The Natural History of Selborne

Sr Simeon Stuart begins to pick his hops.  Wasps have begun on the grapes.  Seventeen wasps nests destroyed.  Peaches are gathered every day, being injured by the wasps: they are not full ripe.  *Twaite, in Saxon is ground cleared from wood, & plowed; Woddan is not a way, but the verb to go: wud is wood in Saxon.

Wasps abound, & destroy the fruit.  Clouds about.  Worms copulate.

Sixteen wasps nests destroyed.

Hops are uneven some grown large, some just blown.

Wheat-harvest in general seems to be finished, except where there is turnep wheat.  Fifteen wasps nests have been destroyed round the village; yet those plunderers devour the plum, & eat holes in the peaches & nectarines before they are ripe; & will soon attack the grapes.  Grapes begin to turn colour: they are forward this year.  Harvest-weather was much finer at Ringmer than Selborne.  Some wheat a little grown at Newton.

Grey.  Sweet afternoon.

Rabbits make incomparably the finest turf, for they not only bite closer than larger quadrupeds; but they allow no bents to rise: hence warrens produce much the most delicate turf for gardens.  Sheep never touch the stalks of grasses.

Generation seems to be pretty well over among cimices lineares.  Minute young abroad.

Dark & still.  Some little farmers have finished wheat-harvest.

Two great bats appear.  They feed high: are very rare in Hants, & Sussex.  Low fog.