The Natural History of Selborne

Men make wheat-ricks.  Mr Hale’s rick fell. Vivid rain-bow.

Timothy the tortoise came out into the walk, & grazed. Mr Edmd White, while he was at South Lambeth, this summer, kept for a time a regular journal of his Father’s barometer, which, when compared with a journal of my own for the same space, proves that the Mercury at S. Lambeth at an average stands full three tenths of an inch higher than at Selborne. Now as we have remarked that the barometer at Newton Valence is invariably three tneth lower than my own at Selborne, it plainly appears that the mercury at S. Lambeth exceeds in height at an average the mercury at Newton by six tenths at least. Hence it follows, according to some calculations, that Nweton vicarge house is 600 feet higher than the hamlet of S. Lambeth, which, as may be seen by the tide coming-up the creek before some of the houses, stands but a few feet above high water mark. It is much to be wished that all persons who attend to barometers would take care to use none but pure distilled Mercury in their tubes: because Mercury adulterated with lead, as it often is, loses much of it’s true gravity, & must often stand in tubes above it’s proper pitch on account of the diminution of it’s specific weight by lead, which is lighter than mercury. The remarks above show the futility of marking the plates of barometers with the words– fair, changeable, &c, instead of inches, & tenths; since by means of different elevations they are very poor directions, & have but little reference to the weather. After the servants have gone to bed, the kitchen-hearth swarms with young crickets, Blattae molendinariae, of all sized from the most minuted growth to their full proportions. They seem to live in a friendly manner together, & not prey the one on the other.

Beautiful picturesque, partial fogs along the vales, representing rivers, islands, & arms of the sea!  These fogs in London & other parts were so deep that much mischief was occasioned by men falling into rivers, & being over-turned into ditches, etc.

After a bright night, & vast dew, the sky usually becomes clouded by eleven or twelve o’clock in the forenoon;  & clear again towards the decline of the day.  The reason seems to be, that the dew, drawn-up by evaporation, occasions the clouds, which towards evening, being no longer rendered buoyant by the warmth of the sun, melt away, & fall down again in dews.  If clouds are watched of a still, warm evening, they will be seen to melt away, & disappear.  Several nests of gold-finches, with fledged young, were found among the vines of the hops: these nestlings must be second broods.

The smoke of the new lighted lime-kilns this evening crept along the ground in long trails: a token of a dry, heavy atmosphere.

Split-out the great Monk’s-rhubarb plant into 7, or 8 heads, & planted them in a bed that they may produce stalks for tarts in the spring.  The N. Aurora makes a particular appearance forming itself into a broad, red fiery belt, which extended from E. to W. across the welkin: but th moon rising, at about 10 o’ the clock, in unclouded majesty on the E. put an end to this grand, but aweful, meteorous phenomenon.

We saw several Red-wings among the bushes on the N. side of the common.  There were swallows about the village at the same time: so that summer & winter birds of passage were seen on the same day.  The aurora was very red & aweful.

Vast halo round the moon.  Began fires.

Showers about: Rain-bows.  Vivid Aurora.

Saw a nightingale.  Stifling dust.