The Natural History of Selborne

Cotinus coggygria, the smoke tree, in White’s time went by the Linnean name Rhus Cotinus.

• 1791: August 6, 1791 – Boys bring wasp’s nest.  Codlings, & stewed cucumber come in.  Housed, & piled 8 cords of beechen billet in fine order.  Watered the cucumbers; well very low.
• 1790: August 6, 1790 – The fern-owl churs still; grass-hopper lark has been silent some days.
• 1789: August 6, 1789 – Rhus Cotinus, sive Coccygria blows; it’s blossom is very minute, & stands on the extremities of it’s filiform bracteols, which have sort of feather-like appearance that gives the shrub a singular, & beautiful grace.  This tree does not ripen it’s berries with us.  Is a native of Lombardy, & to be found at the foot of the Apennine, & in Carniola.
• 1788: August 6, 1788 – Flight of lapwings comes up into the malm fallows.
• 1786: August 6, 1786 – Mrs Ben White, by being delivered of a boy this morning, has encreased my nephews, & nieces to the number of 46.
• 1785: August 6, 1785 – My young fly-catchers near fledge.
• 1783: August 6, 1783 – Our fields & gardens are wonderfully dryed-up: yet after all this long drought Well-head sends forth a strong stream. The stream at the lower end of the village has long been dry.  Mr Barker came from Rutland thro’ Oxford on horse-back.
• 1781: August 6, 1781 – Every ant-hill is in a strange hurry & confusion; & all the winged ants, agitated by some violent impulse, are leaving their homes; &, bent on emigration, swarm by myriads in the air, to the great emoulment of the hirundines, which fare luxuriously.  Those that escape the swallows return no more to their nests, but looking out for new retreats, lay a foundation for future colonies.  All the females at these times are pregnant.
• 1775: August 6, 1775 – Multitudes of swallows of the first brood cluster on the Scotch-firs.  The swifts, or the bulk of them, departed from Fyfield, about this day.
• 1774: August 6, 1774 – The trufle-hunter took one pound of trufles at Fyfield.  Swifts disappeared at Fyfield on this day. A colony of swifts builds in the tower of London.  Swifts in general seemed to withdraw from us on this day. Annuals are stunted, & not likely to blow well.
• 1773: August 6, 1773 – The male & femal ants of the little dusky sort come forth by myriads, & course about with great agility.
• 1772: August 6, 1772 – Wheat begins to be cut. Not a breath of air.  The nights are hot.
• 1771: August 6, 1771 – Nuthatch chirps; is very loquacious at this time of the year.  Large bat appears, vespertilio altivolans.
• 1770: August 6, 1770 – Levant weather: a brisk gale all day that dies away at sunset.

Notes: English truffles: today’s NHoS is ripped from the headlines!