The Natural History of Selborne

Large blue flag iris blows.  Flesh-flies abound.  Timothy the tortoise possesses a much greater share of discernment than I was aware of: & “.. is much too wise to go into a well;” for when he arrives at the haha, he distinguishes the fall of the ground, & retires with caution, or marches carefully along the edge: he delights in crawling up the flower-bank, & walking along it’s verge.

Helleborus viridis sheds it’s seeds in my garden, & produces many young plants.

Filed-crickets in their pupa-state lie-out before their holes.  Magpies tear the missel-thrushes nest to pieces, & swallow the eggs.

Wheat looks somewhat yellow.  Men sow barley: but the ground is cold, & cloddy.

Vines are backward in their shoots, but show rudiments of fruit.  The cores of the spruce-firs, produced last year, now fall.  After a fast of 7, or 8 months, the tortoise which in Oct. 1779 weighted six pounds 9 oun: & 1/2 averdupoise, weighs now only 6 pounds 4 ounces.  Timothy began to break his fast May 17 on the globe-thistle, & American willow-herb; his favourite food is lettuce, & dandelion, cucumber, & kidney-beans.

The missel-thrush drives the mag-pies, & Jays from the garden.  Lettuces that stood the winter come into use.  Hops are poled, but make weak shoots.

Tortoise moves about, but does not feed yet.

Stormy all night.  Tortoise scarce moves during this wet time.  Tremella nostoc abound on the grass walks.

The Lathraea squammaria grows also on the bank of Trimming’s orchard, just above the dry wall, opposite Grange-yard.

Wild cherries in bloom make a fine show in my hedges.