The Natural History of Selborne

The bloom of the lime hangs in beautiful golden tassels.

Made my rick of meadow-hay, which contains six jobbs, without one drop of rain.  Some part of it would have been better, I think, had there been some sun on the day of making.

Wheel round the sun.

The red valerians, roses, iris’s, corn-flags, honey-suckles, &c., make a gallant shew.  Most of the pinks were destroyed in the winter by the hares.  We put Timothy into a tub of water, & found that he sunk gradually, & walked on the bottom of the tub: he seemed quite out of his element, & was much dismayed.  This species seems not at all amphibious.  Timothy seems to be the Testudo Graeca of Linnaeus.  Dr Chandler who saw the operation, says there is a species of tortoise in the Levant that at times frequents ponds & lakes: and my Bro: Jonh White, affirms the same of a sort in Andalusia.

About nine in the evening a large shining meteor appeared falling from the S. towards the E. in a inclination of about 45 degrees, & parting in two before I lost sight of it.  I was in Baker’s Hill in the shrubbery, having a very bad horizon; & therefore could not see how and where it fell.

The honey-buzzard sits hard.

Young restarts come abroad.

Our fields of pease are in a sad lousy order.

Finished cutting the St foin, which has stood full long.  The 14th crop.  Sold it to John Hale.  In some parts a good burden.

Much thunder, & vast showers to the westward.  Vast storm & rain at Winton.  These storms were very terrible at Sarum, & in the vale of the white-horse, etc.