The Natural History of Selborne

Bror & Sister Benj. left us, & went to Newton.  Tortoise almost covered.

The tortoise is going under ground, but not quite buried: he is in motion, & pushing himself beneath the turf.

The hermitage capped with snow.

Bro. & Sister Benj. came to us from Newton.

The wind on Saturday last occasioned much damage among the shipping in the river, & on the E. coast.

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.

My horses taken into the stable & not to lie out any more a nights.  New coped the top of my kitchen-chimney, mended the tiling, & toached the inside of the roofing to keep out the drifting snow.

The young men of this place found a stray fallow deer at the back of the village, which they roused, & hunted with grey hounds, & other dogs.  When taken it proved to be a buck of three years old.

Planted out many young laurustines, & Portugal laurels from the old stools.

Bror Th. W. sows laburnum seed on the hanger, & down.  A wood-cock killed in the high wood.