The Natural History of Selborne

The redstart sits singing on the fane of the may-pole, & on the weather-cock of the tower.

The swallows pursue the magpies & buffet them.  Wall-fruit swells.

The leaves of the mulberry-tree hardly begin to peep.  The vines promise well for bloom.  Apis longicornis works at it’s nest in the ground only in a morning while the sun shines on the walk.  Earth-worms make their casts most in the mild weather about March & April:  they do not lie torpid in winter, but come forth when there is no frost.

Martins abound:  they came late, but appear to be more in number than usual.  Some pairs of martins repair, & inhabit nests of several years standing.

Finished tacking the vines for the first time.  Planted-out annuals in theh basons down the field.

Planted vast rows of China-asters in the Garden.

Pulled off many hundreds of nectarines, which grew in clusters.  The leaves are distempered, & the trees make few shoots.  Vast crop of wall-fruit.

The shell of the martin’s nest begun May 16 is finished.

The crows, rooks, & daws in great numbers continue to devour the chafers on the hanger. Was it not for those birds chafers would destroy everything. Rooks, now their young are flown, do not roost on their nest-trees, but retire in the evening towards Hartley-woods. Martins roost in the their new nests as soon as ever they are large enough to contain them.

Planted one of the ephrys nidus avis with a good root to it in my garden, under a shady hedge.  The shell of the martin’s nest begun May 16, is about half finished.