The Natural History of Selborne

The plows have been stopped by the frost some days.  Men cart earth & dung for their hop-grounds.  Covered the lettuces, artichokes, spinage, & celeri with straw.  Took in the urns.

The grey chalk carried-out upon Hasteds falls to pieces.  Good mackarel brought to the door.

Several wells in the village are dry, & some ponds in the neighbourhood.  Well-head runs much as usual.  There is a fine perennial spring at the bottom of Hasteds.  Men cart earth, & marl from Clay’s pond.

Many wild fowls haunt Wolmer pond: in the evenings they come forth and feed in the barley-stubbles.

A vast flock of hen chaffinches are to be seen in the fields along by the sides of Newton-lane, interspersed, I think, with a few bramblings, which being rare birds in these parts, probably attended the finches on their emigration.  They feed in the stubbles on the seeds of knot-grass, the great support of small, hard-billed birds in the winter.

Mr White’s tank at Newton has been empty some days.

Some light snow.  Boys slide on lakes.  Turned up much fine rotten earth from among the rubbish carryed out of the garden.

Finished shovelling the zigzag, & bostal.  Wildfowl on Wolmer-pond.

Liss hounds are hunting on the common.  My well very low: some wells are dry.  We have taken away much of the old wood from the vines.  Wheeled dung.

The downy seeds of travellers joy fill the air, & driving before a gale appear like insects on the wing.  Mrs Clement brought to bed of a boy.  My nephews & nieces now 53.