The Natural History of Selborne

Hay much damaged: many meadows not cut. This dripping season, which hurts individuals in their hay, does marvelous service to the public, in the spring-corn, after-grass, turneps, fallows, &c. Oats are much recovered, & brought-on. Wheat begins to change colour; is not lodged.

* When a person approaches the haunt of fern-owls (caprimulgi) in an evening, they continue flying round the head of the obtruder; & striking their wings together above their backs, in the manner that the pigeons called smiters are known to do, make a smart snap: perhaps at that time they are jealous for their young; & their noise & gesture are intended by way of menace.

Five young kestrils, or windhovers almost fledge are taken in an old magpie nest.

Destroyed a wasp’s nest which was grown into a considerable bulk, & had many working wasps.

Mushrooms begin to appear.

Wasps begin to come.  Growing weather.

Whortle-berries ripe.

On the 28 of June a large quantity of trufles were found near Andover, near two months sooner than the common season.  So these roots are in season nine months at least.

* House-snails seem to be so checked by the drought, & destroyed by the thrushes, that hardly one annual is eaten or injured.  When earth-worms like-out a nights on the turf, though they extend their bodies a great way, they do not quite leave their holes, but keep the ends of their tails fixed therein; so that on the least alarm they can retire with precipitation under the earth.  Whatever food falls within their reach when thus extended they seem to be content with, such as blades of grass, straws, fallen leaves, the ends of which they often draw into their holes.  Even in copulation their hinder parts never quit their holes ; so that no two, except they lie within reach of each others bodies, can have any commerce of that kind; but as every individual is an hermaphrodite, there is no difficulty in meeting with a mate; such as would be the case were they of different sexes.