The Natural History of Selborne

The young Bantam hen brought out only three chickens.  Showers that wetted the blades of corn, & grass, but did not descend to the root.  Ground very hard.

The ground sadly burnt up.  Royal russets show much bloom.  Summer cabbage comes in.

My great oak abounds in bloom, which is of a yellowish cast: the young shoots usually look red. The house-martins at Mareland, in the few hot days, began to build, but when the winds became cold again immediately desisted.

Fyfield sprung a brace of pheasants in Sparrow’s hanger.  Hail-like clouds about.

Clouds, hail, shower, gleams.  Sharp air, & fire in the parlor.  Showers about.  Garden-crops much retarded, & nothing can be planted.  Farmer Bridger sends me three real snipe’s eggs: they are in shape, & colour exactly like those of the lapwing, only one half less.  The colour of the eggs is a dull yellow, spotted with chocolate:  they are blunt at the great end, & taper much till they become sharp at the smaller.  The eggs, sent me for snipe’s eggs last year, seem to have been those of a fern-owl.

Male glow-worms, attracted by the light of the candles, come into the parlor.  The distant hills look very blue.  There was rain on Sunday on many sides of us, to the S. the S.E. & the N.W. at Alton & Odiham a fine shower, & at Emsworth, & at Newbury: & as near us as Kingsley.  No may chafers this year with us.

Heavy thundrous clouds, copious dew. Opened, & slipped-out the superfluous shoots of the artichockes.

Wheat begins to come into ear: wheat, which was very yellow from the cold winds, by means of the heat has recovered it’s colour without the assistance of rain.  Dew, cloudless, sultry.  Red even, dead calm.  The lettuces, which stood under the fruit-wall thro’ the winter, are just over.  They have been of great service at the table now for many weeks.

Elder, & corn-flags begin to blow already.  Thunder to the S.E., N.E., & N.W.  Gardens, & fields suffer.

Myriads of tadpoles travers Comb-wood pond in shoales:  when rain comes they will emigrate to land, & cover the paths & fields.  We draw much water for the garden, so that the well sinks. Flowers are hurried out of bloom by the heat;  spring-corn & gardens suffer.