The Natural History of Selborne

Mr Talbot turned-out a stag, which after wounding some hounds, & an horse, was taken alive.

Grey crows on the downs.

Mr Cane saw in one flock some hundreds of whistling plovers on the downs.

I sent a woman up the hill with a peck of beech-mast which she tells me she has scattered all round the down amidst the bushes & brakes, where there were no beeches before.  I also ordered Thomas to sow beech-mast in the hedges all round Baker’s-hill.

Bought 61 bushels of peat-ashes, & laid them up in the ash-house.

I have often observed many titmice in beechen woods: by a heap of beech-mast now lying in my orchard I see that t.mice feed on the kernels of the fruit of that tree: & that marsh-titmice are employed all day in carrying them away.

Covered the rows of the celeri with straw.  This day compleats the 34 of the dry weather.  Horses begin to lie within.

Boys slide on the Ice!  Flocks of hen-chaffinches are seen.

The hogs have been turned for some weeks into the high-wood, & hanger, where they have availed themselves much of the large crop of beech-mast.  The hogs find, no doubt, many trufles in the high-wood, where they are said to abound.  Last week Wolmer-pond was sewed, & fished after an interval of almost 20 years.  And yet there was no quantity of fish; for the carps did not amount to one hundred; nor was there any young stock: tench there were none; many young perch; a few large, lank pikes; & a few large eels.  It is said that the pond is to lie a-sew all next summer.  The pond being an area of more than 60 acres, was several days in running dry.  If this pond continues dry next spring, more Roman coins may be found, in windy weather, on the surface of the sand.  Many hundreds were found when it last lay dry, about the year 1741.

This day compleats the 28th of this dry fit, which has done infinite service to the low districts, that were floated with water by the heavy rains in the beginning of last month.