The Natural History of Selborne

The great titmouse, or sit-ye-down, sings.  One crocus is blown-out.  Insects abound in the air: bees gather much on the snowdrops, & winter-aconites.  Gossamer is seen streaming from the boughs of trees.

A fine young hog salted & tubbed; weight 7 scores, & 18 pounds.

A trufle-hunter came with his dogs, & tryed my tall hedges, where, as he told us, he found only a few small bulbs, because the season was over: in the autumn, he supposes, many large trufles might be met with.  He says, trufles do not flourish in deep woods, but in hedge-rows, & the skirts of coppices within the influence of the sun & air.

Turnip-greens come in.

A large speckled diver or loon was sent to me from the Holt, where it was shot by one of Lord Stawell’s servants as it was swimming & diving on a large lake or pond.  These birds are seldom seen so far S. in mild winters.

driving rain all day.

Snow-drops blow.  We have in the window of the stair-case a flower-pot with seven sorts of flowers, very sweet & fragrant.

The white spotted Bantam hen lays.

A ripe wood-straw-berry on a bank, & several blossoms.  Grass grows on the walks.

Water-cresses come in.