The Natural History of Selborne

The dams continue to feed the poor little martin in the nest at Burbey’s with great assiduity!

One young martin in one of Burbey’s nests, which the dams continue to feed.  Gracious stream now runs a little.

Saw a wood-cock on the down among the fern: Fyfield flushed it.

Bro. Ben, & wife Hannah came.  Woodcock, & red wings return, & are seen.

My beeches in the field shed ripe mast.  Some of the Bantams sicken.

Gathered cucumbers for picklers.  One of my Apricot-trees withers, & looks as if it would die.  Hunter’s moon rises early. Mrs Ben White left us, & took Tome with her, leaving Ben behind.

It has been observed that divers flies, besides their sharp, hooked nails, have also skinny palms or flaps to their feet, whereby they are enabled to stick on glass & other smooth bodies, & to walk on ceilings with their backs downward, by means of the pressure of the atmosphere on those flaps.  The weight of which they easily overcome in cold weather when they are brisk and alert.  But in the decline of the year, this resistance becomes too mighty for their diminished strength; & we see flies labouring along, & lugging their feet in windows as if they stuck fast to the glass, & it is with the utmost difficulty they can draw one foot after another, & disengage their hollow caps from the slippery surface.  Upon the same principle that flies stick, & support themselves, do boys, by way of play, carry heavy weights by only a piece of wet leather at the end of a string clapped close on the surface of a stone.  Tho’ the Virgoloeuse pears always rot before they ripen, & are eatble, yet when baked dry on  a tin, they become an excellent sweet-meat.

Earthed up the celeri, which is very gross, & large.

Gathered-in the Chaumontel, swans-egg, & Virgoleuse pears: the latter rot before they ripen.  Gathered also the kitchen apples at the end of the fruit-wall, & the knobbed russetings: of both there is a great crop.  Gathered the Cadillac pears, a small crop.

Received a bag of hops from Mr. Hale, weight 61 pounds.