The Natural History of Selborne

20 or perhaps 30 martins were playing all day along by the side of the hanger, & over my fields.  Will these house-martins, some of which were nestlings 12 days ago, shift their quarters at this late season of the year to the other side of the northern tropic! Or rather is it not more probably that the next church, ruin, cliff, sand bank ( a Northern naturalist would say) lake or pool will prove their hybernaculum & afford them a ready, & obvious retreat?

Fieldfare is seen.

Mrs Snooke’s tortoise begins to dig in order to hide himself for the winter.  The vale of Bramber, & the river enveloped in a vast fog: the downs were clear.

Grass grows.  Medlars shaken off the tree by the wind.

Vast quantities of rain has fallen lately.

Grapes decay with rain: are most highly ripened.

Swallow appears still.  Vast rains.

The martins about.  Glow-worms shine.

This morning the young martins forsook their nest & were flying round the village.  Grapes delicate, & plenty.

Under the eaves of a neighbourning house is a martin’s nest full of young ready to flie.  The old ones hawk for flies with great alertness.