The Natural History of Selborne

Mr Yalden’s tank is dry.

No chafers appear as yet: in those seasons that they abound they deface the foliage of the whole country, especially on the downs, where woods & hedges are scarce. Regulus non cristatus stridet voce locustulae: this bird, the latest & largest willow-wren, haunts the tops of the tallest woods, making a stammering noise at intervals, & shivering with it’s wings.  Bank-martins abound over the ponds in the forest: swifts seldom appear in cold, black days round the church.

Ponds fail.  Watered away hogsheads on the garden, which is burnt to powder.

Two pairs of nightingales in my fields.  The country strangely dryed-up.  Fine showers about last friday.

Papilio Atalanta.  This is an autumnal fly, & therefore must appear at this season by accident.  Fine rains about the kingdom; but little to the advantage of our district.  At Lyndon in Rutland, the first swallow was seen April 14: first swift April 29: first H. martin May 6.

Fern-owls chatter in the highwood & hanger.

The long rows of tulips make a gallant shew.

House-snails abound now: scarce any have appeared before on account of the long drought.

One swift at Bramshot; one at Selborne.  At Blackburn in Lancashire swallows first seen April 15; swifts April 28; house-martins May 4th.  Cuckow sings April 28; laughing wren sings Apr. 17.  Several ponds are dry.

Sowed two boxes of polyanth-seed from London.  Sowed a large bed of carrots, which could not be sowed before on account of the long dry season.  Ground still dry & harsh.  Some oaks & ashes half in leaf.  Trees more than a fortnight forwards than they have been for some years past.