The Natural History of Selborne

Swifts sit hard.

A dozen pairs of swifts appear at times. Some heads of St. foin begin to blow.

Tortoise eats all day. In Mrs. Snooke’s ponds are vast spiders, which dive and conceal themselves on the undersides of plants, lying on the water: perhaps aranea aquatica Linn: urinatoria. The swallow seems to be the only bird that washes itself as it flies, by dropping into the water.

Fleas abound on the steep sand-banks where the bank-martins build.

Many sorts of dragon-flies appear for the first time.  Swifts devour the small dragon-flies as they first take their flight from out their aurelias, which are lodged on the weeds of ponds.  Chafers are eaten by the turkey, the rook, & the house-sparrow.