The Natural History of Selborne

Mr. Hale continues to chalk the black malm field opposite to J. Berriman’s house, called Hasteds. He has laid on about 120 loads on less than 3 acres.

Men have taken advange of this dry season, & have chalked their hop-gardens, & fields.  The chalk at the foot of the hill is called marl, but it is only a hard grey chalk.  This chalk is of service on the malms.

No h: martins, nor swallows in the villages, nor sand-martins at the pit on Short-heath.  The white-sand in the pit above, observed thro’ a microscope, appears more sharp, & angular than the yellow sand of the forest.  Gathered in the nonparels, & royal russets.  Much gossamer flying.

Finished a Bostal, or sloping path up the hanger from the foot of the zigzag to the corner of the Wadden, in length 414 yards. A fine romantic walk, shady & beautiful.  In digging along the hanger the labourers found many pyrites perfectly round, lying in the clay; & in the chalk below several large cornua Ammonis.

Cut my St foin; a large burden: rather over-blown: the nineth crop.  Libellula virgo, sive puella.  Dragon-fly with blue upright wings.

* As the way-menders are digging for stone in a bank of the street, they found a large cavern running just under the cart-way.  This cavity was covered over by a thin stratum of rock:  so that if the arch had given way under a loaded waggon, considerable damage must have ensued.

Cornix cinerea.  Flying over Faringdon heath.  The first grey crow that I ever saw in the district of Selborne.  They are common on the downs about Andover: about Winton, & Bagshot.  Most of the earth to be removed in levelling the garden is taken away in some places to the depth of 18 inches.  The continued rains much interrupt the work, & make it a nasty jobb.  The best mould is laid on the quarters of the garden, the clayey soil is wheeled into the meadow.

Few petrifacations about Ringmer & Lewes.  Ringmer soil not clay at top but brick-loam: bears good apples, pears, & grapes.  Clay under, which holds water like a dish.  The trees are mostly elms.