The Natural History of Selborne

Vocalizing fox, photo by Trevor P. Hirst

• 1791: February 14, 1791 – Potted cucumbers: bed warm.
• 1786: February 14, 1786 – Bullfinches eat the buds of honey-suckles.
• 1784: February 14, 1784 – Sent Thomas as Pioneer to open the road to Faringdon: but there was little obstruction, except at the gate into Faringodn Hirn.
• 1783: February 14, 1783 – Showers.  A perfect & lovely rain-bow.
• 1781: February 14, 1781 – A pair of ravens build in the hanger.
• 1778: February 14, 1778 – Foxes begin now to be very rank, & to smell so high that as one rides along of a morning it is easy to distinguish where they have been the night before.  At this season the intercourse between the sexes commences; & the females intimate their wants to the males by three or four little sharp yelpings or barkings frequently repeated.  This anecdote I learned by living formerly at an house opposite to a neighbour that kept a tame bitch-fox, which every spring about candlemass began her amorous serenade as soon as it grew dark, & continued it nightly thro’ ye months of Feb. & March.
• 1774: February 14, 1774 – The ivy, hedra helix, blows in Sept: Octr & Novr: the berries are now full-grown, & ripen in April:  thus fructification goes on in some Instances the winter thro’.  When the berries are full ripe they are black.