The Natural History of Selborne

Chafers have not been plenty since the year 1770.  Eights swifts now appear they arrive in pairs.  Martins encrease.  Hanger almost in full leaf.  Chafers in vast numbers. Regulus non cristatus major,  shaking it’s wings it makes at intervals a sibilous stammering noise on the tops of the tallest beechen-woods: it abounds in the beechen-woods on the Sussex down where the two other species are never heard.  It spends it’s time on the tops of the tallest trees.  The caprimulgus is the last bird of passage but one: the stoparola is the last.  The house-martin begin to build as early, as when it arrives early.  It came very late.