The Natural History of Selborne

Peaches, & nect. rot.  Wasps are busy still.  *Large earth-worms now abound on my grass-plot, where the ground was sunk more than a foot.  At first when the earth was removed, none seemed to remain: but whether they were bred from eggs that were concealed in the turf, is hard to say.  Worms do not seem to inhabit beneath the vegetable mould.

Wagtails join with hirundines, & pursue an hawk high in the air: the former shew great command of wing on the occasion.

Swallows catch at walls as they flie about.

Swallows cluster, & hang about in a particular manner at this season of the year.  Honey-bees swarm by thousands, & devour the peaches, & nectarines.

My muscle-plums are in much more perfection this year than any other fruit.

The wasps, tho’ by no means numberous, plunder the hives, & kill the bees, which are weak & feeble, this wet autumn:  “asper crabro imparibus se emiscuit armis.”

A sharp, single, crack of thunder at Faringdon: the air was cold, & chilly.

House-martins do not deal in second broods so much as usual: yet it should seem that they are not influenced by the cold wet summer, since the swallows seem to be as prolific as ever.  Bees injure the wall-fruit in bad autumns;  because they are hindered from gathering honey.

Some wasps on the wall-fruit.  Where wasps gnaw a hole, the honey-bees come & suck the pulp.  Al fruits are backward, watry, & bad.

The season for shooting is come; but scarce any partidges are to be found: the failure of breed is remarkable.  The tops of the beeches begin to be tinged with a yellow hue.