The Natural History of Selborne

Destroyed a wasp’s nest which was grown into a considerable bulk, & had many working wasps.

Mushrooms begin to appear.

Wasps begin to come.  Growing weather.

Whortle-berries ripe.

On the 28 of June a large quantity of trufles were found near Andover, near two months sooner than the common season.  So these roots are in season nine months at least.

* House-snails seem to be so checked by the drought, & destroyed by the thrushes, that hardly one annual is eaten or injured.  When earth-worms like-out a nights on the turf, though they extend their bodies a great way, they do not quite leave their holes, but keep the ends of their tails fixed therein; so that on the least alarm they can retire with precipitation under the earth.  Whatever food falls within their reach when thus extended they seem to be content with, such as blades of grass, straws, fallen leaves, the ends of which they often draw into their holes.  Even in copulation their hinder parts never quit their holes ; so that no two, except they lie within reach of each others bodies, can have any commerce of that kind; but as every individual is an hermaphrodite, there is no difficulty in meeting with a mate; such as would be the case were they of different sexes.

Young minute frogs migrate from the ponds this showery weather, & fill the lanes and paths: they are quite black.

Wheat in general out of bloom.  After so kind a blowing time we may from the heat of the summer expect an early, & plentiful wheat harvest.

Pines begin to ripen at Hartley.  I have not seen the great species of bat this summer.

* Teals breed in Woolmer-forest: jack-snipes breed there also  no doubt, since they are to be found there the summer thro’.  A person assures me, that Mr Meymot, an old clergyman at North cappel in Sussex, kept a cuckow in a cage three or four years; & that he had seen it several times, both winter and summer.  It made a little jarring noise, but never cryed ‘cuckow’: It might perhaps have been a hen.  He did not remember how it subsided.

Hay makes at a vast rate.  Vast crops of plums, currants, & gooseberries.  House-martin which laid in an old nest, hatches.  House-martins, which breed in an old nest get the start of those that build in new ones by 10 days, or a fortnight.

Meadow-grass very short indeed.