The Natural History of Selborne

Swallows begin to feed yir young ones flying.

Wheat is very backward: hardly any ears appear.  It is worthy of notice that on my clayey soils horses prefer grass that grows on a sand-walk, tho’ shaded & dripped by a tall hedge, to that which springs from the natural ground in a sunny & open situation.

Cut first melon.  Apis longicornis carries wax on it’s thighs into it’s hole in the walks: in this wax it deposits it’s eggs.  Cocked the hay in large cocks.  Martins tread in their nest, & flie out one on the back of the other.

Spread the hay. Stopped & tacked ye vines.  Cut the tall hedges.

First young swallows appear.  Young Goldfinches.  Turned the grass-cocks about the last week of June.  Vine begins to blow very late! in good summers.

Heavy showers.  Young frogs migrate from their ponds.  Young partridges.

Cut my great mead, a good crop.  Young bank-martins are flyers: this species every year is the first that brings forth it’s young.  Quer: Do they feed their young flying, or not?

Vast showers about but no rain.  Turn’d the St. foin twice, & cocked it in a small cock.

Very few apples or pears.  Cherries hardly begin to turn.  Wood straw berries turn.

Polygala vulg. in flower.  Mole-cricket churs.