The Natural History of Selborne

Dug up potatoes: earthed up celeri.  Gathered knobbed russetings, a large crop.  Our building-sand from Wolmer-forest seems pure from dirt: but examined thro’ a microscope proves not to be sharp, & angular, but smooth as from collision.  It is of a yellow colour.  “The amazing number of swallows that at this time are flying in London, is a very uncommon appearance.  They seem greatly affected by the severe cold weather we have experienced for some days past, since the wind has been northerly; they fly in at windows, & are so tamed or numbed, that boys beat them down, as they fly in the streets.”  The Gazetteer

Gathered swan’s egg pears, a large crop.  Surprising Auroras, very red in the W!!!  The young swarms of bees this summer are light; the old stocks are heavy.

The wind blows down apples and pears.  Vivid aurora.

Began to light fires in the parlor.  Aurora.

The well at Filmer-hill is 60 yards deep: at Privet, on the top of the hill, they have no wells, & have been greatly distressed for water the summer thro’.  The Warnford, & Meonstoke stream as full, & bright, as if there had been no drought.

Hooker’s-hill mended by Tom Prior: the ditch below which was made about fifty years ago, is now open’d and cleaned.

The Well is now so low, that Thomas found some difficulty in getting water sufficient to Brew with.

Fly-catchers seem to be gone; they breed but once.

The boys destroyed a hornets nest: it was but small.  Ophrys spiralis, ladies traces, seed.

Thunder & lightening in all quarters round.  The spring called Well-head sends forth now, after a severe hot dry summer, & dry spring & winter preceeding, nine gallons of water in a minute; which is 540 in an hour; & 12960, or 216 hogsh. in 24 hours, or one natural day.  At this time the wells are very low, & all the ponds in the vales dry.