The Natural History of Selborne

Farmer Hoare’s son shot a hen Wood-chat (Lanius s. senator) or small Butcher-bird as it was washing at Well-head, attended by the cock.  It is a rare bird in these parts.  In it’s craw were insects.

“On the last day of this month my Fathr Mr Ben Wh. shot in his own garden at S. Lambeth, a Loxia curvisrostra, or Cross bill, as it was feeding on the cones of his Scotch firs.  There were six, four cocks, & two hens: what he shot was a cock, which was beautifull variegated with brown, & green, & a great deal of red: it answered very accurately to Willughby’s description; & weighed rather more than 1 ounce & an half.  In the evening the five remaining birds were seen to fly over the garden, making a chearful note.”  Thus far Mrs Ben White.  To which we add that flights of Cross bills used to frequent Mrs Snooke’s scotch firs in the month of July only.  Mr Ray says, “per autumnum interdum sed rarius in Angliam venit, non autem apud nos perennat aut ndificat.”  Synopsis.

Two or three wood-cocks seen in the high wood: one was killed.  Fyfield improves, & promises to make a good cock-dog.

The Emshot hounds kill a leash of hares on the hill.

The Bramshot hounds kill a leash of hares on the hill.

The young men of this place found a stray fallow deer at the back of the village, which they roused, & hunted with grey hounds, & other dogs.  When taken it proved to be a buck of three years old.

Liss hounds are hunting on the common.  My well very low: some wells are dry.  We have taken away much of the old wood from the vines.  Wheeled dung.

Bro. Tho. sowed many acorns, & some seeds of an ash in a plot dug in Baker’s hill.  The King’s hounds tryed our coverts for the stag, but with no success.

Planted on the bank in the garden several dames violets raised from cutting under hand-glasses.  Sowed some seeds of the Zizania aquatica in Comb-wood pond.  The King’s stag-hounds came down to Alton, attended by a Huntsman & six yeoman prickers with horns, to try for the stag that has haunted Hartley wood, & it’s environs for so long a time. Many hundreds of people, horse & foot, attended the dogs to see the deer unharboured: but tho’ the huntsmen drew Hartley wood, & Temple hangers, yet no Stag could be found.   Lord Hinchinbroke, the master of the hounds, & some other Nobleman attended.  The royal pack, accustomed to have the deer turned-out before them, never drew the coverts with any address or spirit, as many people that were present observed; & this remark the event has proved a just one.  For as Harry Bright was lately pursuing a pheasant that was wing-broken in Hartley wood, he stumbled upon the stag by accident, & ran in upon him as he lay concealed amidst a thick brake of brambles, & bushes.

Some woodcocks shot on the Barnet lately.