The Natural History of Selborne

Planted 50 good cabbage-plants: mended the bed planted in autumn, & eaten in part by the hares.

Mr White of Newton spring a pheasant in a wheat-stubble, & shot at it; when, notwithstanding the report of the gun, it was immediately pursued by the blue hawk, know by the name of the Hen-harrier, but escaped into some covert. He then spring a second, & a third in the same field, that got away in the same manner; the hawk hovering round him all the while that he was beating the field, conscious no doubt of the game that lurked in the stubble. Hence we may conclude that this bird of prey was rendered very daring, & bold by hunger; & that Hawks cannot always seize their game when they please. We may further observe that they cannot pounce their quarry on the ground, where it might be able to make a stout resistance; since so large a fowl as a pheasant could not but be visible to the piercing eye of an hawk, when hovering over a field. Hence that propensity of cowring & squatting till they are almost trod on, which no doubt was intended as a mode of security; tho’ long rendered destructive to the whole race of Gallinae, by the invention of nets, & guns.

Dug the garden-plot in the orchard, & in the meadow; but the ground was very wet, & heavy.

Wheeled much dung into the garden.

Sowed half a barrel of American Gypsum, which was sent for in the autumn by Bro. Tho., over the fourth ridge of Tim Turner’s wheat, as you reckon from the walk in that field. The powder strewed about two thirds of the ridge from the Ewel S.E. ward.

Sent some winter-aconites in bloom to Dr. Chandler; & received back some roots of Arum dracunculus.  Tubbed, & salted-up a fine young hog, bought of Timothy Turner.

Rain & hail in the night.  Made a seedling-cucumber bed: mended the frame, & put it on.

Mrs. J. White returns.

Paths get dry.  Sowed a bed of radishes, & carrots under the fruit-wall.

War declared & letters of Marque granted against the french Republic.