The Natural History of Selborne

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.

Cut 3 bunches of grapes: they were just eatable.

Three martin’s nests at Mr Burbey’s are now full of young!

The row of ten weeks stocks under the fruit-wall makes a beautiful show.

Bro. Thomas, & his daughter Mrs Ben White left us, & went to London.  Lord Stawell sent me from the great Lodge in the Holt a curious bird for my inspection.  It was found by the spaniels of one of the keepers in a coppice, & shot on the wing.  The shape, & air, & habit of the bird, & the scarlet ring round the eyes, agreed well with the appearance of a cock pheasant; but then the head & neck, & breast & belly, were of a glossy black: & tho’ it weighed 3 ae 3 1/2 oun., the weight of a large full-grown cock pheasant, yet there were no signs of any spurs on the legs, as is usual with all grown cock pheasants, who have long ones.  the legs & feet were naked of feathers; & therefore it could be nothing of the Grous kind.  In the tail were no long bending feathers, such as cock pheasants usually have, & are characteristic of the sex.  The tail was much shorter than the tail of an hen pheasant, & blunt & square at the end.  The back, wing-feathers, & tail, were all of a pale russet, curiously streaked, somewhat like the upper parts of an hen partridge.  I returned it to the noble sender with my verdict, that it was probably a spurious or hen bird, bred between a cock pheasant and some demestic fowl.  When I came to talk with the keeper who brought it, he told me, that some Pea-hens had been known last summer to haunt the coppices & coverts where this mule was found.  *Hen pheasants usually weigh only 2 ae 1 oun. My advice was that his Lordship would employ Elmer of Farnham, the famous game-painter, to take an exact copy of this curious bird.  — His Lordship did employ Elmer, & sent me as a present a good painting of that rare bird.

Cut 81 cucumbers. On this day Mrs Brown was brought to bed at Stamford of twins, making my nephews & nieces 58 in number.  The night following this poor, dear woman dyed, leaving behind her nine young children.

The innoculated at Hartley sicken.

A vast flock of lapwings, which has forsaken the moors & bogs, now frequents the uplands.  Some ring-ouzels were seen round Nore-hill.

Thomas cut 130 cucumbers.

Coss-lettuce finely loaved & bleached!  Nep. B. White left us, & went to London.