The Natural History of Selborne

The scenes round the village are beautifully diversifyed by the bloom of the pear-trees, plums, & cherries.  A great flood on the Thames in consequence of the rain on friday night.

The bark of oak now runs; & I am felling some trees.  Wwen trees are sawn-off, & thrown, a rushing sound is heard from the but, often attended with a little frothing & bubbling-out of the sap.  This rushing or hissing is occasioned by the motion of the air escaping thro’ the vessels of the wood.

Notwithstanding the dry winter & spring, the pond on the common is brim full.

The titlark rises, & sings sweetly in its descent.  The Ring-dove hangs on its wings, & toys in the air.

The cock green-finch begins to toy, & hang about on the wing in a very peculiar manner.  These gestures proceed from amorous propensities.

The house snail begins to appear: the naked black-snail comes forth much sooner.  Slugs, which are covered with slime, as whales are with blubber, are moving all the winter in mild weather.

The golden-crested wren frequents the fir-trees, & probably builds in them.  Tho’ the spring has been remakably harsh & drying, yet the ground crumbles, & dresses very well for the spring-crops. The reason is, the driness of the winter: since the ground bakes hardest after it has been most drenched with water.

Returned from London to Selborne.

A swarm of bees came forth at Kingsley, & were hived.  From that day to April the 10th harsh, severe weather obtained with frequent frosts & ice, & cutting winds.  How are these bees to subsist so early in an empty hive?  On March 26 & 27, two, sunny sultry days, swallows were seen at Cobham, in Surry.  Thermrs were at that time in London up at 66 in the shade.

Two sultry days; Mrs Snooke’s tortoise came forth out of the ground; but retired again to it’s hybernaculum in a day or two, & did not appear any more for near a fortnight.  Swallows appeared also on the same days, & withdrew again: a strong proof this of their hiding.