 1769 – Vast storm broke some boughs, & tore thatch.

• 1792: November 3, 1792 – Men sow wheat: but the land-springs break out in some of the Hartley malm-fields.
• 1789: November 3, 1789 – Planted 150 cabbages to stand the winter: dunged the ground.  Grapes all very bad.  Two swallows were seen this morning at Newton vicarage house, hovering & settling on the roofs, & outbuildings.  None have been observed at Selborne since Octobr. 11.  It is very remarkable, that after the hirundines have disappeared for some weeks, a few are occasionally seen again sometimes, in the first week of November, & that only for one day.  Do they withdraw & slumber in some hiding-place during the interval? for we cannot suppose they had migrated to warmer climes, & so returned again for one day.  Is it not more probable that they are awakened from sleep, & like the bats are come forth to collect a little food?  Bats appear at all seasons through the autumn & spring months, when the Thermomr is at 50, because then phalaenae & moths are stirring.  These swallows looked like young ones.
• 1788: November 3, 1788 – Bro. Tho. sowed many acorns, & some seeds of an ash in a plot dug in Baker’s hill.  The King’s hounds tryed our coverts for the stag, but with no success.
• 1786: November 3, 1786 – The oaks in Comb-wood & below the Temple are in full leaf, & many of the in good verdure.  The beeches in general have lost their foliage.
• 1783: November 3, 1783 – The runs dusty, & the chaises run on the summer tracks, on the downs.  Lovely clouds, & sky!! Turnips on the downs are bad.  Wheat looks well.  Men chalk the downs in some parts.
• 1781: November 3, 1781 – Hogs, in eating acorns, chew them very small, & reject all the husks.  The plenty of acorns this year avails the hogs of poor men & brings them forward without corn.
• 1780: November 3, 1780 – Timothy, who is placed under a hen-coop near the fruit-wall, scarce moves at all.
• 1777: November 3, 1777 – Sea-gulls, winter-mews, haunt the fallows.  Beetles flie.
• 1775: November 3, 1775 – Grapes are delicate still; especially those that are not bagged in crape those that are, are shrivelled, & vapid.  *The great month for spring migration is April: tho’ the wryneck, one species of willow-wren, & the upland curlew are seen in March: in this month also the winter birds retire.  In Sept. most of the short-winged summer birds withdraw; & in Oct the wood-cock, redwing, & fieldfare return.  The hirundines are more irregular in their retreat; for the Swift disappears in the beginning of August: the rest of the Genus not ’til Oct.:  In Nov the wood-pigeons, & wild fowls return.  We have found in the parish of Selborne alone about 120 species of birds, which are more than half the number that belong to Great Britain in general; & more than half as many as Linnaeus can produce in the kingdom of Sweden.  Mr Pennant enumerates 227 species in Gr. Britain, & Linnaeus about 221 in his native country.
• 1774: November 3, 1774 – Great field-fares flock on the down.
• 1773: November 3, 1773 – Stock-dove, or wood-pigeon appears.  Redwing appears.
• 1772: November 3, 1772 – 20 or perhaps 30 martins were playing all day along by the side of the hanger, & over my fields.  Will these house-martins, some of which were nestlings 12 days ago, shift their quarters at this late season of the year to the other side of the northern tropic! Or rather is it not more probably that the next church, ruin, cliff, sand bank ( a Northern naturalist would say) lake or pool will prove their hybernaculum & afford them a ready, & obvious retreat?
• 1770: November 3, 1770 – Misling rain all day.
• 1769: November 3, 1769 – Five or six swallows appear.
• 1768: November 3, 1768 – Bat appears.  Hedge-hogs cease to dig the walks.

• 1791: November 2, 1781 – The late rains have not had any influence yet on my well-water, which is very low, & foul.  Snow on the Sussex downs.
• 1787: November 2, 1787 – Farmer Hoar saw one cock ring-ouzel at Nore hill.
• 1780: November 2, 1780 – Leaves fall very fast.  My hedges shew beautiful lights, & shades: the yellow of the tall maples makes a fine contrast against the green hazels.
• 1779: November 2, 1779 – My well is risen very fast.
• 1777: November 2, 1777 – Ring-ouzels still on the downs near Alresford.  they have left these parts some time.
• 1774: November 2, 1774 – Rooks gather acorns from the oaks.
• 1772: November 2, 1772 – Fieldfare is seen.
• 1772: November 2, 1771 – Mrs Snooke’s tortoise begins to dig in order to hide himself for the winter.  The vale of Bramber, & the river enveloped in a vast fog: the downs were clear.
• 1770: November 2, 1770 – Wallnut, & ash leaves fall at a vast rate.
• 1769: November 2, 1769 – Golden-crowned wren on the tops of trees.

Notes:

John Mulso was one of Gilbert’s oldest friends; they met in college and corresponded for the rest of their lives. I guess this was a hunting accident; I can’t find any other reference to this event so we can assume he was all right.

• 1791: November 1, 1791 – The young martins are out: one was found dead this morning in the parsonage garden.
• 1790: November 1, 1790 – Bror Benjn & his wife came to us.
• 1788: November 1, 1788 – Planted on the bank in the garden several dames violets raised from cutting under hand-glasses.  Sowed some seeds of the Zizania aquatica in Comb-wood pond.  The King’s stag-hounds came down to Alton, attended by a Huntsman & six yeoman prickers with horns, to try for the stag that has haunted Hartley wood, & it’s environs for so long a time. Many hundreds of people, horse & foot, attended the dogs to see the deer unharboured: but tho’ the huntsmen drew Hartley wood, & Temple hangers, yet no Stag could be found.   Lord Hinchinbroke, the master of the hounds, & some other Nobleman attended.  The royal pack, accustomed to have the deer turned-out before them, never drew the coverts with any address or spirit, as many people that were present observed; & this remark the event has proved a just one.  For as Harry Bright was lately pursuing a pheasant that was wing-broken in Hartley wood, he stumbled upon the stag by accident, & ran in upon him as he lay concealed amidst a thick brake of brambles, & bushes.
• 1787: November 1, 1787 – Split-out the great Monk’s-rhubarb plant into 7, or 8 heads, & planted them in a bed that they may produce stalks for tarts in the spring.  The N. Aurora makes a particular appearance forming itself into a broad, red fiery belt, which extended from E. to W. across the welkin: but th moon rising, at about 10 o’ the clock, in unclouded majesty on the E. put an end to this grand, but aweful, meteorous phenomenon.
• 1785: November 1, 1785 – Bror. Tho. Mr & Mrs Ben White, & Nep. Thos Holt White came from Fyfield.
• 1784: November 1, 1784 – Mr John Mulso was shot in the legs.
• 1782: November 1, 1782 – Some flocks of starlings on the wide downs between Andover, & Winton. Several martins were playing about over the chalk-bank at the E. end of Whorwel village.  Can any one suppose but that they came out of the bank that morning to enjoy the warm sunshine, & would retire into it again before night?
• 1781: November 1, 1781 – Much wheat-land not sown yet; because men are afraid to sow their corn in the dust.  Some water still in the pond on Selborne down; & the pond on Newton-farm, over the hedge, is half-full.  No drought, equal to the present, has been known since autumn 1740, which being preceeded by a dry summer & spring, & the terrible long frost of winter 1739, exhausted most of the wells & ponds, & distressed the country greatly.
• 1776: November 1, 1776 – Four swallows were seen skimming about in a lane below Newton.  This circumstance seems much in favor of hiding, since the hirundines seemed to be with drawn for some weeks.  It looks as if the soft weather had called them out of their retirement.  My Brother’s turkies avail themselves much of the beech-mast which they find in his grove: they also delight in acorns, & wallnuts, & hasel-nuts: no wonder therefore that they subsist wild in the woods of America, where they are supposed to be indigenous.  They swallow hasel-nuts whole.
• 1773: November 1, 1773 – Seed-clover cutting.  A ring-ouzel was shot in the high wood with a russet gorget, & russet spots on its wings.  Three or four more were seen.
• 1771: November 1, 1769 – An imperfect rainbow on the fog; a more vivid one on the dewy grass.  Grey crows, Cornix cinerea frugilega, near South Wick.  Mrs Snooke’s tortoise begins to scrape an hole in the ground in order for laying up.
• 1768: November 1, 1768 – Bucks grunt.

Notes:

Although the idea that swallows hibernated in caves over the winter now seems pretty ludicrous, it was still hotly debated as late as the mid-nineteenth century. Here is a nice quick history of alternate theories of where all the birds went.

It’s seems strange that so meticulous an observer as Gilbert White should have clung on to the hibernation theory for his swallows and martins even as it was becoming unfashionable, and even as he took notes on the migrations of other bird species. In hisexcellent biography of White, Richard Mabey suggests this may have been related to White’s personal dread of travelling. Later years in the journals begin to acknowledge the greater plausibility of migration– I think with his head Gilbert White knew his hirundines migrated, but with his heart he loved the idea of them sleeping peacefully “300 yards from the village”.

Migrationwatch’s map of European swallow sightings in Africa.