The Natural History of Selborne

Covered the rows of the celeri with straw.  This day compleats the 34 of the dry weather.  Horses begin to lie within.

Boys slide on the Ice!  Flocks of hen-chaffinches are seen.

The hogs have been turned for some weeks into the high-wood, & hanger, where they have availed themselves much of the large crop of beech-mast.  The hogs find, no doubt, many trufles in the high-wood, where they are said to abound.  Last week Wolmer-pond was sewed, & fished after an interval of almost 20 years.  And yet there was no quantity of fish; for the carps did not amount to one hundred; nor was there any young stock: tench there were none; many young perch; a few large, lank pikes; & a few large eels.  It is said that the pond is to lie a-sew all next summer.  The pond being an area of more than 60 acres, was several days in running dry.  If this pond continues dry next spring, more Roman coins may be found, in windy weather, on the surface of the sand.  Many hundreds were found when it last lay dry, about the year 1741.

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.

Mrs. Etty returned to Selborne.

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.

Rover springs several pheasants, & some coveys of partridges.

Several wet, floated fields are now sown, that must have missed their wheat-crop, & have lain ’till spring, had not this fine dry season drained them, & rendered them fit for sowing.

Red-wings are late this autumn.  Perhaps the vintage was late this year in Germany; so that these birds were detained by the grapes, which they did not wish to exchange for our hips & haws.  Red-wings do much damage in vineyards, when the grapes are ripe.  My tall hedges, & the hanging woods, do not shew their usual beautiful tints & colours: the reason is because the foliage was so much torn & shattered by the rain & tempests.

Bror. & Sister Benj. left us.