The Natural History of Selborne

Bees, when a shower approaches, hurry home.  One hive of bees does not swarm; the bees lie in clusters at the mouth of the hive.

Young frogs migrate, & spread around the ponds for more than a furlong: they march about all day long, separating in pursuit of food; & get to the top of the hill, & into the N. field.

Tilia europaea. The lime blows, smells very sweetly, & affords much pabulum for the bees.

* Bees come & suck the cherries where the birds have broke the skin; & on some autumns, I remember they attack’d & devoured the peaches & Nect. where the wasps had once made a beginning.

Some of the little frogs from the ponds stroll quite up the hill: they seem to spread in all directions.

Bees are very quarrelsome, and stung me.

Second swarm of bees on the same bough of the balm of Gilead fir.  Turned the hay-cocks which are in a bad state.  Cherries delicate, Mr Grimm, my artist, came from London to take some of our finest views.

The bees that have not swarmed lie clustering round the mouths of the hives.  Took off the frames from the cucumrs: those under the hand-glasses begin to show fruit.  Hay lies in a bad state.

Field-crickets are pretty near silent; they begin their shilling cry about the middle of May.

Black-caps are great thieves among the cherries.  The flycatcher is a very harmless & honest bird, medling with nothing but insects.

The early brood of swallows are active & adroit, & able to procure their subsistence on the wing.  Fresh broods come forth daily.