The Natural History of Selborne

Grapes turn black.  Vetches, & seed-clover housed.  Baromr sinks very fast.  Ring-ouzels.  Ring-ouzels affect to perch on the top twigs of tall trees, like field-fares.  When they flie off they chatter like black birds.  Apples are gathering.

Woodlark whistles.  Few swallows.  One martin’s nest with young in it.  Some few martins about.

Woodcock, Scolopax, appears early.   Glow-worms shine.

Black cap.  Few martins over oak-hanger ponds.  Woodlark whistles.

Ring-ouzels, merula torquata, begin to apear on their autumnal migration.

Hedge-sparrow begins its winter note.

Hardly any swallows have appeared since sunday.

Sprinkling rain & rumbling wind.

Swallows abound.  Tops of the beeches are fringed with yellow.  This morning the swallows rendezvoused in a neighbour’s wallnut tree.  At the dawn of the day they arose altogether in infinite numbers occasioning such a rushing with the strokes of their wings as might be heard to a considerable distance.  *Since that no flock has appeared, only some late broods, & stragglers.

Rain in the night.  Spring sown wheat all housed.