The Natural History of Selborne

Young martins abound.  Wheat-harvest begins with us.  The swifts appear again.

Much wheat blighted. Swifts have not appear’d for these two evenings.

The trufle-hunter took one pound of trufles at Fyfield.  Swifts disappeared at Fyfield on this day. A colony of swifts builds in the tower of London.  Swifts in general seemed to withdraw from us on this day. Annuals are stunted, & not likely to blow well.

Swifts began to withdraw about this time at Blackburn in Lancashire.

First apricots: first french-beans.

Sun, sweet day.  A chilly autumnal feel in the mornings and evenings.

Wheat cutting near Whorwel: much lodged.  Swifts flie up to the tower, & cling against the walls: qu: are not those young ones that do so?

Sowed turnep, & Wrench’s radishes.  Young swallows continue to come out. Harvest begun on the downs: wheat not ripe.  Destroyed a wasps-nest full of young vermiculi in their several gradations towards a perfect state.  Thermomr 64 on the stair-case: 59 in the wine-vault. Wrench’s radishes come from France, & are said to be a new sort: are called the Nismes radish.  Sowed a crop of spinage to stand the winter.

Turned out the worst of my St foin for thatch for my rick.

Finished my meadow-hay in good order: St foin spoiled.