The Natural History of Selborne

Lined the hot-bed screen with reeds.  Cucumbers come-up well: bed works well.

About this time Miss Chase, & Miss Rebecca Chase sailed for Madras in the Nottingham India-man.

The open catkins illuminate the hazels; these are the male blossoms: the fameal are so minute as to be scarce discernible.

As one of farmer Spencer’s cows was gamboling, & frisking about last summer on the edge of the short Lythe, she fell, & rolled over to the bottom.  Yet so far was she from receiving any injury by this dangerous tumble, that she fattened very kindly, & being killed this spring proved fine beef.

Green rye has a delicate soft tinge in its colour, distinguishable from that of wheat at a considerable distance.

Boys play at taw on the Plestor.  Two of the Bantam hens lay each an egg.

Farmer Knight’s wheat of a beautiful colour.  Children play at hop-scotch.  Rain in Jan. 4 inc. 48h.  I now see, that after the greatest droughts have exhausted the wells, & streams, & ponds, four or five inches of rain will completely replenish them.

Bantam-hens make a pleasant little note, expressive of a propensity towards laying.  Fog so deep that we could not see the alcove in the garden.

Now the ice is melted on Hartley-park pond, many dead fish come floating ashore, which were stifled under the ice for want of air.

A swan came flying up the Lythe, & without regarding objects before it, dashed itself against Dorton-house, & fell down stunned.  It recovered, & was sold the miller at Hawkley.