Skip to main content

Full text of "The natural history & antiquities of Selborne; &, A garden kalendar"

See other formats 


4 


GILBERT    WHITE'S 
SELBORNE 

VOL.  I 


X 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  &  ANTIQUITIES 
OF  SELBORNE  &  A  GARDEN  KALENDAR 
BY  THE  REVEREND  GILBERT  WHITE  M.A 

EDITED  BY  R.  BOWDLER  SHARPE,  LL.D.,  WITH  AN 
INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  GARDEN  KALENDAR  BY 
THE  VERY  REVEREND  S.  REYNOLDS  HOLE,  DEAN 
OF  ROCHESTER,  6-  NUMEROUS  ILLUSTRATIONS  BY 
J.  G.  KEULEMANS,  HERBERT  RAILTON,  S*  EDMUND 
J.  SULLIVAN.  IN  TWO  VOLUMES.  VOLUME  ONE 


LONDON:  PUBLISHED  BY  S.  T.  FREEMANTLE 
IN   PICCADILLY.     ANNO   DOMINI   MDCCCC 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

LIST  OF  FULL-PAGE  ILLUSTRATIONS  ix 

LIST  OF  SMALLER  ILLUSTRATIONS   ....  xiii 

INTRODUCTION xvii 

LETTERS  TO  THOMAS  PENNANT,  ESQ.  I 

INTRODUCTION  TO  A  GARDEN  KALENDAR   .        .  189 
A  GARDEN  KALENDAR     .        .        .        .        .        .        .199 

APPENDIX  I 422 

APPENDIX  II 425 


vii 


INTRODUCTION 


THE  editing  of  Gilbert  White's  "  Selborne "  has  been  one 
of  the  most  interesting  tasks  which  has  ever  fallen  to  my 
lot.  Notwithstanding  the  many  excellent  editions  of  the 
work,  I  have  been  able  to  add  a  good  deal  of  matter  which 
will  be  read  with  interest  by  lovers  of  Gilbert  White.  I 
have  carefully  collated  the  text  of  the  original  edition 
with  that  ordinarily  published,  and  I  have  found  several 
variations  in  the  renderings,  which  I  have  restored  to  their 
original  form,  as  issued  by  the  author. 

The  "  Pennant "  Letters  now  in  the  British  Museum 
contain  many  passages  which  have  been  deemed  worthy  of 
restoration  in  the  present  edition.  So  little  is  known  of 
Gilbert  White's  personal  history,  that  every  additional  fact 
seems  to  me  to  be  of  interest,  and  the  letters  contain  many 
notes  not  previously  published.  This  is  especially  the  case 
with  respect  to  the  letters  about  John  White's  Gibraltar 
collections,  and  in  a  further  memoir  I  shall  endeavour  to 
trace  out  more  completely  the  details  of  Gilbert  White's 
life ;  for,  although  the  materials  for  such  a  biography  are 
difficult  to  get  together  after  a  lapse  of  more  than  a 
century,  I  am  sure  that  a  great  many  more  facts  can  be 
collected. 

Apart  from  Westminster  Abbey,  Windsor  Castle,  and 
other  places  of  historical  interest  in  the  British  Islands, 
there  is  probably  no  place,  save  Stratford-on-Avon,  to  which 
the  pilgrims  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  race  render  more  respect- 
ful tribute  than  to  the  lowly  head-stone  which  marks  the 
grave  of  Gilbert  White  of  Selborne.  The  occupant  of  that 


xviii  INTRODUCTION 

simple  grass-grown  grave l  would  probably  have  been  the 
most  astonished  of  all  people  in  the  world  could  he  have 
realised  that  his  celebrity  as  an  Englishman  would  have 
come  near  to  equalling  that  of  Shakspere ;  and  yet  there 
exists  at  the  present  date  as  much  affection,  among  natu- 
ralists at  least,  for  the  sayings  and  doings  of  Gilbert 
White  as  is  felt  for  the  records  of  Shakspere  and  his 
time. 

That  Gilbert  White  still  lives  with  us  through  his  book, 
and  speaks  to  us  as  if  he  were  alive,  can  be  realised  by  any 
naturalist  who  visits  Selborne.  The  "Natural  History  of 
Selborne  "  has  been  given  to  most  of  us  as  a  prize  at  school 
— it  is  included  amongst  the  "  hundred  best  books  "  which 
every  one  is  expected  to  read  in  these  days,  or  to  gather 
into  a  standard  library ; — and  yet  if  one  asks  any  school- 
boy or  school-girl  whether  they  have  read  their  prize-book 
through,  they  will  mostly  answer  in  the  negative.  Gilbert 
White  is  as  far  over  the  heads  of  the  majority  of  the 
present  generation  of  children  as  he  was  over  the  heads 
of  the  generation  in  which  he  lived.  It  is  only  as  one 
advances  in  years  that  the  peace  and  restfulness  of  this 
most  delightful  of  books  impresses  the  mind. 

Gilbert  White  lived  in  a  different  age,  and  although  he 
tells  us  sometimes  that  he  was  much  "  hurry'd,"  there  was 
none  of  that  dreadful  feverish  haste  which  characterises  our 
national  life  at  the  present  day. 

In  the  course  of  editing  this  volume  I  have  pondered 
a  hundred  times  on  the  wonderful  fact  that  the  world 
should  take  such  a  heartfelt  interest  in  the  work  of  a  re- 
tiring and  modest  eighteenth-century  clergyman  !  Selborne 

1  I  am  often  reminded,  when  standing  in  Selborne  churchyard  by  the  head- 
stone marked  "G.  W.,  June  20,  1793,"  of  that  other  tomb  which  I  visited  in 
1885  at  Delhi,  with  its  epitaph  composed  by  the  Princess  Jahanini  herself  three 
hundred  years  ago :  "  Let  nothing  but  the  green  grass  conceal  my  grave  ;  for  the 
grass  is  the  best  covering  for  the  pure  in  spirit ;  the  humble,  the  transitory 
Jahinara,  the  disciple  of  the  holy  men  of  Chist ;  the  daughter  of  the  Emperor 
Shah  Jahan  ;  may  God  illumine  his  intentions." 


INTRODUCTION  xix 

is  even  now  somewhat  out  of  the  world.  In  Gilbert  White's 
time  it  was  a  remote  country  village,  off  the  high-road,  and 
only  approachable  by  "  hollow  lanes,"  in  winter  often  choked 
by  snow-drifts,  or  unapproachable  through  floods,  and  by 
no  means  an  accessible  place  at  any  time.  Th£  present 
road  through  the  village  was  then  a  "  cart-way,"  with  deep 
ruts.  Mr.  Henry  Maxwell  of  Selborne,  who  has  helped  me 
so  much  in  the  elucidation  of  the  development  of  the 
history  of  the  village,  though  by  no  means  yet  a  patriarch, 
can  still  remember  when  the  "  cart- way  "  ran  through  it  from 
end  to  end,  and  the  farmers'  gigs  and  market-vehicles  were 
built  to  a  gauge,  to  accommodate  them  to  the  ruts  which 
were  such  a  feature  of  the  Hampshire  roads  and  lanes  of 
fifty  years  ago.  Selborne  has  changed  with  the  times, 
almost  as  much  as  other  parts  of  rural  England  have 
changed,  and  the  Selborne  of  to-day  is  not  the  Selborne 
of  Gilbert  White.  In  the  days  when  Blyth  and  Bennett 
and  Jardine  wrote,  there  was  not  much  difference  in  the 
appearance  of  the  village  from  the  days  of  our  author, 
but  the  last  fifty  years  have  wrought  considerable  changes, 
and  it  is  by  no  means  easy  to  reconstruct  Selborne  as  it 
was  in  Gilbert's  time.  Many  old  houses  still  remain,  the 
"  Hanger "  still  dominates  the  village,  and  many  of  the 
general  features  are  the  same,  but  few  people  can  recognise 
the  places  as  Gilbert  White  wrote  of  them  a  hundred  and 
fifty  years  ago. 

"The  Wakes,"  Gilbert  White's  old  house,  still  stands  in 
the  village  street.  His  brew-house  is  there — his  stables — 
the  study  in  which  he  wrote  the  "  Letters  "  to  Pennant  and 
to  the  Hon.  Daines  Harrington — his  bedroom — his  kitchen 
(since  Professor  Bell's  time  utilised  as  a  library) — and  the 
room  in  which  he  breathed  his  last.  His  "great  parlour  "  was 
turned  by  Professor  Bell  into  a  dining-room,  and  a  portion 
of  it  cut  off  to  form  a  passage  to  the  new  wing  which  the 
Professor  built.  The  old  house  was  unfitted  for  modern 
requirements,  and  successive  owners  have  added  to  it. 


xx  INTRODUCTION 

Some  recent  authors  have  taken  exception  to  the  altera- 
tions which  were  made  by  Sir  Edward  Bradford  and  other 
owners  of  "The  Wakes,"  and  one  would  fancy  that  the 
whole  character  of  the  house  had  been  changed.    These 
criticisms  appear  to  me  to  have  been  singularly   unfair. 
Given  an  old  house  of  the  last  century,  and  a  need  for 
restoration  and  enlargement  by  the  owner  of  the  property, 
who,  after  all,  is  the  owner  of  his  own  house  in  this  free 
land  of  ours,   I  cannot  imagine  any  modifications  of  an 
original  edifice  carried  out  with  more  scrupulous  affection 
for  the  original  surroundings  than  has  been  shown  by  the 
successors  of  Gilbert  White.     Professor  Bell  was  an  abso- 
lute devotee  to  White's  memory,  and  edited  his  works  with 
a  degree  of  care  and  affection  unsurpassed  in  the  annals 
of  biography.     He  it  was  who  cut  a  passage   along  the 
north  end  of  Gilbert's  "  great  parlour,"  to  lead  to  the  new 
wing  which  he  built  as  a  drawing-room,  but  the  external 
features  of  the  house  were  scarcely  disturbed.     When  Sir 
Edward  Bradford  added  a  storey  to  the  new  part  of  the 
house,   the  roof  and  the  chimneys   were  built  in   exact 
accordance  with  the  old  part  of  "  The  Wakes,"  and  no  one 
can  really  find  anything  to  criticise  in  the  additions  which 
have  been  made  to  the  house  since  Gilbert  White's  time. 
It  would  indeed  be  difficult  to  find  any  historical  English 
building  which  has  been  treated  with  more  reverential  care 
by  the  owners  of  the  property  since  Gilbert  White's  days. 
The  memory  of  the  present  owner  of  "  The  Wakes,"  Mr. 
Paxton    Parkin,  will   be   inseparably  connected   with   the 
history  of   Gilbert's  old  home,  for  the  loving  care  with 
which  the  ancient  features  of  the  place  have  been  pre- 
served.    Much  of  the  old  work  was  relaid  and  replaced  by 
Professor   Bell,  but  much   more  has  been   done  by  Mr. 
Parkin  since  his  ownership,  and  there  has  probably  never 
been  a  time  in  the  history  of   "The  Wakes"  when   the 
old  house  and  the  garden  recalled  so  eloquently  the  past 
traditions  of  the  place. 


INTRODUCTION  xxi 

Surely  no  man,  not  seeking  fame,  has  had  a  more 
endurable  monument  erected  to  him  in  the  hearts  of 
English-speaking  people  than  Gilbert  White.  Many  excel- 
lent editions  of  his  work,  the  "  Natural  History  of  Selborne," 
have  appeared — more  than  eighty  in  fact — since  he  was  laid 
to  rest  in  the  churchyard  a  hundred  and  six  years  ago.  Of 
these  editions  pre-eminent  stand  those  of  Bennett,  Jardine, 
and  Harting,  written  as  if  under  the  spell  of  old  Gilbert 
himself.  Mr.  Grant  Allen's  recent  edition  is  also  remarkable 
for  the  profusion  of  illustrations.  No  edition,  however,  can 
ever  equal  that  of  the  late  Professor  Bell,  whose  name, 
celebrated  enough  for  his  own  achievements  in  zoological 
science,  gains  additional  splendour  from  his  connection 
with  Gilbert  White's  old  home,  where  he  lived  for  so 
many  years.  Not  only  did  Bell  own  "The  Wakes"  for 
nearly  half  a  century,  but  he  had  access  to  private  family 
documents  belonging  to  Gilbert  White's  collateral  de- 
scendants which  will  never  again  be  gathered  under  one 
roof.  If  Bell  had  lived  in  these  days  of  the  "Selborne 
Society,"  many  of  the  relics  which  were  dispersed  after 
his  death  might  have  become  national  property,  and  have 
been  available  for  study  by  those  who  love  Gilbert  White 
and  his  memory.  Even  Bell's  edition,  though  classical  and 
immortal,  leaves  many  blanks  in  the  history  of  the  family, 
and  the  inner  story  of  Gilbert  White's  simple  life  yet 
remains  to  be  fully  written.  As  an  edition  of  White's 
"  Selborne  "  it  can  hardly  be  beaten,  for  Bell  lived  in  White's 
old  house,  had  the  whole  of  his  correspondence  before 
him,  was  the  accepted  authority  on  "  British  Mammalia," 
and  for  ornithological  matter  received  the  co-operation  of 
Professor  Alfred  Newton,  who  not  only  possesses  a  profound 
knowledge  of  British  ornithology  in  all  its  aspects,  but  is 
himself  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  "  Gilbertian  "  method  of 
exact  record,  whence  have  flowed  those  practical  works  of 
field- observation  by  which  British  Naturalists  of  the  pre- 
sent generation  have  been  distinguished  (cf.  his  "Ootheca 


xxii  INTRODUCTION 

Wolleyana").  He  is,  moreover,  the  recognised  historian  of 
ornithology  (cf.  the  "  Encyclopaedia  Britannica"). 

I  have  so  much  to  say  regarding  Gilbert  White  and  his 
times,  that  I  do  not  propose,  on  the  present  occasion,  to 
go  further  into  the  subject,  as  much  of  the  material  of  my 
memoir  is  still  imperfect.  A  great  deal  that  has  been 
written  about  Gilbert  White  and  Selborne  appears  to  me 
to  have  been  compiled  without  any  trouble  having  been 
taken  to  "verify"  the  references.  One  editor  is  satisfied 
with  having  spent  "two"  days  in  Selborne,  and  seems  to 
be  quite  content  with  his  mastery  of  the  subject.  Another 
editor  apparently  spends  weeks  in  the  place,  and  has  even 
then  not  mastered  the  Hampshire  dialect ! 

I  have  myself  spent  some  weeks  in  the  village,  and  I 
now  fully  realise  how  difficult  it  is  to  identify  the  Selborne 
of  1899  with  the  Selborne  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  years  back. 
Thus  I  content  myself  with  these  few  preliminary  remarks, 
since,  thanks  to  researches  on  the  spot,  the  help  of  various 
members  of  the  family,  and  the  knowledge  gained  from 
many  old  people  in  Selborne,  I  hope  to  present  to  my 
readers  on  a  future  occasion  a  much  more  complete  record 
of  Gilbert  White  and  Selborne  as  it  was  in  his  time. 

It  only  remains  for  me  to  return  my  sincere  thanks  to  my 
colleagues  in  the  MSS.  Department  of  the  British  Museum 
for  facilities  granted  in  the  examination  of  the  Gilbert  White 
Letters ;  and  to  my  friends  at  Selborne,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W. 
Paxton  Parkin  ;  the  Rev.  Arthur  Kaye ;  the  Rev.  Edmund 
Field  ;  Mr.  William  White,  F.S.A.,  and  other  kind  people, 
especially  Mr.  Henry  Maxwell,  whose  assistance  will  be 
more  fully  acknowledged  in  the  course  of  the  more  detailed 
work  which  I  have  in  preparation. 

I  have  also  great  pleasure  in  acknowledging  the  notes 
I  have  received  from  my  colleagues  in  the  Natural  History 
Museum,  Mr.  C.  W.  Andrews,  Mr.  G.  A.  Boulenger,  F.R.S., 
Mr.  W.  E.  de  Winton,  Mr.  Oldfield  Thomas,  Mr.  R.  I. 
Pocock,  and  others.  In  the  course  of  editing  the  present 


INTRODUCTION  xxiii 

work  I  have  quoted  some  of  the  excellent  notes  from  the 
editions  of  Sir  William  Jardine,  Professor  Bell,  Mr.  ]. 
Edmund  Harting,  Mr.  Grant  Allen,  &c.,  all  of  which  I 
have  duly  acknowledged. 

R.  BOWDLER  SHARPE. 

CHISWICK,  December  5,  1899. 


P.S. — Since  the  above  was  written  Professor  Newton's 
account  of  Gilbert  White's  life  has  appeared  in  the  "  Dic- 
tionary of  National  Biography."  Knowing  by  personal 
experience  the  difficulty  which  surrounds  any  attempt  at 
rendering  an  exact  history  of  Gilbert  White,  I  am  more 
than  delighted  at  the  wonderful  manner  in  which  Professor 
Newton  has  performed  his  labour  of  love.  In  my  opinion, 
this  is  one  of  the  most  wonderful  histories  of  a  naturalist 
ever  compiled,  and  Gilbert  White  has  indeed  been  fortunate 
in  his  Biographer. — R.  B.  S. 


NOTE 

The  initials  appended  to  the  footnotes  are  to  be  read  as 
follows  : — 

G.  W. — Gilbert  White's  original  notes. 

R.  B.  S. — R.  Bowdler  Sharpe,  Editor. 

G.  A.  B. — G.  A.  Boulenger,  F.R.S.  British  Museum. 

W.  J. — Sir  William  Jardine,  Bart. 

H.  M. — Henry  Maxwell,  Esq. 

R.  I.  P. — Reginald  Innes  Pocock,  British  Museum. 

W.  E.  de  W. — W.  E.  de  Winton,  F.Z.S.  British  Museum. 


UR'AL,    HI5TC 


LETTER  I 

[The  "  Letters  to  Pennant,"  with  which  Gilbert  White  commenced  his 
volume  on  the  "  Natural  History  of  Selborne,"  were  never  really  addressed 
to  that  gentleman,  but  were  evidently  interpolated  for  the  purpose  of 
forming  an  introduction  to  the  actual  correspondence,  so  as  to  give  some 
idea  of  the  characteristics  of  Selborne  and  the  surrounding  country.  The 
first  letter  absolutely  sent  to  Pennant  was  '  Letter  X '  of  the  '  Natural 
History,'  as  we  learn  from  the  original  MS.  letters  now  preserved  in 
the  British  Museum.— R.  B.  S.] 


TO    THOMAS    PENNANT,    ESQ. 

THE  parish  of  Selborne l  lies  in  the  extreme  eastern  corner 
of  the  county  of  Hampshire,  bordering  on  the  county  of 
Sussex,  and  not  far  from  the  county  of  Surrey;  is  about 
fifty  miles  south-west  of  London,  in  latitude  51,  and 
near  midway  between  the  towns  of  Alton  and  Petersfield. 
Being  very  large  and  extensive  it  abuts  on  twelve  parishes, 
two  of  which  are  in  Sussex,  viz.,  Trotton  and  Rogate.  If 
you  begin  from  the  south  and  proceed  westward,  the 
adjacent  parishes  are  Emshot,2  Newton  Valence,  Faringdon, 

1  For  remarks  on  the  etymology  of  Selborne  see  Letter  II  of  the  'Antiquities.' 
— [R.  B.  S.] 

2  Professor  Bell  (pp.  I,  2)  gives  some  interesting  notes  on  the  names  of  the 
parishes  mentioned  by  Gilbert  White.     Of  Empshott  he  pronounces  the  etymology 
to  be  very  obscure  ;  in  Domesday  Book  it  is  spelt  Hibisete.     How  it  has  come 
to  be  called  Empshott  Bell  was  unable  to  discover,  but  sete  has  been  changed  to 
shott  in  many  cases  which  he  quotes,  such  as  Campessete  to  Kempshott,  &c. 
Newton  Valence  is  written  Newentone  in  Domesday  Book,  and  '  took  its  name 

A 


2        NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Harteley  Mauduit,  Great  Ward  le  ham,  Kingsley,  Hadleigh, 
Bramshot,  Trotton,  Rogate,  Lysse,  and  Greatham.  The 
soils  of  this  district  are  almost  as  various  and  diversified 
as  the  views  and  aspects.  The  high  part  of  the  south-west 
consists  of  a  vast  hill  of  chalk,  rising  three  hundred  feet 
above  the  village,  and  is  divided  into  a  sheep-down,  the 
high  wood  and  a  long  hanging  wood,  called  The  Hanger. 
The  covert  of  this  eminence  is  altogether  beech,  the  most 
lovely  of  all  forest  trees,  whether  we  consider  its  smooth 
rind  or  bark,  its  glossy  foliage,  or  graceful  pendulous 
boughs.  The  down,  or  sheep-walk,  is  a  pleasing  park-like 
spot,  of  about  one  mile  by  half  that  space,  jutting  out  on 
the  verge  of  the  hill-country,  where  it  begins  to  break  down 
into  the  plains,  and  commanding  a  very  engaging  view, 
being  an  assemblage  of  hill,  dale,  woodlands,  heath,  and 
water.  The  prospect  is  bounded  to  the  south-east  and  east 
by  the  vast  range  of  mountains  called  the  Sussex  Downs, 
by  Guild-down  near  Gnildford,  and  By  the  Downs  round 
Dorking,  and  Ryegate  in  Surrey,  to  the  north-east,  which 
altogether,  with  the  country  beyond  Alton  and  Farnham, 
form  a  noble  and  extensive  outline. 

At  the  foot  of  this  hill,  one  stage  or  step  from  the 
uplands,  lies  the  village,  which  consists  of  one  single 
straggling  street,  three-quarters  of  a  mile  in  length,  in  a 
sheltered  vale,  and  running  parallel  with  The  Hanger.  The 
houses  are  divided  from  the  hill  by  a  vein  of  stiff  clay  (good 

from  William  de  Valentin,  half-brother  to  Henry  III.,  who  held  the  manor  in 
1273'  (Moody).  Hartley  Mauditt  or  Maudytt  is  also,  according  to  Bell,  the 
'  ordinary  orthography,'  and  in  Domesday  Book  the  name  of  the  then  lord  of 
the  manor  is  spelt  Maldoit  and  Malduith.  "  The  name  Hartley  or  Harteley, 
which  occurs  in  several  other  places  to  the  north  of  Selborne,  forms  one  of  many 
indications  of  the  extensive  ancient  forest  of  the  district,  extending  eastward  and 
including  those  of  Alice  Holt  and  Wolmer."— (Bell,  ed.  p.  2  note.) 

Worldham  was  spelt  Werildeham  in  Domesday  Book,  and  Bell  could  not  find 
any  warranty  for  Gilbert  White's  rendering  of  the  name.  The  etymology  is,  he 
says,  very  doubtful,  but  he  hazards  the  suggestion  that  "  the  Saxon  name  Werilde- 
ham had  reference  to  the  longevity  of  the  inhabitants,  and  that  Wer-ylde  ham 
may  be  literally  translated  'The  old  men's  village.'  The  common  pronunciation 
amongst  the  peasantry  of  the  district  is  '  \Vordleham.'"— (Bell,  I.e.) 

Hedleigh  is  Headley,  and  Lysse  the  Liss  of  the  present  day.— [R.  B.  S.] 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE        3 

wheat-land),  yet  stand  on  a  rock  of  white  stone,  little  in 
appearance  removed  from  chalk  ;  but  seems  so  far  from 
being  calcareous,  that  it  endures  extreme  heat.  Yet  that 
the  freestone  still  preserves  somewhat  that  is  analogous  to 
chalk  is  plain  from  the  beeches  which  descend  as  low  as 
those  rocks  extend,  and  no  farther,  and  thrive  as  well  on 
them,  where  the  ground  is  steep,  as  on  the  chalks. 

The  cart-way  of  the  village  divides,  in  a  remarkable 
manner,  two  very  incongruous  soils.  To  the  south-west 
is  a  rank  clay,  that  requires  the  labour  of  years  to  render 
it  mellow ;  while  the  gardens  to  the  north-east,  and  small 
enclosures  behind,  consist  of  a  warm,  forward,  crumbling 
mould,  called  black  malm,  which  seems  highly  saturated 
with  vegetable  and  animal  manure  ;  and  these  may  perhaps 
have  been  the  original  site  of  the  town  ;  while  the  woods 
and  coverts  might  extend  down  to  the  opposite  bank. 

At  each  end  of  the  village,  which  runs  from  south- 
east to  north-west,  arises  a  small  rivulet  :  that  at  the  north- 
west end  frequently  fails  ;  but  the  other  is  a  fine  perennial 
spring,  little  influenced  by  drought  or  wet  seasons,  called 
Well-head^  This  breaks  out  of  some  high  grounds  join- 
ing to  Nore  Hill,  a  noble  chalk  promontory,  remarkable 
for  sending  forth  two  streams  into  two  different  seas.  The 
one  to  the  south  becomes  a  branch  of  the  Arun,  running 
to  Arundel,  and  so  sailing  into  the  British  Channel  ;  the 
other  to  the  north.2  The  Selborne  stream  makes  one 

1  This  spring  produced,  September  10,  1781,  after  a  severe  hot  summer,  and 
a  preceding  dry  spring  and  winter,  nine  gallons  of  water  in  a  minute,  which  is 
540  in  an  hour,  and  12,960,  or  216  hogsheads,  in  twenty-four  hours,  or  one 
natural  day.     At  this  time  many  of  the  wells  failed,  and  all  the  ponds  in  the  vale 
were  dry. — [G.  W.] 

Mr.  Henry  Maxwell  writes  to  me  :  "Well-head  has  never  failed  in  my  time 
(say,  for  fifty-five  years).  Gilbert  White  says  that  it  is  'little  influenced  by  the 
seasons,'  but  I  should  say  that  at  the  present  time  it  is  considerably  affected  by 
the  seasons — a  fact  due,  I  presume,  to  the  decrease  in  rainfall." — [R.  B.  S.] 

2  Mr.  Grant  Allen,  in  his  edition,  makes  a  very  pertinent  alteration  to  this 
paragraph,  correcting  what  he  takes  to  be  '  evident  printer's  errors '  in  the  first 
edition.     Undoubtedly  the  meaning  is  clearer,  when  the  sentence  reads  as  Mr. 
Grant  Allen  proposes:   "the  other,  to  the  north,  the  Selborne  stream,  makes 
one  branch  of  the  Wey,"  &c.— [R.  B.  S.] 


4        NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

branch  of  the  Wey ;  and,  meeting  the  Black-down  stream 
at  Hedleigh,  and  the  Alton  and  Farnham  stream  at  Tilford- 
bridge,  swells  into  a  considerable  river,  navigable  at  Godal- 
ming;  from  whence  it  passes  to  Guildford,  and  so  into  the 
Thames  at  IVey bridge ;  and  thus  at  the  Nore  into  the 
German  Ocean. 

Our  wells,  at  an  average,  run  to  about  sixty-three  feet, 
and  when  sunk  to  that  depth  seldom  fail  ;  but  produce  a 
fine  limpid  water,  soft  to  the  taste,  and  much  commended 
by  those  who  drink  the  pure  element,  but  which  does  not 
lather  well  with  soap. 

To  the  north-west,  north  and  east  of  the  village,  is  a 
range  of  fair  enclosures,  consisting  of  what  is  called  white 
tna/nt,  a  sort  of  rotten  or  rubble  stone,  which,  when  turned 
up  to  the  frost  and  rain,  moulders  to  pieces,  and  becomes 
manure  to  itself.1 

Still  on  to  the  north-east,  and  a  step  lower,  is  a  kind 
of  white  land,  neither  chalk  nor  clay,  neither  fit  for  pasture 
nor  for  the  plough,  yet  kindly  for  hops,  which  root  deep 
in  the  freestone,  and  have  their  poles  and  wood  for  char- 
coal growing  just  at  hand.  The  white  soil  produces  the 
brightest  hops. 

As  the  parish  still  inclines  down  towards  IVolmer- 
forest,  at  the  juncture  of  the  clays  and  sand  the  soil 
becomes  a  wet,  sandy  loam,  remarkable  for  timber,  and 
infamous  for  roads.  The  oaks  of  Temple  and  Blackmoor 
stand  high  in  the  estimation  of  purveyors,  and  have 
furnished  much  naval  timber  ;  while  the  trees  on  the  free- 
stone grow  large,  but  are  what  workmen  call  shakey,  and 
so  brittle  as  often  to  fall  to  pieces  in  sawing.  Beyond 
the  sandy  loam  the  soil  becomes  a  hungry  lean  sand,  till 
it  mingles  with  the  forest  ;  and  will  produce  little  without 
the  assistance  of  lime  and  turnips.2 

1  This  soil  produces  good  wheat  and  clover.— [G.  W.] 

1  Mr.  William  Curtis  of  Alton  supplied  Professor  Bell  with  a  chapter  on  the 
geology  of  the  district  (see  Bell's  ed.  ii.,  pp.  374-377).  I  am  indebted  to  my 
Wend  and  colleague  Mr.  C.  W.  Andrews,  of  the  Geological  Department  of  the 
British  Museum,  for  some  notes  on  the  subject,  which  will  be  found  in  the 
'  Appendix  '  to  the  present  work.— [R.  B.  S.J 


*£ 


LETTER    II 


TO    THE    SAME 

IN  the  court  of  Norton  farm-house,  a  manor  farm  to  the 
north-west  of  the  village,  on  the  white  malm,  stood  within 
these  twenty  years  a  broad-leaved  elm,  or  wych  haze/,1  ulmus 
folio  latissimo  scabro  of  Ray,  which,  though  it  had  lost  a 
considerable  leading  bough  in  the  great  storm  in  the  year 
1703,  equal  to  a  moderate  tree,  yet,  when  felled,  contained 
eight  loads  of  timber  ;  and,  being  too  bulky  for  a  carriage, 
was  sawn  off  at  seven  feet  above  the  butt,  where  it  measured 
near  eight  feet  in  the  diameter.  This  elm  I  mention  to 
show  to  what  a  bulk  planted  elms  may  attain  ;  as  this  tree 
must  certainly  have  been  such  from  its  situation.2 

1  "An  elm  so  named  from  its  wood  having  been  used  to  make  the  chests 
called  by  old  writers  ivyches,  hucckes,  or  ivhycches" — Prior,  "  Popular  Names  of 
British  Plants,"  3rd  ed.,  p.  259.— [R.  B.  S.] 

2  The  following  note  on  this  passage  is  given  by  Sir  William  Jardine  in  his 
edition  of  the  present  work  (p.  6) : — 

"The  wych  elm,  the  first  tree  alluded  to,  has  been  a  subject  always  annotated 
upon,  this  species  being  far  less  commonly  grown  in  England  than  in  Scotland. 
In  the  former  country  it  is  supplanted  almost  entirely  by  the  small-leaved  or 
English  elm,  as  it  is  commonly  named,  a  tree  which  reaches  a  large  size,  and  ol 

5 


6        NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

In  the  centre  of  the  village,  and  near  the  church,  is  a 
square  piece  of  ground  surrounded  by  houses,  and  vulgarly 
called  The  Plestor.1  In  the  midst  of  this  spot  stood,  in 
old  times,  a  vast  oak,  with  a  short  squat  body,  and  huge 
horizontal  arms  extending  almost  to  the  extremity  of  the 
area.  This  venerable  tree,  surrounded  with  stone  steps, 

which  there  are  magnificent  specimens  in  our  public  parks  or  promenades  ;  but  it 
produces  a  wood  of  inferior  quality,  and  as  it  is  now  planted  in  the  hedgerows  of 
the  small  enclosures  of  the  south,  it  must  very  materially  injure  the  crops  by  its 
spreading  roots,  which  shoot  up  and  would  soon  cover  the  ground.  The  tree 
mentioned  in  this  letter  is  the  Ulmus  campestris,  Linn. ;  it  yields  a  timber  valuable 
for  various  agricultural  purposes,  and  is  esteemed  for  making  naves  for  cart-wheels; 
it  is  of  a  more  spreading  character  than  the  others,  and  often  attains  to  a  large  size. 
The  Selborne  elm,  though  of  less  size  than  some  others  the  measurements  of 
which  have  been  recorded,  must  have  been  a  large  and  very  fine  tree. 

"  The  oak  trees  mentioned  in  the  latter  part  of  this  letter  gained  their  peculiar 
character  by  being  very  thickly  planted,  and  as  it  might  be  called  '  neglected.' 
According  to  our  notion  of  timber  management  thinning  is  indispensable,  but  to 
obtain  trees  of  the  kind  alluded  to,  the  thicker  they  can  be  grown,  the  better. 
Beech  trees  with  a  clean  stem  of  from  fifty  to  seventy  feet  are  very  valuable  for 
keel  pieces,  but  the  practice  of  growing  wood  of  any  kind  in  this  way  has  scarcely 
been  practised.  Larch  planted  for  hop-poles,  or  sweet  chestnut  grown  for  the 
same  purpose,  are  treated  in  this  manner ;  and  what  in  commerce  is  called  Norway 
poles,  are  I  believe  the  first  thinnings  of  the  Baltic  forests,  which  have  been 
spindled  up  by  the  more  vigorous  trees  to  great  length  and  uniformity  of  thick- 
ness, and  which  in  all  probability  would  have  been  ultimately  killed." 

Professor  Bell  (p.  5  note)  makes  the  following  interesting  observation  on 
this  passage :  "  On  the  grounds  now  belonging  to  the  place,  and  at  about  fifty 
yards  from  the  house,  stands  a  very  remarkable  example  of  rejuvenescence  in  a 
tree  of  this  species,  the  Ulnus  montana  of  Bauhin.  From  its  great  age  it  had 
become  a  mere  shell,  but  still  continued  to  flourish ;  and  in  the  month  of  June 
1857  it  suddenly  broke  and  fell,  from  the  mere  weight  of  its  foliage ;  for  there 
was  no  wind  at  the  time.  The  remains  consisted  of  the  broken  and  hollow  base 
only  of  the  trunk,  but  had  no  appearance  of  vitality ;  but  it  soon  threw  out  young 
wood,  and  now  forms  a  large  and  luxuriant  tree,  which  is  yearly  covered  with 
profuse  foliage,  and  its  new  branches  extend  to  nearly  sixty  feet  across.  It  must 
*  very  old,  probably  three  or  four  centuries,  as  a  single  branch,  when  sawn 
rough,  showed  at  least  a  hundred  annual  rings.  The  mass  of  the  hollow  fallen 

nk,  nearly  six  feet  in  diameter,  is  still  preserved."  A  photograph  of  the 
is  given  in  Prof.  Bell's  edition  (p.  lix).  It  is  now  (1899)  flourishing,  and 

f  larger  dimensions  than  in  Bell's  time.  Mr.  Paxton  Parkin,  the  present 
owner  of  the  « Wakes,'  tells  me  that  the  spread  of  the  branches  amounts  to  over 
eighty  feet.— [R.  B.  S.] 

1   Vide  the  plate  in  the  '  Antiquities.'— {G.  W.] 

For  an  account  of  the  Plestor  (i.e.  Pleystow,  or  Playing  Place)  and  its 
ion,  see  the  •  Antiquities  of  Selborne '  in  vol.  ii.— [R.  B.  S.] 


A 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE        7 

and  seats  above  them,  was  the  delight  of  old  and  young, 
and  a  place  of  much  resort  in  summer  evenings  ;  where 
the  former  sat  in  grave  debate,  while  the  latter  frolicked 
and  danced  before  them.  Long  might  it  have  stood,  had 
not  the  amazing  tempest  in  1703  overturned  it  at  once,  to 
the  infinite  regret  of  the  inhabitants  and  the  vicar,  who 
bestowed  several  pounds  in  setting  it  in  its  place  again  :  but 
all  his  care  could  not  avail  ;  the  tree  sprouted  for  a  time, 
then  withered  and  died.  This  oak  I  mention  to  show  to 
what  a  bulk  planted  oaks  also  may  arrive  ;  and  planted  this 
tree  must  certainly  have  been,  as  will  appear  from  what 
will  be  said  farther  concerning  this  area,  when  we  enter  on 
the  antiquities  of  Selborne. 

On  the  Blackmoor  estate  there  is  a  small  wood  called 
Losefs,  of  a  few  acres,  that  was  lately  furnished  with  a  set 
of  oaks  of  a  peculiar  growth  and  great  value ;  they  were 
tall  and  taper  like  firs,  but  standing  near  together  had  very 
small  heads,  only  a  little  brush  without  any  large  limbs. 
About  twenty  years  ago  the  bridge  at  the  Toy,  near 
Hampton  Court,  being  much  decayed,  some  trees  were 
wanted  for  the  repairs  that  were  fifty  feet  long  without 
bough,  and  would  measure  twelve  inches  diameter  at  the 
little  end.  Twenty  such  trees  did  a  purveyor  find  in 
this  little  wood,  with  this  advantage,  that  many  of  them 
answered  the  description  at  sixty  feet.  These  trees  were 
sold  for  twenty  pounds  apiece.1 

In  the  centre  of  this  grove  there  stood  an  oak,  which, 
though  shapely  and  tall  on  the  whole,  bulged  out  into  a  large 
excrescence  about  the  middle  of  the  stem.  On  this  a  pair 
of  ravens  had  fixed  their  residence  for  such  a  series  of 
years,  that  the  oak  was  distinguished  by  the  title  of  The 
Raven-tree.  Many  were  the  attempts  of  the  neighbouring 
youths  to  get  at  this  tyry :  the  difficulty  whetted  their 

1  In  Bell's  edition  (vol.  ii.  pp.  243-303)  there  is  a  considerable  correspon- 
dence on  trees  and  their  culture  between  Gilbert  White  and  Robert  Marsham  of 
Stratton-Strawless,  in  Norfolk.  This  correspondence  was  first  printed  in  the 
Transactions  of  the  Norfolk  and  Norwich  Naturalists'  Society  for  1876  (vol.  ii. 
pp.  I33-I98).-[R.  B.  S.] 


8        NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

inclinations,  and  each  was  ambitious  of  surmounting  the 
arduous  task.  But  when  they  arrived  at  the  swelling,  it 
jutted  out  so  in  their  way,  and  was  so  far  beyond  their 
grasp,  that  the  most  daring  lads  were  awed,  and  acknow- 
ledged the  undertaking  to  be  too  hazardous  :  so  the  ravens 
built  on,  nest  upon  nest,  in  perfect  security,  till  the  fatal 
day  arrived  in  which  the  wood  was  to  be  levelled.  It  was 
in  the  month  of  February,  when  these  birds  usually  sit. 
The  saw  was  applied  to  the  butt, — the  wedges  were 
inserted  into  the  opening, — the  woods  echoed  to  the  heavy 
blow  of  the  beetle  or  malle  or  mallet, — the  tree  nodded  to 
its  fall  ;  but  still  the  dam  sat  on.  At  last,  when  it  give  way, 
the  bird  was  flung  from  her  nest ;  and,  though  her  parental 
affection  deserved  a  better  fate,  was  whipped  down  by  the 
twigs,  which  brought  her  dead  to  the  ground.1 

1  Sir  William  Jardine  comments  on  this  curious  instance :  "  We  have  always 
found  the  Raven,  whether  nesting  upon  a  rock  or  upon  a  tree,  most  unapproachable 
after  she  had  been  disturbed  or  alarmed."  The  pair  of  Ravens,  which  nested  in 
Avington  Park  year  after  year,  were  also  absolutely  unapproachable  during  the 
breeding  season. — [R.  B.  S.] 


LETTER     III 

TO    THE    SAME 

THE  fossil-shells  of  this  district,  and  sorts  of  stones,  such 
as  have  fallen  within  my  observation,  must  not  be  passed 
over  in  silence.  And  first  I  must  mention,  as  a  great 
curiosity,  a  specimen  that  was  ploughed  up  in  the  chalky 
fields,  near  the  side  of  the  Down,  and  given  to  me  for  the 
singularity  of  its  appearance,  which  to  an  incurious  eye, 
seems  like  a  petrified  fish  of  about  four  inches  long,  the 
cardo  passing  for  an  head  and  mouth.  It  is  in  reality 
a  bivalve  of  the  Linncean  .  Genus  of  Mytilus,  and  the 
species  of  Crista  Galli;1  called  by  Lister,  Rastellum  ;  by 
Rttmphius,  Ostreum  plicatum  minus;  by  D'Argcnville,  Auris 
Porci,  s.  Crista  Galli;  and  by  those  who  make  collections, 
cock's  comb.  Though  I  applied  to  several  such  in 
London,  I  never  could  meet  with  an  entire  specimen  ; 
nor  could  I  ever  find  in  books  any  eng^'tving  from  a 
perfect  one.  In  the  superb  museum  at  Leicester  House2 

1  The  species  was  identified  in  subsequent  editions  of  "  Selborne  "  as  Ostrea 
carinata  of  Lamarck,  but  my  colleague,  Mr.  R.  Bullen  Newton,  of  the  Geological 
Department  of  the  British  Museum,  has  very  kindly  given  me  the  following  note : — 
"This  is  Ostrsa  carinata,  Sowerby  (nee  Lamarck).     It  should  properly  be  called 
Ostrea  ricordeana  d'Orbigny,  to  which  species  it  has  been  referred  by  Coquand. 
White's    specimen    is    noticed    in    Sowerby's    "Mineral    Conchology"    (plate 
365).-[R  .B.  S.] 

2  This  was  the  celebrated  collection  of  Mr.  [afterwards  Sir]  Ashton  Lever, 
and  was  known  as  the  Leverian  Museum.     It  contained  many  specimens  described 
by  Latham  and  the  fathers  of  ornithology  in  England,  and  on  the  dispersal  of  the 
collection  by  auction  in  1806 — a  sale  which  lasted  sixty-five  days  and  contained 
7879  lots — many  of  the  most  interesting  of  its  contents  were  purchased  for  foreign 
museums.    An  account  of  the  Leverian  birds  still  existing  in  the  Imperial  Museum 
at  Vienna  in  1873  was  published  by  Von  Pelzeln  in  the  "Ibis"  for  that  year 
(pp.  14-54,  pi.  I.).     See  also  "  Diet.  National  Biography,"  xxxiii.  p.  137  (1893). — 
[R.  B.  S.] 

9  B 


io      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

permission  was  given  to  me  to  examine  for  this  article  ;  and 
though  I  was  disappointed  as  to  the  fossil,  I  was  highly 
gratified  with  the  sight  of  several  of  the  shells  themselves 
in  high  preservation.  This  bivalve  is  only  known  to  in- 
habit the  Indian  Ocean,  where  it  fixes  itself  to  a  zoophyte, 
known  by  the  name  Gorgonia.  The  curious  foldings  of 
the  suture  the  one  into  the  other,  the  alternate  flutings 
or  grooves,  and  the  curved  form  of  my  specimen  being 
much  easier  expressed  by  the  pencil  than  by  words,  I 
have  caused  it  to  be  drawn  and  engraved. 

Cornua  Atnmonis  are  very  common  about  this  village. 
As  we  were  cutting  an  inclining  path  up  The  Hanger,  the 
labourer  found  them  frequently  on  that  steep,  just  under 
the  soil,  in  the  chalk,  and  of  a  considerable  size.  In  the 
lane  above  Well-head,  in  the  way  to  Emshot,  they  abound  in 
the  bank  in  a  darkish  sort  of  marl  ;  and  are  usually  very 
small  and  soft :  but  in  Clay's  Pond,  a  little  farther  on,  at 
the  end  of  the  pit,  where  the  soil  is  dug  out  for  manure, 
I  have  occasionally  observed  them  of  large  dimensions, 
perhaps  fourteen  or  sixteen  inches  in  diameter.  But  as 
these  did  not  consist  of  firm  stone,  but  were  formed  of  a 
kind  of  terra  lapidosa,  or  hardened  clay,  as  soon  as  they 
were  exposed  to  the  rains  and  frost  they  mouldered  away. 
These  seemed  as  if  they  were  a  very  recent  production.  In 
the  chalk-pit,  at  the  north-west  end  of  The  Hanger,  large 
nautili  are  sometimes  observed. 

In  the  very  thickest  strata  of  our  freestone,  and  at  con- 
siderable depths,  well-diggers  often  find  large  scallops  or 
pectines,  having  both  shells  deeply  striated,  and  ridged  and 
furrowed  alternately.  They  are  highly  impregnated  with, 
if  not  wholly  composed  of,  the  stone  of  the  quarry. 


f  rtmv  ifr-1 


LETTER     IV 

TO    THE    SAME 

As  in  a  former  letter  the  freestone  of  this  place  has  been 
only  mentioned  incidentally,  I  shall  here  become  more 
particular. 

This  stone  is  in  great  request  for  hearth-stones,  and  the 
beds  of  ovens  :  and  in  lining  of  lime-kilns  it  turns  to 
good  account  ;  for  the  workmen  use  sandy  loam  instead 
of  mortar  ;  the  sand  of  which  fluxes,1  and  runs  by  the  intense 
heat,  and  so  cases  over  the  whole  face  of  the  kiln  with  a 
strong  vitrified  coat-like  glass,  that  it  is  well  preserved  from 
iujuries  of  weather,  and  endures  thirty  or  forty  years. 
When  chiselled  smooth,  it  makes  elegant  fronts  for  houses, 
equal  in  colour  and  grain  to  the  Bath  stone  ;  and  superior 
in  one  respect,  that,  when  seasoned,  it  does  not  scale. 
Decent  chimney-pieces  are  worked  from  it  of  much  closer 
and  finer  grain  than  Portland  ;  and  rooms  are  floored  with 
it  ;  but  it  proves  rather  too  soft  for  this  purpose.  It  is  a 
freestone,  cutting  in  all  directions  ;  yet  has  something  of  a 
grain  parallel  with  the  horizon,  and  therefore  should  not 
be  surbedded,  but  laid  in  the  same  position  that  it  grows 


1  There  may  probably  be  also  in  the  chalk  itself  that  is  burnt  for  lime  a  pro- 
portion of  sand,  for  few  chalks  are  so  pure  as  to  have  none.  —  [G.  W.] 


12      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

in  the  quarry.1  On  the  ground  abroad  this  freestone  will 
not  succeed  for  pavements,  because,  probably  some  degree 
of  saltness  prevailing  within  it,  the  rain  tears  the  slabs  to 
pieces.2  Though  the  stone  is  too  hard  to  be  acted  on  by 
vinegar,  yet  both  the  white  part,  and  even  the  blue  rag, 
ferments  strongly  in  mineral  acids.  Though  the  white 
stone  will  not  bear  wet,  yet  in  every  quarry  at  intervals 
there  are  thin  strata  of  blue  rag,  which  resist  rain  and 
frost ;  and  are  excellent  for  pitching  of  stables,  paths  and 
courts,  and  for  building  of  dry  walls  against  banks,  a 
valuable  species  of  fencing  much  in  use  in  this  village,  and 
for  mending  of  roads.  This  rag  is  rugged  and  stubborn, 
and  will  not  hew  to  a  smooth  face,  but  is  very  durable  : 
yet,  as  these  strata  are  shallow  and  lie  deep,  large  quantities 
cannot  be  procured  but  at  considerable  expense.  Among 
the  blue  rags  turn  up  some  blocks  tinged  with  a  stain  of 
yellow  or  rust  colour,  which  seem  to  be  nearly  as  lasting 
as  the  blue ;  and  every  now  and  then  balls  of  a  friable 
substance,  like  rust  of  iron,  called  rust  balls. 

In  Wolmer  Forest  I  see  but  one  sort  of  stone,  called 
by  the  workmen  sand,  or  forest-stone.  This  is  generally 
of  the  colour  of  rusty  iron,  and  might  probably  be  worked 
as  iron  ore  ;  is  very  hard  and  heavy,  and  of  a  firm,  compact 
texture,  and  composed  of  a  small  roundish  crystalline  grit, 
cemented  together  by  a  brown,  terrene,  ferruginous  matter ; 
will  not  cut  without  difficulty,  nor  easily  strike  fire  with 
steel.  Being  often  found  in  broad  flat  pieces,  it  makes 
good  pavement  for  paths  about  houses,  never  becoming 
slippery  in  frost  or  rain ;  is  excellent  for  dry  walls,  and  is 
sometimes  used  in  buildings.  In  many  parts  of  that  waste 
it  lies  scattered  on  the  surface  of  the  ground  ;  but  is  dug 
on  Weavers  Down,  a  vast  hill  on  the  eastern  verge  of  that 

1  To  surbed  stone  is  to  set  it  edgewise,  contrary  to  the  posture  it  had  in  the 
quarry,  says  Dr.  Plot,  "  Oxfordshire,"  p.  77.  But  surbedding  does  not  succeed  in 
our  dry  walls ;  neither  do  we  use  it  so  in  ovens,  though  he  says  it  is  best  for 
Teynton  stone. — [G.  W.] 

1  "  Firestone  is  full  of  salts,  and  has  no  sulphur  :  must  be  close-grained,  and 
have  no  interstices.  Nothing  supports  fire  like  salts  ;  saltstone  perishes  exposed 
to  wet  and  frost."— Plot's  "  Staff.,"  p.  152.— [G.  W.] 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      13 

forest,  where  the  pits  are  shallow  and  the  stratum  thin. 
This  stone  is  imperishable. 

From  a  notion  of  rendering  their  work  the  more  elegant, 
and  giving  it  a  finish,  masons  chip  this  stone  into  small 
fragments  about  the  size  of  the  head  of  a  large  nail ;  and 
then  stick  the  pieces  into  the  wet  mortar  along  the  joints 
of  their  freestone  walls  ;  this  embellishment  carries  an  odd 
appearance,  and  has  occasioned  strangers  sometimes  to  ask 
us  pleasantly,  "  whether  we  fastened  our  walls  together 
with  tenpenny  nails."  l 

1  The  western  wall  of  Selborne  church  is  decorated  in  this  manner.  Mr. 
Grant  Allen  writes :  "  Walls  of  this  sort  still  occur  at  Selborne  :  there  are 
many  close  to  the  church.  They  are  also  common  at  Dorking  and  in  other 
places  on  the  greensand  area." — (Ed.  Selborne,  p.  18  note.) — [R.  B.  S.] 


Churckj 


,    i 


LETTER    V 

TO    THE    SAME 

AMONG  the  singularities  of  this  place  the  two  rocky  hollow 
lanes,  the  one  to  Alton,  and  the  other  to  the  forest,  deserve 
our  attention.  These  roads,  running  through  the  malm 
lands,  are,  by  the  traffic  of  ages,  and  the  fretting  of  water, 
worn  down  through  the  first  stratum  of  our  freestone, 
and  partly  through  the  second  ;  so  that  they  look  more 
like  water-courses  than  roads  ;  and  are  bedded  with  naked 
ragior  furlongs  together.  In  many  places  they  are  reduced 
sixteen  or  eighteen  feet  beneath  the  level  of  the  fields ;  and 
after  floods,  and  in  frosts,  exhibit  very  grotesque  and  wild 
appearances,  from  the  tangled  roots  that  are  twisted  among 
the  strata,  and  from  the  torrents  rushing  down  their  broken 
sides ;  and  especially  when  those  cascades  are  frozen  into 
icicles,  hanging  in  all  the  fanciful  shapes  of  frost-work. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      15 

These  rugged  gloomy  scenes  1  affright  the  ladies  when  they 
peep  down  into  them  from  the  paths  above,  and  make  timid 
horsemen  shudder  while  they  ride  along  them  ;  but  delight 
the  naturalist  with  their  various  botany,  and  particularly 
with  their  curious  filices  with  which  they  abound. 

The  manor  of  Selborne,  was  it  strictly  looked  after,  with 
all  its  kindly  aspects,  and  all  its  sloping  coverts,  would 
swarm  with  game  ;  even  now  hares,  partridges,  and 
pheasants  abound  ;  and  in  old  days  woodcocks  were  as 
plentiful.  There  are  few  quails,  because  they  more  affect 
open  fields  than  enclosures  ;  after  harvest  some  few  land- 
rails are  seen. 

The  parish  of  Selborne,  by  taking  in  so  much  of  the 
forest,  is  a  vast  district.  Those  who  tread  the  bounds  are 
employed  part  of  three  days  in  the  business,  and  are  of 
opinion  that  the  outline,  in  all  its  curves  and  indentings, 
does  not  comprise  less  than  thirty  miles. 

The  village  stands  in  a  sheltered  spot,  secured  by  The 
Hanger  from  the  strong  westerly  winds.  The  air  is  soft, 
but  rather  moist  from  the  effluvia  of  so  many  trees ; 2  yet 
perfectly  healthy  and  free  from  agues. 

The  quantity  of  rain  that  falls  on  it  is  very  consider- 
able, as  may  be  supposed  in  so  woody  and  mountainous  a 
district.  As  my  experience  in  measuring  the  water  is  but 
of  short  date,  I  am  not  qualified  to  give  the  mean  quantity.3 

1  "Scences,"  1st  ed.,  p.  11.— [R.  B.  S.] 

2  See  Letter  XXIX  to  Daines  Barrington.— [R.  B.  S.] 

3  A  very  intelligent  gentleman  assures  me  (and  he  speaks  from  upwards  of 
forty  years  experience),  that  the  mean  rain  of  any  place  cannot  be  ascertained  till 
a  person  has  measured  it  for  a  very  long  period.     "  If  I  had  only  measured  the 
rain,"  says  he,  "for  the  four  first  years,  from  1740  to  1743,  I  should  have  said 
the  mean  rain  at  Lyndon  was  l6£  inches  for  the  year ;  if  from  1740  to  1750,  1 8£ 
inches.     The  mean  rain  before  1763  was  20^  inches,  from  1763  and  since  25^ 
inches,  from  1770  to  1780,  26  inches.     If  only  1773,  1774,  an(i  J775  had  been 
measured,  Lyndon  mean  rain  would  have  been  called  32  inches." — [G.  W.] 

Gilbert  White's  correspondent  at  Lyndon  was  Thomas  Barker,  "of  an 
ancient  and  respectable  family  "  in  Rutlandshire,  and  was  White's  brother-in-law, 
having  married  his  sister  Anne.  Both  Thomas  Barker  and  his  son  Samuel  were 
much  esteemed  by  our  author,  and  many  interesting  letters  from  all  the  parties 
are  to  be  found  in  the  second  volume  of  Professor  Bell's  edition. — [R.  B.  S.  ] 


Jan. 

,  1780,  to  Jan.  i,  1781 

Jan. 

,  1781,  to  Jan.  i,  1782 

Jan. 

,  1782,  to  Jan. 

,1783 

Jan. 

,  1783,  to  Jan. 

,1784 

Jan. 

,  1784,  to  Jan. 

,  1785 

Jan. 

,  1785,  to  Jan. 

,1786 

Jan. 

,  1786,  to  Jan. 

,  1787 

16      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 
1  only  know  that 

Inch.       Hund. 

From  May  i,  1779,  to  the  end  of  the  year  there  fell    .        28  37  ! 

27  32 

3°  7i 

„          .         50  26! 

33  7i 

•        33  80 

3i  55 

39  57 l 

The  village  of  Selborne,  and  large  hamlet  of  Oak- 
hanger,  with  the  single  farms,  and  many  scattered  houses 
along  the  verge  of  the  forest,  contain  upwards  of  six 
hundred  and  seventy  inhabitants. 

A  STATE  of  the  PARISH  of  SELBORNE,  taken  OCTOBER  4,  1783. 

The  number  of  tenements  or  families,  136. 

The  number  of  inhabitants  in  the  street  is  313  )_  Total  676  ;  near  five  inhabitants  to  each  tene- 
In  the  rest  of  the  parish        .        .        .        363  )      ment. 

In  the  time  of  the  Rev.  Gilbert  White,  Vicar,  who  died  in  1727-8,  the  number  of  inhabitants 
was  computed  at  500.2 

1  In  Bennett's  edition  the  summary  of  the  rainfall  is  continued  up  to  the  year 
1793,  from  which  it  appears   that   in   the   last-mentioned  year  48.56  was  the 
measurement,  and  40  inches  is  exceeded  in  three  instances,  though  none  equal 
Gilbert  White's   record   for    1782.     Professor    Bell  observes:  "That   the  local 
circumstances  of  Selborne,  surrounded  by  hills,  and  those  hills  more  or  less  covered 
with  trees,  are  the  cause  of  the  high  rate  of  rainfall  to  which  it  is  subject,  cannot 
be  doubted  ;   and  the  results  given  in  the  text  are  fully  borne  out  by  a  long 
succession  of  observations  carefully  made  by  myself.     The  annual  average  for 
25  years,  from  1850  to  1874  inclusive,  amounts  to  32.074  inches.     In  the  year 
1852  there  fell  48.81  inches,  and  in  1873,  49.56,  which  is  the  largest  amount  I 
have  recorded,  slightly  surpassed,  however,  by  that  mentioned  in  the  text  for 
1782.     On  a  comparison  with  a  large  number  of  other  places  in  various  parts  of 
the  Kingdom,  the  monthly  reports  in  Mr.   Symond's  interesting  Meteorological 

Journal  show  that,  eliminating  such  exceptional  localities  as  Seathwaite,  &c., 
the  fall  of  rain  at  Selborne  is  much  above  the  average." — (Bell's  edition,  vol.  i. 
p.  12  note.)—  [R.  B.  S.] 

Mr.  Henry  Maxwell  writes:  "Professor  Bell  makes  the  average  rainfall 
32.074.  My  record  for  fourteen  years  (1885-1898)  is  an  average  of  32.040." — 
[R.  B.  S.] 

2  Mr.  Henry  Maxwell  informs  me  that  the  census  of  1891  registered  61335  the 
population  of  Selborne  itself,  and  707  for  the  outlying  districts.     Total  for  the 
whole  parish,  1320.     In  1877  Bell  speaks  of  the  population  as  being  noo. 

The  Rev.  Gilbert  White  was  the  grandfather  and  also  the  godfather  of  our 
author.  He  was  the  first  of  the  family  that  had  any  direct  connection  with 
Selborne,  of  which  parish  he  was  vicar.  He  died  in  February  1727  (cf.  Bell's 
ed,  vol.  i.  Memoir,  p.  xxiii.).— [R.  B.  S.] 


ROCKY   HOLLOW   LANE 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE       17 


AVERAGE  OF  BAPTISMS  FOR  SIXTY  YEARS. 


From  120 


6 


From  i74°\  Malcs      2\  From  i7<xA  Ma,es 

to  >v Fx>XS»»  to  rWani 

i   i769incl.  )*em-     *' 


20,  3 


Total  of  baptisms  of  Males    ....     515)    D 

Females     .     .     .     465 /98° 
Total  of  baptisms  from  1720  to  1779,  both  inclusive,     ....     60  years    ....     980 


AVERAGE  OF  BURIALS  FOR  SIXTY  YEARS. 


From 


9.  9 


Froo,  11740  Wales  4,  6 


Fern. 


6,  g 


I779incl. 


6'2 


[•SO,  6 

1759  i 
Total  of  burials  of  Males    ....     315  )/• 

T-»  i  f  O4O 

,,  „         Females     .     .     .     325  j    * 

Total  of  burials  from  1720  to  1779,  both  inclusive,     ....     60  years     ....     640 

Baptisms  exceed  burials  by  more  than  one-third. 
Baptisms  of  Males  exceed  Females  by  one-tenth,  or  one  in  ten. 
Burials  of  Females  exceed  Males  by  one  in  thirty. 

It  appears  that  a  child,  born  and  bred  in  this  parish,  has  an  equal  chance  to  live  above  forty 
years. 

Twins  thirteen  times,  many  of  whom  dying  young  have  lessened  the  chance  for  life. 
Chances  for  life  in  men  and  women  appear  to  be  equal. 

A  TABLE  of  the  BAPTISMS,  BURIALS,  and  MARRIAGES,  from  JANUARY  2,  1761, 
to  DECEMBER  25,  1780,  in  the  PARISH  ofSELBORNE. 


Males. 
8 

BAPTISMS. 

Females. 

Total. 
18 

Males. 

BURIALS. 

Females. 

Total. 
6 

MAR. 

8 

6 

1763   . 
1764    . 
1765   . 
1766  . 
1767   . 
1768    . 

8 
ii 

12 

9 
14 

10 
9 
6 

13 
6 

18 

20 

18 

22 

19 

3 
10 

9 
10 
6 

4 
8 

6 
5 

8 
6 
6 

i 

6 

4 

2 

6 

6 

5 

1771   . 
1772   . 
1773   • 
1774   • 

1775     •         • 
1776     . 

1777     • 
1778     . 

10 

ii 
8 
6 

20 
II 

8 

6 

10 

5 
13 
7 
10 
'3 

16 

21 
13 
19 
27 
21 
21 

6 
7 

2 

'3 

4 
7 

4 
10 

8 
8 
6 
3 

0 

2 
0 

I 

o 
o 

4 
3 
3 
i 
6 
6 
4 

1779-  . 
1780     . 

14 
8 

8 
9 

22 
17 

5 
ii 

6 

4 

I 
5 

5 
3 

198 

188 

386 

123 

123 

246 

83 

During  this  period  of  twenty  years  the  births  of  males  exceeded  those  of  females,  10. 
The  burials  of  each  sex  were  equal. 
And  the  births  exceeded  the  deaths,  140. 

We  abound  with  poor ;  many  of  whom  are  sober 
and  industrious,  and  live  comfortably  in  good  stone  or 
brick  cottages,  which  are  glazed,  and  have  chambers  above 

C 


i8      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

stairs  :  mud  buildings  we  have  none.  Besides  the  employ- 
ment from  husbandry,  the  men  work  in  hop  gardens,  of 
which  we  have  many  ;  and  fell  and  bark  timber.  In  the 
spring  and  summer  the  women  weed  the  corn  ;  and 
enjoy  a  second  harvest  in  September  by  hop-picking. 
Formerly,  in  the  dead  months  they  availed  themselves 
greatly  by  spinning  wool,  for  making  of  barragons,  a 
genteel  corded  stuff,  much  in  vogue  at  that  time  for 
summer  wear ;  and  chiefly  manufactured  at  Alton,  a 
neighbouring  town,  by  some  of  the  people  called  Quakers : 
but  from  circumstances  this  trade  is  at  end.1  The 
inhabitants  enjoy  a  good  share  of  health  and  longevity  ; 
and  the  parish  swarms  with  children. 

1  Since  the  passage  above  was  written,  I  am  happy  in  being  able  to  say  that 
the  spinning  employment  is  a  little  revived,  to  the  no  small  comfort  of  the 
industrious  housewife. — [G.  W.] 


LETTER    VI 

TO    THE    SAME 

SHOULD  I  omit  to  describe  with  some  exactness  the  forest 
of  Wolmer,  of  which  three-fifths  perhaps  lie  in  this  parish, 
my  account  of  Selborne  would  be  very  imperfect,  as  it  is 
a  district  abounding  with  many  curious  productions,  both 
animal  and  vegetable  ;  and  has  often  afforded  me  much 
entertainment  both  as  a  sportsman  and  as  a  naturalist. 

The  royal  forest  of  Wolmer  is  a  tract  of  land  of  about 
seven  miles  in  length,  by  two  and  a  half  in  breadth,  running 
nearly  from  north  to  south,  and  is  abutted  on,  to  begin 
to  the  south,  and  so  to  proceed  eastward,  by  the  parishes 
of  Greathant,  Lysse1  Rogate,  and  Trotton,  in  the  county 
of  Sussex;  by  Bramshot,  Hedleigh,  and  Kingsley.  This 
royalty  consists  entirely  of  sand  covered  with  heath  and 
fern  ;  but  is  somewhat  diversified  with  hills  and  dales, 
without  having  one  standing  tree  in  the  whole  extent.2 

1  Liss.— [R.  B.  S.] 

2  Mr.  J.  E.  Harting  in  the  '  Preface '  to  his  third  edition  of  White's  Selbome, 
writes  in  1880 :  "Wolmer  Forest,  which  eighty  years  ago  was   'without  one 
standing  tree  in  the  whole  extent,'  is  now  partly  enclosed,  and  planted  to  the 
extent  of  several  hundred  acres  with  oak,  larch,  and  Scotch  fir.     Bin's  Pond,  a 
'considerable  lake,'  which  at  one  time  'afforded  a  safe  and  pleasing  shelter  to 
wild  Ducks,  Teals,  and  Snipe,'  has  long  since  been  drained,  and  cattle  now 
graze  on  its  bed.    The  covert,  '  in  which  Foxes  and  Pheasants  formerly  abounded,' 
has  almost  entirely  disappeared.     At  the  present  time  (1880)  nearly  1500  acres 
are  enclosed  and  planted,  chiefly  in  Oak,  Larch,  and  Scotch  Fir ;  and  the  large 
size  to  which  many  of  the  firs  have  attained,  proves  how  well  adapted  the  soil 
is  for  that  kind  of  timber.     Outside  the  enclosure  seedling  firs  are  springing  up 
rapidly ;  and,  year  by  year,  as  the  wind  scatters  the  seeds,  the  area  of  the  wood- 
land increases,  so  that  in  time,  were  the  trees  not  felled  or  burned,  they  would 
extend  over  the  whole  of  the  district  comprised  by  the  '  forest.'     During  the  hot 
summer  of  1864  a  terrible  conflagration  occurred,  and  was  supposed  to  have  been 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      21 

In  the  bottom,  where  the  waters  stagnate,  are  many  bogs, 
which  formerly  abounded  with  subterraneous  trees ;  though 
Dr.  Plot  says  positively,1  that  "  there  never  were  any  fallen 
trees  hidden  in  the  mosses  of  the  southern  counties."  But 
he  was  mistaken  :  for  I  myself  have  seen  cottages  on  the 
verge  of  this  wild  district,  whose  timbers  consisted  of  a 
black  hard  wood,  looking  like  oak,  which  the  owners 
assured  me  they  procured  from  the  bogs  by  probing  the 
soil  with  spits,  or  some  such  instruments  :  but  the  peat  is 
so  much  cut  out,  and  the  moors  have  been  so  well 
examined,  that  none  has  been  found  of  late.2  Besides  the 
oak,  I  have  also  been  shown  pieces  of  fossil  wood  of 
a  paler  colour,  and  softer  nature,  which  the  inhabitants 
call  fir :  but,  upon  a  nice  examination,  and  trial  by  fire, 
I  could  discover  nothing  resinous  in  them  ;  and  there- 
fore rather  suppose  that  they  were  parts  of  a  willow  or 
alder,  or  some  such  aquatic  tree. 

This  lonely  domain  is  a  very  agreeable  haunt  for  many 

the  work  of  incendiaries;  540  acres  in  Longmoor  and  170  in  Brimstone  Wood 
were  destroyed  before  the  fire  burnt  itself  out.  The  amount  of  game  destroyed, 
as  may  be  supposed,  was  commensurate  with  the  destruction  of  its  haunts." — 
(Harting's  ed.,  p.  18,  note.)— [R.  B.  S.] 

1  See  his  "  History  of  Staffordshire."— [G.  W.] 

2  Old  people  have  assured  me,  that  on  a  winter's  morning  they  have  discovered 
these  trees,  in  the  bogs,  by  the  hoar  frost,  which  lay  longer  over  the  space  where 
they  are  concealed,  than  on  the  surrounding  morass.     Nor  does  this  seem  to  be  a 
fanciful  notion,  but  consistent  with  true  philosophy.     Dr.  Hales  saith,  "  That  the 
warmth  of  the  earth,  at  some  depths  under  ground,  has  an  influence  in  promoting 
a  thaw,  as  well  as  the  change  of  the  weather  from  a  freezing  to  a  thawing  state,  is 
manifest,  from  this  observation,  viz.,  Nov.  29,  1731,  a  little  snow  having  fallen  in 
the  night,  it  was,  by  eleven  the  next  morning,  mostly  melted  away  on  the  surface 
of  the  earth,  except  in  several  places  in  Bushy-park,  where  there  were  drains 
dug  and  covered  with  earth,  on  which  the  snow  continued  to  lie,  whether  those 
drains  were  full  of  water  or  dry  ;  as  also  where  elm-pipes  lay  under  ground :  a 
plain  proof  this,  that  those  drains  intercepted  the  warmth  of  the  earth  from 
ascending  from  greater  depths  below  them  :  for  the  snow  lay  where  the  drain  had 
more  than  four  feet  depth  of  earth  over  it.     It  continued  also  to  lie  on  thatch, 
tiles,  and  the  tops  of  walls." — See  Hales' s  Hamastatics,  p.  360.    QUERE,  Might 
not  such  observations  be  reduced  to  domestic  use,  by  promoting  the  discovery  of 
old  obliterated  drains  and  wells  about  houses  ;  and  in  Roman  stations  and  camps 
lead  to  the  finding  of  pavements,  baths,  and  graves,  and  other  hidden  relics  of 
curious  antiquity? — [G.  W.]     (See  also  Letter  LXI  to  Daines  Barrington. 


22      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

sorts  of  wild  fowls,  which  not  only  frequent  it  in  the  winter, 
but  breed  there  in  the  summer ;  such  as  lapwings,  snipes, 
wild-ducks,  and,  as  I  have  discovered  within  these  few 
years,  teals.  Partridges  in  vast  plenty  are  bred  in  good 
seasons  on  the  verge  of  this  forest,  into  which  they  love 
to  make  excursions  :  and  in  particular,  in  the  dry  summer 
of  1740  and  1741,  and  some  years  after,  they  swarmed  to 
such  a  degree  that  parties  of  unreasonable  sportsmen  killed 
twenty  and  sometimes  thirty  brace  in  a  day. 

But  there  was  a  nobler  species  of  game  in  this  forest, 
now  extinct,  which  I  have  heard  old  people  say  abounded 
much  before  shooting  flying  became  so  common,  and  that 
was  the  heath-cock,  black-game,  or  grouse.  When  I  was 
a  little  boy  I  recollect  one  coming  now  and  then  to  my 
father's  table.  The  last  pack  remembered  was  killed  about 
thirty-five  years  ago  ;  and  within  these  ten  years  one  solitary 
grey  hen  was  sprung  by  some  beagles  in  beating  for  a  hare. 
The  sportsmen  cried  out,  "  A  hen  pheasant ; "  but  a  gentle- 
man present,  who  had  often  seen  grouse  in  the  north  of 
England,  assured  me  that  it  was  a  greyhen.1 

1  With  regard  to  the  distribution  of  Black  Game  in  the  south  of  England,  Mr. 
Howard  Saunders  in  his  latest  '  Manual '  writes  as  follows :  "  They  are  found, 
in  small  numbers  and  locally,  in  Cornwall  and  South  Devon,  and  are  tolerably 
plentiful  on  Exmoor,  as  well  as  on  the  Brendons  and  the  Quantocks,  in  Somerset- 
shire ;  while  they  still  maintain  themselves  in  Dorset,  Wilts,  and  the  New  Forest 
district.  In  Sussex,  Surrey,  and  Berkshire  their  presence  is  the  result  of  reintro- 
duction  early  in  the  present  century,  and  none  are  now  to  be  found  in  Kent, 
where,  however,  the  species  existed  in  the  time  of  Henry  VIII.  ;  and  it  is  in  an 
ordinance  for  the  regulation  of  the  royal  household  dated  from  Eltham  that  the 
word  'Grouse'  makes  its  first  appearance  in  our  language  as  'Grows.' — ("Man. 
Brit.  B.,»  p.  493.) 

"This  fine  game-bird,"  writes  Mr.  Harting,  "although  it  became  extinct  in 
Gilbert  White's  day,  was  reintroduced  after  the  planting  of  the  wood  by  Sir 
Charles  Taylor,  then  ranger  of  the  forest,  and  for  some  time  throve  exceedingly 
well.  The  parent  stock  of  the  present  race  came  from  Cumberland,  and  in  1872  an 
old  man  who  had  brought  the  birds  to  Wolmer  was  still  living  in  the  neighbouring 
village  of  Liphook."  (Ed.  Selborne,  p.  21,  note.)  Colonel  Feilden,  the  naturalist 
on  the  Alert  in  our  last  Polar  expedition,  and  one  of  the  most  careful  of  modern 
observers,  contributed  to  the  same  edition  an  interesting  experience  of  his  visit  to 
Wolmer  Forest  in  1 872.  He  found  there  but  few  grey-hens,  but  estimated  that  there 
were  from  forty  to  fifty  black-cocks  on  the  ground.  He  says  :  "  If  this  polygamous 
species  is  to  be  kept  up,  the  proportion  of  sexes  ought  to  be  reversed  ;  as  it  now 


'/6  Life  siz  e. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      23 

Nor  does  the  loss  of  our  black  game  prove  the  only 
gap  in  the  Fauna  Selborniensis  ;  for  another  beautiful  link 
in  the  chain  of  beings  is  wanting,  I  mean  the  red  deer, 
which  toward  the  beginning  of  this  century  amounted  to 
about  five  hundred  head,  and  made  a  stately  appearance. 
There  is  an  old  keeper,  now  alive,  named  Adams,  whose 
great-grandfather  (mentioned  in  a  perambulation  taken  in 
1635),  grandfather,  father,  and  self,  enjoyed  the  head 
keepership  of  Wolmer  forest  in  succession  for  more  than 
an  hundred  years.  This  person  assures  me,  that  his  father 
has  often  told  him,  that  Queen  Anne,  as  she  was  journey- 
ing on  the  Portsmouth  road,  did  not  think  the  forest  of 
Wolmer  beneath  her  royal  regard.  For  she  came  out  of 
the  great  road  at  Lippock?  which  is  just  by,  and,  reposing 
herself  on  a  bank  smoothed  for  that  purpose,  lying  about 
half  a  mile  to  the  east  of  Wolmer-pond,  and  still  called 
Queers-bank,  saw  with  great  complacency  and  satisfac- 
tion the  whole  herd  of  red  deer  brought  by  the  keepers 
along  the  vale  before  her,  consisting  then  of  about  five 
hundred  head.  A  sight  this,  worthy  the  attention  of  the 
greatest  sovereign  !  But  he  farther  adds  that,  by  means 
of  the  Waltham  blacks,  or,  to  use  his  own  expression,  as 
soon  as  they  began  blacking,  they  were  reduced  to  about 
fifty  head,  and  so  continued  decreasing  till  the  time  of  the 
late  Duke  of  Cumberland.  It  is  now  more  than  thirty 
years  ago  that  his  highness  sent  down  an  huntsman,  and 
six  yoeman-prickers,  in  scarlet  jackets  laced  with  gold, 
attended  by  the  stag-hounds  ;  ordering  them  to  take  every 
deer  in  this  forest  alive,  and  to  convey  them  in  carts  to 
Windsor.  In  the  course  of  the  summer  they  caught  every 
stag,  some  of  which  showed  extraordinary  diversion  :  but 
in  the  following  winter,  when  the  hinds  were  also  carried 

is,  the  hens  are  worried  and  driven  off  the  ground  by  the  importunities  of  a  crowd 
of  suitors,  and  the  result  is  that  for  several  years  past  the  warders  have  not  come 
across  a  nest  or  brood  on  the  Government  lands."  Major  A.  H.  Cowie,  who 
recently  had  charge  of  the  bird-preservation  in  Wolmer  Forest,  tells  me  that 
he  believes  that  there  are  none  now  left  in  the  district,  he  never  saw  one  alive 
or  dead.— [R.  B.  S.] 
1  Liphook. 


24      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

off,  such  fine  chases  were  exhibited  as  served  the  country 
people  for  matter  of  talk  and  wonder  for  years  afterwards. 
I  saw  myself  one  of  the  yeoman-prickers  single  out  a  stag 
from  the  herd,  and  must  confess  that  it  was  the  most 
curious  feat  of  activity  I  ever  beheld,  superior  to  anything 
in  Mr.  Astley's  riding-school.  The  exertions  made  by  the 
horse  and  deer  much  exceeded  all  my  expectations  ;  though 
the  former  greatly  excelled  the  latter  in  speed.  When  the 
devoted  deer  was  separated  from  his  companions,  they 
gave  him,  by  their  watches,  law,  as  they  called  it,  for 
twenty  minutes  ;  when,  sounding  their  horns,  the  stop- 
dogs  were  permitted  to  pursue,  and  a  most  gallant  scene 
ensued. 


LETTER    VII 

TO    THE    SAME 

THOUGH  large  herds  of  deer  do  much  harm  to  the  neigh- 
bourhood, yet  the  injury  to  the  morals  of  the  people  is  of 
more  moment  than  the  loss  of  their  crops.  The  temptation 
is  irresistible  ;  for  most  men  are  sportsmen  by  constitution : 
and  there  is  such  an  inherent  spirit  for  hunting  in  human 
nature,  as  scarce  any  inhibitions  can  restrain.  Hence, 
towards  the  beginning  of  this  century  all  this  country  was 
wild  about  deer-stealing.  Unless  he  was  a  hunter,  as  they 
affected  to  call  themselves,  no  young  person  was  allowed 
to  be  possessed  of  manhood  or  gallantry.  The  Waltham 
blacks  at  length  committed  such  enormities,  that  govern- 
ment was  forced  to  interfere  with  that  severe  and  sanguinary 
act  called  the  black  act,1  which  now  comprehends  more 
felonies  than  any  law  that  ever  was  framed  before.  And, 
therefore,  a  late  Bishop  of  Winchester,  when  urged  to  re- 
stock Waltham-chase?  refused,  from  a  motive  worthy  of 
a  prelate,  replying  "that  it  had  done  mischief  enough 
already." 

Our  old  race  of  deer-stealers  are  hardly  extinct  yet :  it 
was  but  a  little  while  ago  that,  over  their  ale,  they  used  to 
recount  the  exploits  of  their  youth  ;  such  as  watching  the 
pregnant  hind  to  her  lair,  and,  when  the  calf  was  dropped, 
paring  its  feet  with  a  penknife  to  the  quick  to  prevent  its 
escape,  till  it  was  large  and  fat  enough  to  be  killed  ;  the 

1  Statute  9  Geo.  i  c.  22.— [G.  W.] 

2  This  chase  remains  unstocked   to   this  day ;   the  bishop  was  Dr.  Hoadly 
-[G.  W.] 

»5  D 


26      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

shooting  at  one  of  their  neighbours  with  a  bullet  in  a 
turnip-field  by  moonshine,  mistaking  him  for  a  deer  ;  and 
the  losing  a  dog  in  the  following  extraordinary  manner  : 
— Some  fellows,  suspecting  that  a  calf  new-fallen  was 
deposited  in  a  certain  spot  of  thick  fern,  went,  with  a 
lurcher,  to  surprise  it  ;  when  the  parent  hind  rushed  out 
of  the  brake,  and,  taking  a  vast  spring  with  all  her  feet 
close  together,  pitched  upon  the  neck  of  the  dog,  and  broke 
it  short  in  two. 

Another  temptation  to  idleness  and  sporting  was  a 
number  of  rabbits,  which  possessed  all  the  hillocks  and 
dry  places  :  but  these  being  inconvenient  to  the  hunts- 
men, on  account  of  their  burrows,  when  they  came  to  take 
away  the  deer,  they  permitted  the  country-people  to 
destroy  them  all. 

Such  forests  and  wastes,  when  their  allurements  to 
irregularities  are  removed,  are  of  considerable  service  to 
the  neighbourhoods  that  verge  upon  them,  by  furnishing 
them  with  peat  and  turf  for  their  firing  ;  with  fuel  for  the 
burning  their  lime  ;  and  with  ashes  for  their  grasses  ;  and 
by  maintaining  their  geese  and  their  stock  of  young  cattle 
at  little  or  no  expense. 

The  manor-farm  of  the  parish  of  Greatham  has  an 
admitted  claim,  I  see,  (by  an  old  record  taken  from  the 
Tower  of  London),  of  turning  all  live  stock  on  the  forest, 
at  proper  seasons,  bidentibus  exceptis.1  The  reason,  I  pre- 
sume, why  sheep2  are  excluded,  is,  because,  being  such 
close  grazers,  they  would  pick  out  all  the  finest  grasses, 
and  hinder  the  deer  from  thriving. 

Though  (by  statute  4  and  5  W.  and  Mary,  c.  23)  "to 
burn  on  any  waste,  between  Candlemas  and  Midsummer, 
any  grig,  ling,  heath  and  furze,  goss  or  fern,  is  punishable 
with  whipping  and  confinement  in  the  house  of  correction;" 
yet,  in  this  forest,  about  March  or  April,  according  to  the 

1  For  this  privilege  the  owners  of  that  estate  used  to  pay  to  the  king  annually 
seven  bushels  of  oats. — [G.  W.] 

1  In  The  Holt,  where  a  full  stock  of  fallow-deer  has  been  kept  up  till  lately, 
no  sheep  are  admitted  to  this  day. — [G.  W.] 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      27 

dryness  of  the  season,  such  vast  heath-fires  are  lighted  up, 
that  they  often  get  to  a  masterless  head,  and,  catching  the 
hedges,  have  sometimes  been  communicated  to  the  under- 
woods, woods,  and  coppices,  where  great  damage  has 
ensued.  The  plea  for  these  burnings  is,  that,  when  the 
old  coat  of  heath,  &c.  is  consumed,  young  will  sprout  up, 
and  afford  much  tender  brouze  for  cattle  ;  but,  where  there 
is  large  old  furze,  the  fire,  following  the  roots,  consumes 
the  very  ground  ;  so  that  for  hundreds  of  acres  nothing  is 
to  be  seen  but  smother  and  desolation,  the  whole  circuit 
round  looking  like  the  cinders  of  a  volcano ;  and,  the  soil 
being  quite  exhausted,  no  traces  of  vegetation  are  to  be 
found  for  years.  These  conflagrations,  as  they  take  place 
usually  with  a  north-east  or  east  wind,  much  annoy  this 
village  with  their  smoke,  and  often  alarm  the  country  ;  and, 
once  in  particular,  I  remember  that  a  gentleman,  who  lives 
beyond  Andover,  coming  to  my  house,  when  he  got  on  the 
downs  between  that  town  and  Winchester,  at  twenty-five 
miles  distance,  was  surprised  much  with  smoke  and  a  hot 
smell  of  fire  ;  and  concluded  that  Alresford  was  in  flames  ; 
but,  when  he  came  to  that  town,  he  then  had  apprehensions 
for  the  next  village,  and  so  on  to  the  end  of  his  journey. 

On  two  of  the  most  conspicuous  eminences  of  this 
forest  stand  two  arbours  or  bowers,  made  of  the  boughs 
of  oaks ;  the  one  called  Waldon-lodge,  the  other  Brimstone- 
lodge  :  these  the  keepers  renew  annually  on  the  feast  of 
St.  Barnabas,  taking  the  old  materials  for  a  perquisite. 
The  farm  called  Blackmoor,  in  this  parish,  is  obliged  to 
find  the  posts  and  brush-wood  for  the  former  ;  while  the 
farms  at  Greatham,  in  rotation,  furnish  for  the  latter  ;  and 
are  all  enjoined  to  cut  and  deliver  the  materials  at  the 
spot.  This  custom  I  mention,  because  I  look  upon  it  to 
be  of  very  remote  antiquity. 


LETTER    VIII 

TO    THE    SAME 

ON  the  verge  of  the  forest,  as  it  is  now  circumscribed, 
are  three  considerable  lakes,  two  in  Oakhanger,  of  which  I 
have  nothing  particular  to  say  ;  and  one  called  Bin's,  or 
Bean's  pond,1  which  is  worthy  the  attention  of  a  naturalist 
or  a  sportsman.  For,  being  crowded  at  the  upper  end 
with  willows,  and  with  the  carex  cespitosa?  it  affords  such 
a  safe  and  pleasing  shelter  to  wild  ducks,  teals,  snipes,  &c., 
that  they  breed  there.  In  the  winter  this  covert  is  also 
frequented  by  foxes,  and  sometimes  by  pheasants  ;  and  the 
bogs  produce  many  curious  plants.  (For  which  consult 
Letter  XLI  to  Mr.  Barrington?) 

1  This  pond  has  long  since  been  drained,  and  cattle  now  graze  upon  its  bed. 
Cf.  Harting's  ed.,  preface,  p.  9. — [R.  B.  S.] 

3  I  mean  that  sort  which,  rising  into  tall  hassocks,  is  called  by  the  foresters 
torrets :  a  corruption,  I  suppose  of  turrets. — [G.  W.] 

Note. — In  the  beginning  of  the  summer  1787,  the  royal  forests  of  Wolmer 
and  Holt  were  measured  by  persons  sent  down  by  government. — [G.  W.] 

3  The  original  edition  says  "  Letter  XLII,"  and  this  mistake  is  copied  by  Bell 

and  other  editors.— [R.  B.  S.] 

28 


Vs  Life  size 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      29 

By  a  perambulation  of  Wolmer  forest  and  The  Holt, 
made  in  1635,  and  the  eleventh  year  of  Charles  the  First 
(which  now  lies  before  me),  it  appears  that  the  limits  of 
the  former  are  much  circumscribed.  For,  to  say  nothing 
of  the  farther  side,  with  which  I  am  not  so  well  acquainted, 
the  bounds  on  this  side,  in  old  times,  came  into  Binswood ; 
and  extended  to  the  ditch  of  Ward  le  ham-park,  in 
which  stands  the  curious  mount  called  King  John's 
Hill,  and  Lodge  Hill',  and  to  the  verge  of  Hartley 
Mauduit,  called  Mauduit  -  hatch  ;  comprehending  also 
Short-heath,  Oakhanger,  and  Oakwoods  ;  a  large  district, 
now  private  property,  though  once  belonging  to  the 
royal  domain. 

It  is  remarkable  that  the  term  purlieu  is  never  once 
mentioned  in  this  long  roll  of  parchment.  It  contains, 
besides  the  perambulation,  a  rough  estimate  of  the  value 
of  the  timbers,  which  were  considerable,  growing  at  that 
time  in  the  district  of  The  Holt;  and  enumerates  the 
officers,  superior  and  inferior,  of  those  joint  forests,  for  the 
time  being,  and  their  ostensible  fees  and  perquisites.  In 
those  days,  as  at  present,  there  were  hardly  any  trees  in 
Wolmer  forest. 

Within  the  present  limits  of  the  forest  are  three  con- 
siderable lakes,  Hogmer,  Cranmer,  and  Wolmer  ;  all  of 
which  are  stocked  with  carp,  tench,  eels,  and  perch  :  but 
the  fish  do  not  thrive  well,  because  the  water  is  hungry, 
and  the  bottoms  are  a  naked  sand.1 

A  circumstance  respecting  these  ponds,  though  by 
no  means  peculiar  to  them,  I  cannot  pass  over  in 
silence ;  and  that  is,  that  instinct  by  which  in  summer 
all  the  kine,  whether  oxen,  cows,  calves,  or  heifers, 
retire  constantly  to  the  water  during  the  hotter  hours  ; 

1  Professor  Bell  adds  a  note  (vol.  i.  p.  23):  "It  is  remarkable  that  these 
three  ponds  are  named  respectively  after  three  animals  which,  formerly  indigenous 
in  this  country,  are  now  extinct — Hogmer,  after  the  wild  boar ;  Cranmere,  after 
the  crane  ;  and  Wolmer,  anciently  Wolvemere,  after  the  wolf,  which  doubtelss 
formerly  haunted  this  wild  district.  The  fish  mentioned  in  the  text  are  now,  I 
believe,  quite  extinct  in  these  ponds." — [R.  B.  S.] 


30      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

where,  being  more  exempt  from  flies,  and  inhaling 
the  coolness  of  that  element,  some  belly  deep,  and 
some  only  to  mid-leg,  they  ruminate  and  solace  them- 
selves from  about  ten  in  the  morning  till  four  in  the 
afternoon,  and  then  return  to  their  feeding.  During 
this  great  proportion  of  the  day  they  drop  much  dung, 
in  which  insects  nestle  ;  and  so  supply  food  for  the 
fish,  which  would  be  poorly  subsisted  but  from  this  con- 
tingency. Thus  Nature,  who  is  a  great  economist,  con- 
verts the  recreation  of  one  animal  to  the  support  of 
another  !  Thomson,  who  was  a  nice  observer  of  natural 
occurrences,  did  not  let  this  pleasing  circumstance  escape 
him.  He  says,  in  his  Summer, 

"  A  various  group  the  herds  and  flocks  compose  : 

on  the  grassy  bank 

Some  ruminating  lie  ;  while  others  stand 
Half  in  the  flood,  and,  often  bending,  sip 
The  circling  surface." 

Wolmer-pond,  so  called,  I  suppose,  for  eminence 
sake,  is  a  vast  lake  for  this  part  of  the  world,  containing, 
in  its  whole  circumference,  2646  yards,  or  very  near  a 
mile  and  a  half.  The  length  of  the  north-west  and 
opposite  side  is  about  704  yards,  and  the  breadth  of  the 
south-west  end  about  456  yards.  This  measurement, 
which  I  caused  to  be  made  with  good  exactness,  gives 
an  area  of  about  sixty-six  acres,  exclusive  of  a  large 
irregular  arm  at  the  north-east  corner,  which  we  did  not 
take  into  the  reckoning. 

On  the  face  of  this  expanse  of  waters,  and  perfectly 
secure  from  fowlers,  lie  all  day  long,  in  the  winter  season, 
vast  flocks  of  ducks,  teals,1  and  widgeons,  of  various 

1  In  a  letter  from  Gilbert  White  to  his  brother  John,  dated  '  Selborne, 
June  26,  1773,'  he  says:  "Some  boys  killed  lately  at  Oakhanger-ponds  some 
flappers  or  young  wild-ducks  :  among  the  rest  they  took  some  teals  alive  ;  one  I 
saw  and  turned  into  James  Knight's  ponds.  Till  now  I  never  knew  that  teals 
bred  in  England.  So  you  see  information  crowds  in  every  day." — (Bell's  ed.,  ii. 
pp.  12,  2S.)-[R.  B.  S.] 


^ 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      31 

denominations ;  where  they  preen  and  solace,  and  rest 
themselves,  till  towards  sunset,  when  they  issue  forth  in 
little  parties  (for  in  their  natural  state  they  are  all  birds  of 
the  night)  to  feed  in  the  brooks  and  meadows  ;  returning 
again  with  the  dawn  of  the  morning.  Had  this  lake  an 
arm  or  two  more,  and  were  it  planted  round  with  thick 
covert  (for  now  it  is  perfectly  naked),  it  might  make  a 
valuable  decoy. 

Yet  neither  its  extent,  nor  the  clearness  of  its  water, 
nor  the  resort  of  various  and  curious  fowls,  nor  its 
picturesque  groups  of  cattle,  can  render  this  meer  so 
remarkable  as  the  great  quantity  of  coins  that  were 
found  in  its  bed  about  forty  years  ago.  But,  as  such  dis- 
coveries more  properly  belong  to  the  antiquities  of  this 
place,  I  shall  suppress  all  particulars  for  the  present,  till 
I  enter  professedly  on  my  series  of  letters  respecting  the 
more  remote  history  of  this  village  and  district.1 

1  See  vol.  ii.  "Antiquities  of  Selborne";  also  Lord  Selborne's  Appendix  to 
Bell's  edition  (vol.  ii.  pp.  378-394),  on  "The  Roman  -  British  Antiquities  of 
Selborne."— [R.  B.  S.] 


LETTER    IX 

TO    THE    SAME 

BY  way  of  supplement,  I  shall  trouble  you  once  more  on 
this  subject,  to  inform  you  that  Wolmer,  with  her  sister 
forest  Ayles  Holt,  alias  Alice  Holt,1  as  it  is  called  in  old 
records,  is  held  by  grant  from  the  crown  for  a  term  of 
years. 

The  grantees  that  the  author  remembers  are  Brigadier- 
General  Emanuel  Scroope  Howe,  and  his  lady,  Ruperta, 
who  was  a  natural  daughter  of  Prince  Rupert  by  Margaret 
Hughs;  a  Mr.  Mordaunt,  of  the  Peterborough  family,  who 
married  a  dowager  Lady  Pembroke  ;  Henry  Bilson  Legge 
and  lady  ;  and  now  Lord  Stawcl,  their  son. 

The  lady  of  General  Howe  lived  to  an  advanced  age, 
long  surviving  her  husband  ;  and,  at  her  death,  left  behind 
her  many  curious  pieces  of  mechanism  of  her  father's  con- 
structing, who  was  a  distinguished  mechanic  and  artist,2  as 
well  as  warrior  ;  and  among  the  rest,  a  very  complicated 
clock,  lately  in  possession  of  Mr.  Elmer,  the  celebrated 
game-painter  at  Farnham,  in  the  county  of  Surrey. 

Though  these  two  forests  are  only  parted  by  a  narrow 
range  of  enclosures,  yet  no  two  soils  can  be  more  different ; 
for  The  Holt  consists  of  a  strong  loam,  of  a  miry  nature, 
carrying  a  good  turf,  and  abounding  with  oaks  that  grow 

1  "  In  Rot.  Inquisit.  de  statu  forest,  in  Scaccar.  36  Edw.  III.,  it  is  called 
Aisholt."— [G.  W.] 

In  the  same,  "  Tit.  Woolmer  and  Aisholt  Hantisc.  Dominus  Rex  habet 
unam  capellam  in  haia  sua  de  Kingesle."  "  Haia,  sepes,  sepimtntum,  parcus  ;  a 
Gall,  hate  and  kaye." — SPELMAN'S  Glossary. — [G.  W.] 

2  This  prince  was  the  inventor  of  mezzotinto. — [G.  W.] 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      33 

to  be  large  timber  ;  while  Wolmer  is  nothing  but  a  hungry, 
sandy,  barren  waste. 

The  former  being  all  in  the  parish  of  Btnsted,  is  about 
two  miles  in  extent  from  north  to  south,  and  near  as  much 
from  east  to  west  ;  and  contains  within  it  many  woodlands 
and  lawns,  and  the  great  lodge  where  the  grantees  reside, 
and  a  smaller  lodge  called  Goose-green  ;  and  is  abutted 
on  by  the  parishes  of  Kingsley,  Frinsham,1  Farnham,  and 
Bentley ;  all  of  which  have  right  of  common. 

One  thing  is  remarkable,  that  though  The  Holt  has  been 
of  old  well  stocked  with  fallow-deer,  unrestrained  by  any 
pales  or  fences  more  than  a  common  hedge,  yet  they  were 
never  seen  within  the  limits  of  Wolmer ;  nor  were  the  red 
deer  of  Wolmer  ever  known  to  haunt  the  thickets  or  glades 
of  The  Holt. 

At  present  the  deer  of  The  Holt  are  much  thinned  and 
reduced  by  the  night  hunters,  who  perpetually  harass 
them  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  numerous  keepers,  and  the 
severe  penalties  that  have  been  put  in  force  against  them 
as  often  as  they  have  been  detected,  and  rendered  liable  to 
the  lash  of  the  law.  Neither  fines  nor  imprisonments  can 
deter  them  ;  so  impossible  is  it  to  extinguish  the  spirit  of 
sporting  which  seems  to  be  inherent  in  human  nature. 

General  Howe  turned  out  some  German  wild  boars  and 
sows  in  his  forests,  to-  the  great  terror  of  the  neighbour- 
hood, and,  at  one  time,  a  wild  bull  or  buffalo  ;  but  the 
country  rose  upon  them  and  destroyed  them. 

A  very  large  fall  of  timber,  consisting  of  about  one 
thousand  oaks,  has  been  cut  this  spring  (viz.,  1784)  in  The 
Holt  forest ;  one-fifth  of  which,  it  is  said,  belongs  to  the 
grantee,  Lord  Stawell.  He  lays  claim  also  to  the  lop  and 
top  ;  but  the  poor  of  the  parishes  of  Btnsted  and  Frinsham? 
Bentley  and  Kingsley,  assert  that  it  belongs  to  them,  and 
assembling  in  a  riotous  manner,  have  actually  taken  it  all 
away.  One  man,  who  keeps  a  team,  has  carried  home  for 
his  share  forty  stacks  of  wood.  Forty-five  of  these  people 
his  lordship  has  served  with  actions.  These  trees,  which 

1  Frensham.— [R.  B.  S.] 

E 


34      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

were  very  sound  and  in  high  perfection,  were  winter-cut, 
viz.,  in  February  and  March,  before  the  bark  would  run. 
In  old  times  The  Holt  was  estimated  to  be  eighteen  miles, 
computed  measure  from  water-carriage,  viz.,  from  the  town 
of  Chertsey,  on  the  Thames;  but  now  it  is  not  half  that 
distance,  since  the  Wey  is  made  navigable  up  to  the  town 
of  Godalming  in  the  county  of  Surrey.1 

1  Mr.  Harting  gives  the  following  note  on  the  above  passages  (ed.  "  Selborne," 
p.  32) :  "  Mr.  Bennett  ascertained  that  the  defendants  in  these  actions,  though 
they  made  a  show  of  resistance,  suffered  judgment  to  go  by  default.  The  question 
of  right  had,  in  fact,  been  tried  in  1741,  and  determined  against  the  claimants. 
Yet  notwithstanding  this,  so  soon  after  as  1788,  on  the  occasion  of  another  fall  of 
timber  in  The  Holt,  the  people  of  Frensham  again  assembled  and  carried  off 
openly  upwards  of  six  thousand  faggots.  So  difficult  is  it  to  convince  where  interest 
opposes." 

"The  formation  of  the  Basingstoke  Canal  has  again  reduced  the  distance  of 
The  Holt  from  water-carriage ;  and  it  is  now  accessible,  either  at  Odiham  or 
Bagman's  Castle,  within  about  seven  miles." — [R.  B.  S.] 


LETTER    X1 

TO    THE    SAME 

2  August  4,  1767. 

[SiR,3 — Nothing  but  the  obliging  notice  you  were  so 
kind  as  to  take  of  my  trifling  observations  in  the  natural 
way,  when  I  was  in  town  in  the  spring,  and  your  repeated 
mention  of  me  in  some  late  letters  to  my  brother,  could 
have  emboldened  me  to  have  entered  into  a  correspon- 
dence with  you  :  in  which  though  my  vanity  cannot  suggest 
to  me  that  I  shall  send  you  any  information  worthy  your 
attention  ;  yet  the  communication  of  my  thoughts  to  a 
gentleman  so  distinguished  for  these  kinds  of  studies  will 
unavoidably  be  attended  with  satisfaction  and  improve- 
ment on  my  side.] 

It  has  been  my  misfortune  never  to  have  had  any 
neighbours  whose  studies  have  led  them  towards  the 
pursuit  of  natural  knowledge  :  so  that,  for  want  of  a  com- 

1  This  is  the  first  of  the  actual  letters  sent  to  Pennant.     As  published  it  differs 
considerably  from  the  letter  as  it  was  originally  written,  and  it  is  evident  that  the 
author  revised  his  MS.  with  great  care  before  publishing  it  in  book  form.     I 
have  ventured   in   the  present  edition  to  restore  a  few  of  the  notes  from   the 
original  letters   where  they  seem   to   lend   additional  interest   to   the  study  of 
Gilbert  White  as  a  man.     This  has  been  already  done  in  a  small  degree  by 
Professor  Bell,  who  also  had  the  original  letters  before  him  when  he  wrote  his 
valuable  edition  of  'Selborne.'    Any  additions  to  the  original  text  from  the  MS. 
letters  are  enclosed  in  square  brackets  [     ]. — [R.  B.  S.] 

2  In  the  published  work  the  date  of  this  letter  is  given  as  Aug.  4,  1767,  but  it 
was  actually  written  on  "  Aug.  loth." — [R.  B.  S.] 

3  The  author  suppressed  this  first  paragraph  in  his  published  work,  but  it  is 
extremely  interesting  as  showing  the  circumstances  under  which  Gilbert  White 
was  induced  to  correspond  with  Pennant,  to  the  great  advantage  of  the  latter. 
Professor  Bell  also  reproduces  the  paragraph,  and  adds,  "At  this  time  so  little  was 
he  acquainted  with  Pennant  that  he  did  not  know  his  Christian  name,  and  the 
letter  is  addressed  to  —  Pennant,  Esq.,  at  Downing,  in  Flintshire,  North  Wales." 
—(Bell's  ed.,  vol.  i.  p.  27  note.)— [R.  B.  S.] 

35 


36      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

panion  to  quicken  my  industry  and  sharpen  my  attention, 
I  have  made  but  slender  progress  in  a  kind  of  information 
to  which  I  have  been  attached  from  my  childhood. 

As  to  swallows  (hirundines  rusticce)  being  found  in  a 
torpid  state  during  the  winter  in  the  isle  of  Wight,  or 
any  part  of  this  country,  I  never  heard  any  such  account 
worth  attending  to.1  But  a  clergyman,  of  an  inquisitive 
turn,  assures  me,  that,  when  he  was  a  great  boy,  some 
workmen,  in  pulling  down  the  battlements  of  a  church 
tower  early  in  the  spring,  found  two  or  three  swifts 
(hirundines  apodes)  among  the  rubbish,  which  were,  at  first 
appearance,  dead ;  but,  on  being  carried  towards  the  fire, 
revived.  He  told  me  that,  out  of  his  great  care  to  preserve 
them,  he  put  them  in  a  paper-bag,  and  hung  them  by  the 
kitchen  fire,  where  they  were  suffocated. 

Another  intelligent  person  has  informed  me  that,  while 
Jie  was  a  schoolboy  at  Brighthelmstone,  in  Sussex,  a  great 
fragment  of  the  chalk-cliff  fell  down  one  stormy  winter  on 
the  beach  ;  and  that  many  people  found  swallows  among 
the  rubbish  :  but,  on  my  questioning  him  whether  he  saw 
any  of  those  birds  himself  ;  to  my  no  small  disappointment, 
he  answered  me  in  the  negative  ;  but  that  others  assured 
him  they  did. 

Young  broods  of  swallows  began  to  appear  this  year 
on  July  the  nth,  and  young  martins  (hirundines  urbicce) 
were  then  fledged  in  their  nests.  Both  species  will  breed 
again  once.  For  I  see  by  my  fauna  of  last  year,  that  young 
broods  came  forth  so  late  as  September  the  eighteenth. 
Are  not  these  late  hatchings  more  in  favour  of  hiding  than 
migration  ?  Nay,  some  young  martins  remained  in  their 
nests  last  year  so  late  as  September  the  twenty-ninth  ;  and 
yet  they  totally  disappeared  with  us  by  the  fifth  of  October? 

1  The  supposed  torpidity  of  Swallows  and  Swifts  during  the  winter  months  was 
a  subject  which  interested  the  author  greatly,  and  he  returns  to  it  again  and 
again.— [R.  B.  S.] 

2  The  latest  date  on  which  I  have  seen  the  House-martin  was  on  the  22nd  of 
November,  when  a  small  flock  passed  over  Avington  Park,  in  Hampshire,  late  in 
the  afternoon.     Captain  G.  E.  Shelley  and  I  fired  several  shots  at  the  birds,  but 
they  were  at  too  great  a  height :   of  the  identity  of  the  species  there  was  no 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      37 

How  strange  is  it  that  the  swift,  which  seems  to  live 
exactly  the  same  life  with  the  swallow  and  house-martin, 
should  leave  us  before  the  middle  of  August  invariably  ! 
while  the  latter  stay  often  till  the  middle  of  October;  and 
once  I  saw  numbers  of  house-martins  on  the  seventh  of 
November.  The  martins  and  red-wing  fieldfares  were  flying 
in  sight  together  ;  an  uncommon  assemblage  of  summer 
and  winter-birds ! 

A  little  yellow  bird  (it  is  either  a  species  of  the  alauda 
trivialis,  or  rather  perhaps  of  the  motacilla  trochilus)  still  con- 
tinues to  make  a  sibilous  shivering  noise  in  the  tops  of 
tall  woods.1  The  stoparola  of  Ray  (for  which  we  have  as 
yet  no  name  in  these  parts)  is  called,  in  your  Zoology,  the 
fly-catcher?  There  is  one  circumstance  characteristic  of 
this  bird,  which  seems  to  have  escaped  observation,  and 
that  is,  it  takes  its  stand  on  the  top  of  some  stake  or  post, 
from  whence  it  springs  forth  on  its  prey,  catching  a  fly  in 
the  air,  and  hardly  ever  touching  the  ground,  but  return- 
ing still  to  the  same  stand  for  many  times  together. 

I  perceive  there  are  more  than  one  species  of  the 
motacilla  trochilus:  Mr.  Derham  supposes,  in  Ray's  Philos. 
Letters,  that  he  has  discovered  three.  In  these  there  is 
again  an  instance  of  some  very  common  birds  that  have 
as  yet  no  English  name.3 

Mr.  Stillingfleet  makes  a  question  whether  the  black- 
cap (motacilla  atricapilla}  be  a  bird  of  passage  or  not  :  I 
think  there  is  no  doubt  of  it :  for,  in  April,  in  the  first  fine 
weather,  they  come  trooping,  all  at  once,  into  these  parts, 

doubt.  In  the  British  Museum  there  is  a  specimen  obtained  near  Brighton  on 
the  22nd  of  November  1883,  apparently  a  belated  young  bird.  Yarrell  con- 
tributed a  note  to  Bennett's  edition,  that  upwards  of  a.  hundred  Martins  were  seen 
collected  on  the  I3th  of  November  at  Dover.  Professor  Bell  mentions  an  instance 
of  Martins  being  seen  on  the  22nd  of  November  1873  by  Mr.  Montague  Knight  of 
Chawton  House,  about  four  miles  from  Selborne  (Bell's  ed.,  p.  28  note).  See  also 
Letter  XXI  (p.  91),  where  Gilbert  White  records  a  Martin  as  having  been  seen 
in  a  sheltered  hollow  on  the  26th  of  November,  and  adds,  "I  am  now  perfectly 
satisfied  that  they  do  not  all  leave  this  island  in  the  winter." — [R.  B.  S.] 

1  This  was  probably  the  Wood-warbler  (Phylloscopus  sibilator),  more  fully 
discussed  by  the  author  in  subsequent  letters  (see  pp.  79-82). — [R.  B.  S.] 

2  Muscicapa grisola.— [R.  B.  S.]      3  See  Letter  XIX  (fostea,  p.  79).— {R.  B.  S.] 


38      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

but  are  never  seen  in  the  winter.  They  are  delicate 
songsters.1 

Numbers  of  snipes  breed  every  summer  in  some  moory 
ground  on  the  verge  of  this  parish.  It  is  very  amusing 
to  see  the  cock  bird  on  wing  at  that  time,  and  to  hear  his 
piping  and  humming  notes.2 

I  have  had  no  opportunity  yet  of  procuring  any  of 
those  mice  which  I  mentioned  to  you  in  town.  The 
person  that  brought  me  the  last  says  they  are  plenty  in 
harvest,  at  which  time  I  will  take  care  to  get  more  ;  and 
will  endeavour  to  put  the  matter  out  of  doubt,  whether  it 
be  a  non-descript  species  or  not. 

I  suspect  much  there  may  be  two  species  of  water-rats. 
Ray  says,  and  Linnceus  after  him,  that  the  water-rat  is 
web-footed  behind.  Now  I  have  discovered  a  rat  on  the 
banks  of  our  little  stream  that  is  not  web-footed,  and  yet 
is  an  excellent  swimmer  and  diver :  it  answers  exactly  to 
the  mus  amphibius  of  Linnceus  (see  Syst.  Nat.}  which  he 
says  "  natat  in  fossis  et  urinatur."  I  should  be  glad  to  pro- 
cure one  "  plantis  palmatis."  Linnceus  seems  to  be  in  a 
puzzle  about  his  mus  amphibius,  and  to  doubt  whether  it 
differs  from  his  mus  terrestris;  which  if  it  be,  as  he  allows, 
the  "  mus  agrestis  capite  grandi  brachyuros,"  of  Ray,  is  widely 
different  from  the  water-rat,  both  in  size,  make,  and 
manner  of  life.8 

1  That  a  stray  Blackcap  occasionally  stays  with  us  during  the  winter  can,  I 
think,  scarcely  be  doubted,  but  the  species  is  otherwise  migratory,  visiting  Sene- 
gambia  in  winter,  as  well  as  North-East  Africa  and  the  Mediterranean  countries. 
The  British  Museum  possesses  a  male   Blackcap  shot  near  Christiansund,  in 
Northern  Norway,  on  the  1st  of  December  1897  !    Blackcaps  are  to  be  noticed  in 
some  numbers  in  the  neighbourhood  of  London.     They  nest  in  the  old  garden  of 
Little  Sutton  near  my  house  at  Chiswick,  and  many  are  to  be  seen  feeding  on 
the  elder-berries  in  autumn  within  a  few  yards  of  my  study- window. — [R.  B.  S.] 

2  See  Letter  XVI  (postea,  p.  65).— [R.  B.  S.] 

3  Professor  Bell,  who  was  the  greatest  authority  on  British  Mammals  in  his 
day,  gives  the  following  interesting  note  on  these  species,  which  had  also  been 
dealt  with  by  Mr.  Bennett  in  his  edition:    "This  confusion,  as  Mr.  Bennett 
observes,  was  originated  by  Willughby,  copied   by  Ray,  and  appears  to  have 
given  rise  to  the  complication  by  Linnaeus,  from  which  White's  doubts  and  per- 
plexities were  derived.     The  fact  is  that  the  Water-  Vole,  as  it  ought  to  be  called, 
is,  on  the  one  hand,  quite  distinct  from  the  family  Murida,  to  which  the  rats 


*/s  A/re  s/z<?. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      39 

As  to  the  falco,  which  I  mentioned  in  town,  I  shall 
take  the  liberty  to  send  it  down  to  you  into  Wales;  pre- 
suming on  your  candour,  that  you  will  excuse  me  if  it 
should  appear  as  familiar  to  you  as  it  is  strange  to  me. 
Though  mutilated  "  qualem  dices  .  .  .  antehac  fut'sse,  tales 
cum  sint  reliquice  !  " 

It  haunted  a  marshy  piece  of  ground  in  quest  of  wild- 
ducks  and  snipes ;  but,  when  it  was  shot,  had  just  knocked 
down  a  rook,  which  it  was  tearing  in  pieces.  I  cannot 
make  it  answer  to  any  of  our  English  hawks ;  neither 
could  I  find  any  like  it  at  the  curious  exhibition  of  stuffed 
birds  in  Spring  Gardens.1  I  found  it  nailed  up  at  the  end 
of  a  barn,  which  is  the  countryman's  museum. 

The  parish  I  live  in  is  a  very  abrupt,  uneven  country, 
full  of  hills  and  woods,  and  therefore  full  of  birds. 

belong,  in  structure  as  well  as  in  habits ;  and  on  the  other,  the  hinder  feet  are 
not  webbed,  though  the  toes  are  connected  to  a  short  distance  from  the  base. 

"  The  Water-vole  frequented  both  the  streams  of  the  village,  near  their  junction, 
a  few  years  ago ;  and  I  have  repeatedly  seen  it  sporting  in  that  which  runs 
through  the  meadow  below  the  vicarage.     I  have  not,  however,  seen  one  for  some 
years  past,  and  believe  that  it  has  become  extinct,  though  its  holes  still  remain 
in   the   bank.     The   common   brown   rat,    from   its   power   of  swimming  well, 
appears  to  have  given  rise  to  some  mistakes  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  place, 
who  have  occasionally  confounded  the  two  animals." — (Bell's  ed.,  vol.  i.  p.  30  note.) 
See  also  Letter  XXVI  to  Pennant  (posiea,  p.  113).— [R.  B.  S.] 
1  "  In  the  Haymarket,"  says  the  original  letter,  which  concludes — 

"  I  am,  with  the  greatest  regard, 

"August  I o,  1767,  Your  most  humble  servant 

at  Selborne,  GIL  :  WHITE. 

near  Alton, 

Hants."  — [R.  B.  S.] 


LETTER    XI 

TO    THE    SAME 

SELBORNE,  September  ^tk,  1767. 

[I  HAD  the  favour  of  your  letter ;  and  am  much  obliged  to 
you  for  the  candour  with  which  you  received  my  trifling 
observations.] 

It  will  not  be  without  impatience  that  I  shall  wait  for 
your  thoughts  with  regard  to  the  falco ;  as  to  its  weight, 
breadth,  &c.,  I  wish  I  had  set  them  down  at  the  time : 
but,  to  the  best  of  my  remembrance,  it  weighed  two 
pounds  and  eight  ounces,  and  measured,  from  wing  to 
wing,  thirty-eight  inches.  Its  cere  and  feet  were  yellow, 
and  the  circle  of  its  eyelids  a  bright  yellow.  As  it  had 
been  killed  some  days,  and  the  eyes  were  sunk,  I  could 
make  no  good  observation  on  the  colour  of  the  pupils  and 
the  irides} 

The  most  unusual  birds  I  ever  observed  in  these  parts 
were  a  pair  of  hoopoes  (upupa),  which  came  several  years 
ago  in  the  summer,  and  frequented  an  ornamented  piece 
of  ground,  which  joins  to  my  garden,  for  some  weeks. 
They  used  to  march  about  in  a  stately  manner,  feeding  in 

1  Pennant  apparently  determined  that  the  specimen  sent  by  Gilbert  White 
was  a  Peregrine  falcon,  and  the  latter  acquiesced  in  this  identification.  (See  his 
Letter  LVII  to  Daines  Barrington.)  It  was  probably  a  young  Peregrine  in 
striped  plumage,  and  if  the  iris  had  been  yellow,  the  colour  would  not  have 
escaped  White's  observation,  even  if  '  the  eyes  were  sunk.'  The  note  by  the 
author  that  the  '  circle  of  its  eyelids '  was  '  a  bright  yellow  '  seems  not  unnaturally 
to  have  puzzled  some  of  the  naturalists  who  have  edited  his  letters,  as  it  is  not 
a  correct  description  of  the  Peregrine's  eyelid,  and  was  probably  due  to  the  stale 
condition  of  the  specimen  when  Gilbert  White  first  examined  it.— [R.  B.  S.] 


'/3  Life   size. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      41 

the  walks,  many  times  in  the  day ; l  and  seemed  disposed 
to  breed  in  my  outlet ; 2  but  were  frighted  and  persecuted 
by  idle  boys,  who  would  never  let  them  be  at  rest. 

Three  gross-beaks  {loxia  coccothraustes)*  appeared  some 
years  ago  in  my  fields,  in  the  winter  ;  one  of  which  I  shot : 
since  that,  now  and  then  one  is  occasionally  seen  in  the 
same  dead  season. 

A  crossbill  (loxia  curvirostra)  4  was  killed  last  year  in  this 
neighbourhood. 

Our  streams,  which  are  small,  and  rise  only  at  the  end 
of  the  village,  yield  nothing  but  the  buWs  head  or  miller's 
thumb  (gobius  fluviatilis  capitatus)?  the  trout  (trutia  fluviatilis)? 
the  eel  (anguilla),1  the  lampern  (lampcetra  parva  et  fluviatilis)? 
and  the  stickle-back  (pisciculus  aculeatus)? 

1  In  Budapest,  in  1891,  the  late  John  Xantus  showed  me  Hoopoes  frequenting 
his  garden  in  exactly  the  same  manner  as  here  described  by  Gilbert  White.     Bell 
mentions  several  more  instances  of  the  occurrence  of  the  Hoopoe  near   Selborne. 
— [R.  B.  S.] 

2  As  appears  from  the  original  letter  to  Pennant,  Gilbert  White  at  first  believed 
that  this  pair  of  Hoopoes  actually  nested  in  his  meadow,  "but,"  he  adds,  "  before 
I  knew  anything  of  the  matter,  the  nest  and  eggs  (neither  of  which  I  saw)  were 
taken  by  some  idle  boys."     The  nest,  as  reported  to  the  author,  could  not  have 
been  that  of  the  Hoopoes,  and  the  event  was  therefore  very  properly  omitted  in 
his  published  work.     I  only  allude  to  the  circumstance  here  to  show  the  scrupu- 
lous punctiliousness  of  Gilbert  White's  mature  publication. — [R.  B.  S.] 

3  The  Hawfinch  (Coccothrattstes  coccothraustes)  was  apparently  a  rare  bird  in 
Hampshire  in  Gilbert  White's  time,  but  of  recent  years  the  range  of  the  species 
in   England   has   been  found   to  be  much  more   extensive   than  was  formerly 
supposed,   and   it   is  now   known   to  nest   regularly  in  most  of  the  southern 
counties.     Professor  Bell  mentions  several  specimens  from  Selborne  that  came 
under  his  notice,  and  states  that  it  had  repeatedly  bred  in  Captain  Chawner's 
park  at  Newton  Valence. — (Bell's  ed.,  vol.  i.  p.  32  note.) — [R.  B.  S.] 

4  Crossbills   (Loxia   curvirostra)   were    observed    in   some   numbers    in  the 
southern  counties  in  1898.      Dr.  F.  D.  Godman  informs  me  that  he  saw  several 
in  his  woods  at  Horsham,  and  believes  that  they  had  nested  there. — [R.  B.  S.] 

5  Cottusgobio,  Linn.— [R.  B.  S.]  6  Salmofario,  Linn.— [R.  B.  S.] 

7  Anguilla  vulgaris. — [R.  B.  S.] 

8  Ammoccetes  branchialis.    Professor  Bell  remarks  :  "  This  fish  is  rarely  found  ; 
I  do  not  remember  to  have  seen  it  more  than  once  or  twice.     It  lives  entirely 
in   the   mud ;   and  an   intelligent   person  residing  near   Oakhanger  Pond,  the 
most  likely  place  for  its  occurrence,  is  not  acquainted  with  it." — (Bell's  ed.,  vol.  i. 
p.  32  note.} — [R.  B.  S.] 

9  "  Of  the  six  species  of  stickle-back  described  by  Yarrell  as  British,  the  only 
one  which  I  am  aware  of  as  inhabiting  the  stream  at  Selborne  is  the  common 
three-spined  Gasterosteus  trachums." — (Bell's  ed.,  vol.  i.  p.  32  note.) — [R.  B.  S.] 

F 


42      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

We  are  twenty  miles  from  the  sea,  and  almost  as  many 
from  a  great  river,  and  therefore  see  but  little  of  sea-birds. 
As  to  wild  fowls,  we  have  a  few  teems  of  ducks  bred  in 
the  moors  where  the  snipes  breed  ;  and  multitudes  of 
widgeons  and  teals  in  hard  weather  frequent  our  lakes  in 
the  forest. 

Having  some  acquaintance  with  a  tame  brown  ozo/,1  1 
find  that  it  casts  up  the  fur  of  mice  and  the  feathers  of 
birds  in  pellets,  after  the  manner  of  hawks  :  when  full,  like 
a  dog,  it  hides  what  it  cannot  eat. 

The  young  of  the  barn-owl  are  not  easily  raised,  as 
they  want  a  constant  supply  of  fresh  mice :  whereas  the 
young  of  the  brown  owl  will  eat  indiscriminately  all  that 
is  brought ;  snails,  rats,  kittens,  puppies,  magpies,  and  any 
kind  of  carrion  or  offal. 

The  house-martins  have  eggs  still,  and  squab  young. 
The  last  swift  I  observed  was  about  the  twenty-first  of 
August:  it  was  a  straggler. 

Red-starts,  fly-catchers,  white-throats,  and  reguli  non  cristati, 
still  appear ;  but  I  have  seen  no  black-caps  lately. 

I  forgot  to  mention  that  I  once  saw,  in  Christ  Church 
College  quadrangle  in  Oxford,  on  a  very  sunny  warm 
morning,  a  house-martin  flying  about,  and  settling  on  the 
parapet,  so  late  as  the  2oth  of  November. 

At  present  I  know  only  two  species  of  bats,  the  common 
vespertilio  murinus 2  and  the  vespertilio  auribus.3 

1  Syrnium  aluco  (the  Tawny  or  Wood-owl). — [R.  B.  S.] 

4  The  Pipistrelle  is  here  intended.— [R.  B.  S.] 

3  Professor  Bell's  note  on  the  Bats  of  Selborne  is  very  interesting.  He 
writes  :  "The  Bats  which  I  have  found  at  Selborne  are  the  Noctule  (Scotophilus 
noctula),  the  Pipistrelle  (Sc.pipistrellus),  the  Reddish-grey  Bat  ( Vespertilio  nattereri), 
Daubenton's  Bat  (V.  daubentonii},  and  the  Long-eared  Bat  (Plecotus  auritus).  Of 
the  first  of  these  White  was  undoubtedly  the  first  observer  in  this  country ;  and 
he  was  not  sufficiently  acquainted  with  the  zoological  literature  of  the  Continent 
to  be  aware  that  as  early  as  1759  Daubenton  had  described  it  in  the  Memoirs  of 
the  Academy,  with  a  figure  of  its  head,  and  that  Buffon  had  subsequently,  but 
before  White's  discovery,  given  it  a  place  in  his  great  work,  with  a  plate  (vol. 
iii.  p.  128,  pi.  18,  f.  i).  White's  name,  altivolans,  is  very  appropriate.  I  have 
seen  it  at  Selborne  for  several  successive  years,  passing  up  and  down  the  whole 
length  of  the  valley  between  the  Lythe  and  Dorton  wood,  flying  as  high  as  the 


N 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      43 

I  was  much  entertained  last  summer  with  a  tame  bat, 
which  would  take  flies  out  of  a  person's  hand.  If  you 
gave  it  anything  to  eat,  it  brought  its  wings  round  before 
the  mouth,  hovering  and  hiding  its  head  in  the  manner  of 
birds  of  prey  when  they  feed.  The  adroitness  it  showed 
in  shearing  off  the  wings  of  the  flies,  which  were  always 
rejected,  was  worthy  of  observation,  and  pleased  me  much. 
Insects  seemed  to  be  most  acceptable,  though  it  did  not 
refuse  raw  flesh  when  offered :  so  that  the  notion,  that 
bats  go  down  chimneys  and  gnaw  men's  bacon,  seems 
no  improbable  story.1  While  I  amused  myself  with  this 
wonderful  quadruped,  I  saw  it  several  times  confute  the 
vulgar  opinion,  that  bats  when  down  upon  a  flat  surface 
cannot  get  on  the  wing  again,  by  rising  with  great  ease 
from  the  floor.  It  ran,  I  observed,  with  more  dispatch 
than  I  was  aware  of ;  but  in  a  most  ridiculous  and 
grotesque  manner. 

Bats  drink  on  the  wing,  like  swallows,  by  sipping  the 
surface,  as  they  play  over  pools  and  streams.  They  love 
to  frequent  waters,  not  only  for  the  sake  of  drinking, 
but  on  account  of  insects,  which  are  found  over  them 
in  the  greatest  plenty.  As  I  was  going,  some  years  ago, 
pretty  late,  in  a  boat  from  Richmond  to  Sunbury,  on 
a  warm  summer's  evening,  I  think  I  saw  myriads  of 
bats  between  the  two  places :  the  air  swarmed  with  them 
all  along  the  Thames,  so  that  hundreds  were  in  sight  at 
a  time. 

[After  a  request  for  "  the  seeds  of  any  of  the  following 

tops  of  the  trees  on  the  hills  on  each  side,  and  occasionally  dipping  towards  the 
stream  that  flows  through  the  valley  after  insects,  or  possibly  to  drink.  I  have 
also  seen  a  pair  of  them  coming  at  twilight  out  of  a  large  beech  near  the  spot 
where  Gilbert  White's  summer-house  stood,  and  which  I  could  not  but  fancy 
might  have  been  the  place  where  it  was  first  seen  by  him.  ...  Of  the  other 
species  found  at  Selborne,  V.  naltereri  was  taken  among  the  rafters  of  a  cottage 
and  V.  daubentonii  in  my  cellar.  Plecotus  auritus  is,  as  far  as  I  have  observed, 
less  common  here  than  in  many  other  places." — (Bell's  ed.,  vol.  i.  pp.  33, 
34  note.)— [R.  B.  S.] 

1  On  this  Professor  Bell  remarks  :  "  There  is  no  doubt  of  the  fact  alluded  to.  I 
have  known  more  than  one  instance  of  bacon  being  gnawed  by  bats  when  hung  in  a 
cottager's  wide  chimney  to  be  smoked."— (Bell's  ed.,  vol.  i.  p.  34  note.) — [R.  B.  S.] 


44      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

plants,  which  we  never  see  in  the  south  :  viz.  the  Cypri- 
pedium  calceolus,  Pinguicula  vulg.,  &c,"  the  letter  concludes, 

I  am,  with  the  greatest  esteem, 

Your  most  obliged,  and  obedient  servant, 

GIL  :  WHITE. 

Selbome,  near  Alton, 
Septemr  9,  1767.] 


LETTER    XII 

TO  THE  SAME 

November  qtht  1767. 

SIR, — It  gave  me  no  small  satisfaction  to  hear  that  the 
falco^  turned  out  an  uncommon  one.  I  must  confess  I 
should  have  been  better  pleased  to  have  heard  that  I  had 
sent  you  a  bird  that  you  had  never  seen  before ;  but  that, 
I  find,  would  be  a  difficult  task. 

I  have  procured  some  of  the  mice  mentioned  in  my 
former  letters,  a  young  one  and  a  female  with  young,  both 
of  which  I  have  preserved  in  brandy.  From  the  colour, 
shape,  size,  and  manner  of  nesting,  I  make  no  doubt  but 
that  the  species  is  nondescript.  They  are  much  smaller, 
and  more  slender,  than  the  mus  domesticus  medius  of  Ray ; 
and  have  more  of  the  squirrel  or  dormouse  colour  :  their 
belly  is  white ;  a  straight  line  along  their  sides  divides  the 
shades  of  their  back  and  belly.  They  never  enter  into 
houses  ;  are  carried  into  ricks  and  barns  with  the  sheaves  ; 
abound  in  harvest ;  and  build  their  nests  amidst  the  straws 
of  the  corn  above  the  ground,  and  sometimes  in  thistles. 
They  breed  as  many  as  eight  at  a  litter,  in  a  little  round 
nest  composed  of  the  blades  of  grass  or  wheat. 

One  of  these  nests  I  procured  this  autumn,  most  artifi- 
cially platted,  and  composed  of  the  blades  of  wheat ;  per- 
fectly round,  and  about  the  size  of  a  cricket-ball;  with 
the  aperture  so  ingeniously  closed,  that  there  was  no 
discovering  to  what  part  it  belonged.  It  was  so  compact 
and  well  filled,  that  it  would  roll  across  the  table  without 

1  This  letter  is  dated  from  "Selborne,  near  Alton,  Hants,  Nonf  6,  1767." 
— [R.  B.  S.] 

2  This  hawk  proved  to  be  the  falco  peregrinus  ;  a  variety. — [G.  W.] 

45 


46      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

being  discomposed,  though  it  contained  eight  little  mice 
that  were  naked  and  blind.  As  this  nest  was  perfectly  full, 
how  could  the  dam  come  at  her  litter  respectively  so  as 
to  adminster  a  teat  to  each  ?  Perhaps  she  opens  different 
places  for  that  purpose,  adjusting  them  again  when  the 
business  is  over  :  but  she  could  not  possibly  be  contained 
herself  in  the  ball  with  her  young,  which  moreover  would 
be  daily  increasing  in  bulk.  This  wonderful  procreant 
cradle,  an  elegant  instance  of  the  efforts  of  instinct,  was 
found  in  a  wheat-field  suspended  in  the  head  of  a  thistle.1 

A  gentleman,  curious  in  birds,  wrote  me  word  that  his 
servant  had  shot  one  last  January,  in  that  severe  weather, 
which  he  believed  would  puzzle  me.  I  called  to  see  it  this 
summer,  not  knowing  what  to  expect :  but,  the  moment  I 
took  it  in  hand,  I  pronounced  it  the  male  garrulus  bohemicus 
or  German  silk-tail,  from  the  five  peculiar  crimson  tags  or 
points  which  it  carries  at  the  ends  of  five  of  the  short 
remiges.2  It  cannot,  I  suppose,  with  any  propriety,  be 
called  an  English  bird  :  and  yet  I  see,  by  Ray's  "  Philo- 
sophical Letters,"  that  great  flocks  of  them,  feeding  on  haws, 
appeared  in  this  kingdom  in  the  winter  of  1685.' 

1  The  Harvest  Mouse  (Mus  minutus,  Pall.)  was  first  introduced  to  notice  as 
a  British  animal  by  Gilbert  White,  and  appears  in  Pennant's  '  British  Zoology ' 
on  White's  authority.  Professor  Bell  points  out,  however,  that  it  had  been 
previously  known  to  Montagu,  but  had  not  been  described  by  him  in  print.  It  is 
fairly  common  in  the  southern  and  midland  counties  of  England,  reaching  to 
Southern  Scotland,  but  it  is  not  definitely  determined  as  an  Irish  species  (cf. 
Lydekker,  'Handb.  Brit.  Mamm.'  1895,  p.  182).— [R.  B.  S.] 

*  The  Wax-wing  (Ampelts  garrulus).— [R.  B.  S.]  " 

8  Sir  William  Jardine  in  his  edition  of  White's  "  Selborne,"  gives  the  following 
note  :  "The  letter  alluded  to  was  from  Mr.  Johnson  to  Mr.  Ray,  in  1686.  '  On 
the  back-side  you  have  the  description  of  a  new  English  bird.  They  came  near 
us  in  great  flocks  like  fieldfares,  and  fed  upon  haws  as  they  do.'  And  in  another 
letter  from  Mr.  Thoresby  to  Mr.  Ray,  1703,  it  is  said,  'I  am  tempted  to  think 
the  German  Silk-tail  is  become  natural  to  us,  there  being  no  less  than  three  killed 
nigh  this  town  the  last  winter."  Thus  has  the  Wax-wing  occurred  occasionally 
in  this  county,  but  there  is  no  record  of  any  great  numbers  appearing  together 
since  R.iy's  time,  until  in  1849-50,  when  an  unusual  number  visited  us.  The 
direction  of  the  flight  was  from  east  to  west,  and  the  principal  localities  where 
they  occurred,  were  the  eastern  or  coast  districts  of  Durham  and  Yorkshire  in  the 
north,  and  of  Norfolk,  Suffolk,  Essex,  and  Kent  in  the  south.  Their  occurrence 
reached  over  a  period  from  November  1849  to  March  1850,  January  being  the 
principal  month  of  their  appearance  ;  no  fewer  than  429  are  recorded  to  have 


ff 


*/s   /./Te  s/ze. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      47 

The  mention  of  haws  puts  me  in  mind  that  there  is  a 
total  failure  of  that  wild  fruit,  so  conducive  to  the  support 
of  many  of  the  winged  nation.  For  the  same  severe 
weather,  late  in  the  spring,  which  cut  off  all  the  produce 
of  the  more  tender  and  curious  trees,  destroyed  also  that 
of  the  more  hardy  and  common. 

Some  birds,  haunting  with  the  missel -thrushes,  and 
feeding  on  the  berries  of  the  yew-tree,  which  answered  to 
the  description  of  the  merula  torquata,  or  ring-ouzel,  were 
lately  seen  in  this  neighbourhood.  I  employed  some  people 
to  procure  me  a  specimen,  but  without  success.  See 
Letter  VIII. 

Query. — Might  not  Canary  birds  be  naturalised  to  this 
climate,  provided  their  eggs  were  put,  in  the  spring,  into 
the  nests  of  some  of  their  congeners,  as  goldfinches,  green- 
finches, &c.?  Before  winter  perhaps  they  might  be  hardened, 
and  able  to  shift  for  themselves. 

About  ten  years  ago  I  used  to  spend  some  weeks  yearly 
at  Sunbury,  which  is  one  of  those  pleasant  villages  lying  on 
the  Thames,  near  Hampton  Court.  In  the  autumn,  I  could 
not  help  being  much  amused  with  those  myriads  of  the 
swallow  kind  which  assemble  in  those  parts.  But  what 
struck  me  most  was,  that,  from  the  time  they  began  to  con- 
gregate, forsaking  the  chimneys  and  houses,  they  roosted 
every  night  in  the  osier-beds  of  the  aits  of  that  river.1 

been  killed  in  that  month,  and  during  the  whole  time  they  were  observed,  586 
specimens  were  known  to  have  been  obtained — a  very  wanton  destruction." 

The  Wax-wing,  which  is  an  inhabitant  of  the  Arctic  Regions  of  both  Hemi- 
spheres, seems,  at  certain  epochs,  to  undergo  an  impulse  of  migration,  similar  to 
that  of  Pallas'  Sand-Grouse  (Syrrhaptes  paradoxus)  and  the  Nutcracker  (Nucifraga 
brachyrhyncha\  when  numbers  of  individuals  migrate  westwards  and  reach  the 
British  Islands.  Thus,  since  Gilbert  White's  day,  an  invasion  of  Wax-wings  has 
taken  place  in  1830-31,  1834-35,  1849-50,  1866-67,  1872-73,  and  1892-93.  In 
the  winter  of  1872-73  I  myself  saw  several  specimens  which  had  been  captured 
in  the  Highgate  woods  close  to  London. — [R.  B.  S.] 

1  Professor  Bell  (1877)  records  an  observation  of  his  father,  written  "nearly  a 
century  ago,"  of  the  gatherings  of  Swallows  in  the  aits  off  Chelsea !  (vol.  i.  p. 

37  ™tt)> 

To  this  day  the  reed-beds  and  osiers  of  the  Thames  are  the  resort  of  myriads 
of  Swallows  and  Martins  in  the  autumn,  just  before  the  season  of  migration.  The 
late  John  Gould  was  so  struck  with  the  phenomenon,  that  he  had  a  picture  of  one 


48      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Now  this  resorting  towards  that  element,  at  that  season 
of  the  year,  seems  to  give  some  countenance  to  the 
northern  opinion  (strange  as  it  is)  of  their  retiring  under 
water.  A  Swedish  naturalist l  is  so  much  persuaded  of 
that  fact,  that  he  talks,  in  his  calendar  of  Flora,  as 
familiarly  of  the  swallow's  going  under  water  in  the 
beginning  of  September,  as  he  would  of  his  poultry  going 
to  roost  a  little  before  sunset. 

An  observing  gentleman  in  London  writes  me  word  that 
he  saw  an  house-martin,  on  the  twenty-third  of  last  October, 
flying  in  and  out  of  its  nest  in  the  Borough.  And  I 
myself,  on  the  twenty-ninth  of  last  October  (as  I  was  travel- 
ling through  Oxford),  saw  four  or  five  swallows  hovering 
round  and  settling  on  the  roof  of  the  county  hospital. 

Now  is  it  likely  that  these  poor  little  birds  (which 
perhaps  had  not  been  hatched  but  a  few  weeks)  should, 
at  that  late  season  of  the  year,  and  from  so  midland  a 
county,  attempt  a  voyage  to  Goree  or  Senegal,  almost  as 
far  as  the  equator  ?z 

I  acquiesce  entirely  in  your  opinion — that,  though 
most  of  the  swallow  kind  may  migrate,  yet  that  some  do 
stay  behind  and  hide  with  us  during  the  winter.3 

As    to    the    short  -  winged    soft-billed     birds,    which 

of  the  gatherings  of  Sand-Martins  prepared  for  his  "  Birds  of  Great  Britain  "  (vol.  ii. 
pi.  8).  In  the  autumn  of  1872  I  was  myself  witness  to  an  enormous  gathering 
of  Swallows,  Sand-Martins,  and  Yellow  Wagtails  (Motacilla  campestris)  in  the  reed- 
beds  near  Pagham  Harbour,  in  Sussex  :  the  birds  assembled  in  these  reed-beds  to 
roost,  before  they  finally  took  flight  across  the  Channel.  Only  recently  (Sept.  14, 
1899)  I  found  a  large  assemblage  of  Swallows  and  Sand-Martins  gathered  together, 
evidently  on  migration,  close  to  Barnes  Bridge,  and  as  twilight  fell,  commencing 
to  roost  in  some  small  osier-beds  on  the  banks  of  the  Thames  in  that  vicinity. 
See  further  remarks  by  Gilbert  White  in  Letter  XXXIII  (postea,  p.  134),  and 
Letter  IX  to  Daines  Barrington.— [R.  B.  S.] 

1  Linnaeus.— [R.  B.  S.] 

2  See  "  Adanson's  Voyage  to  Senegal." — [G.  W.] 

3  The  Common  Swallow  (Hirundo  rustica)  has  been  found  during  our  winter 
in  nearly  every  part  of  Africa,  and  occurs  plentifully  in  the  Cape  Colony.     The 
House-Martin  (Chelidon  urbica)  and  the  Sand-Martin  (Clivicola  riparia)  have 
both  been  found  in  the  Transvaal,  but  very  sparingly,  and  where  the  millions  of 
these   birds  which   are   reared  during   the   European   summer  pass   the  winter 
months,  is  still  a  mystery. — [R.  B.  S.] 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      49 

come  trooping  in  such  numbers  in  the  spring,  I  am  at  a 
loss  even  what  to  suspect  about  them.  I  watched  them 
narrowly  this  year,  and  saw  them  abound  till  about 
Michaelmas,  when  they  appeared  no  longer.  Subsist  they 
cannot  openly  among  us,  and  yet  elude  the  eyes  of  the 
inquisitive  :  and,  as  to  their  hiding,  no  man  pretends  to 
have  found  any  of  them  in  a  torpid  state  in  the  winter. 
But  with  regard  to  their  migration,  what  difficulties  attend 
that  supposition  !  that  such  feeble  bad  fliers  (who  the 
summer  long  never  flit  but  from  hedge  to  hedge)  should 
be  able  to  traverse  vast  seas  and  continents  in  order  to 
enjoy  milder  seasons  amidst  the  regions  of  Africa  ! l 

[Begging  the  continuance  of  yr  most  agreeable  corre- 
spondence I  conclude  with  great  esteem, 

Your  most  obedient  servant, 

GIL:  WHITE. 

P.S. — What  parts  of  England   does   the   Goss-Hawk 
frequent  ?] 

1  And  yet  they  do  I  No  one  would  have  more  rejoiced  at  the  discovery  of  the 
winter  homes  of  our  small  British  migrants  than  Gilbert  White.  The  Nightingale 
and  Spotted  Flycatcher  wend  their  way  to  the  Gold  Coast,  where  also  the  Garden 
Warbler,  the  Willow  Warbler,  and  the  Wood  Warbler  are  found  during  our  winter. 
The  Blackcap  then  visits  Senegambia,  while  the  little  Sedge  Warbler  reaches 
South  Africa  in  its  migration,  accompanied  by  the  Willow  Warbler,  the 
Garden  Warbler,  and  the  Spotted  Flycatcher,  to  this  distant  portion  of  the  earth. 
Specimens  of  all  these  Warblers,  from  the  winter  localities  above  named,  are  in 
the  British  Museum.  See  Letter  XXXIII  to  Pennant  (postea,  p.  134),  and 
Letter  IX  to  Barrington.— [R.  B.  S.] 


G 


1 

LETTER    XIII 

TO    THE    SAME 

SELBORNE,/a«.  22nd,  1768 

SIR, — As  in  one  of  your  former  letters  you  express 
the  more  satisfaction  from  my  correspondence  on  accou 
of  my  living  in  the  most  southerly  county ;  so  now  I  m 
return  the  compliment,  and  expect  to  have  my  curiosi 
gratified  by  your  living  much  more  to  the  north. 

For  many  years  past  I  have  observed  that  towar 
Christmas  vast  flocks  of  chaffinches  have  appeared  in  t 
fields  ;  many  more,  I  used  to  think,  than  could  be  hatch 
in  any  one  neighbourhood.  But,  when  I  came  to  obser 
them  more  narrowly,  I  was  amazed  to  find  that  th 
seemed  to  me  to  be  almost  all  hens.  I  communicat 
my  suspicions  to  some  intelligent  neighbours,  who,  afl 
taking  pains  about  the  matter,  declared  that  they  al 
thought  them  all  mostly  females  :  at  least  fifty  to  or 
This  extraordinary  occurrence  brought  to  my  mind  t 
remark  of  Ltnnceus;  that  "  before  winter  all  their  hi 
chaffinches  migrate  through  Holland  into  Italy."  Now 
want  to  know,  from  some  curious  person  in  the  norl 
whether  there  are  any  large  flocks  of  these  finches  wi 
them  in  the  winter,  and  of  which  sex  they  mostly  consis 
For,  from  such  intelligence,  one  might  be  able  to  jud 
whether  our  female  flocks  migrate  from  the  other  end 
the  island,  or  whether  they  come  over  to  us  from  1 
continent.1 

1  Both  Sir  William  Jardine  in  a  footnote  to  his  edition  (p.  39)  and  Profes 
Newton,  as  quoted  by  Bell  (vol.  i.   p.   39  note),  incline  to  the  belief  that 
supposed  superabundance  of  female  Chaffinches  may  arise  from  the  faulty  < 

50 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      51 

We  have,  in  the  winter,  vast  flocks  of  the  common 
linnets :  more,  I  think,  than  can  be  bred  in  any  one 
district.  These,  I  observe,  when  the  spring  advances, 
assemble  on  some  tree  in  the  sunshine,  and  join  all  in  a 
gentle  sort  of  chirping,  as  if  they  were  about  to  break 
up  their  winter  quarters  and  betake  themselves  to  their 
proper  summer  homes.  It  is  well  known  at  least,  that 
the  swallows  and  the  fieldfares  do  congregate  with  a 
gentle  twittering  before  they  make  their  respective  de- 
parture. 

You  may  depend  on  it  that  the  bunting,  emberiza 
mth'aria,  does  not  leave  this  county  in  the  winter.1  In 
January  1767,  I  saw  several  dozen  of  them,  in  the  midst 
of  a  severe  frost,  among  the  bushes  on  the  downs  near 
Andover :  in  our  woodland  enclosed  district  it  is  a  rare 
bird. 

Wagtails,  both  white  and  yellow,  are  with  us  all  the 

crimination  of  naturalists  as  regards  the  young  males,  which  have  not  attained 
their  full  plumage,  and  may  thus  be  confounded  with  the  adult  females.  In  his 
original  letter  Gilbert  White  says  :  "  For  many  years  past  I  have  observed  that 
about  November  vast  flocks  of  chaffinches, "  &c.  At  that  time  of  year,  "towards 
Christmas,"  there  can  be  no  question  of  confounding  a  male  and  female  Chaffinch, 
for  at  the  first  autumn  moult  the  young  male  puts  on  his  full  plumage,  obscured 
slightly  no  doubt  by  the  overlying  winter  plumage.  The  full  spring  dress  in  this 
and  in  other  species  of  Finches  is  gained,  not  by  a  moult,  but  by  the  shedding 
of  the  brown  edges  of  the  feathers,  and  at  any  time  during  the  winter  the  perfect 
spring  plumage  can  be  detected  by  lifting  the  feathers,  and  discounting  the  effect 
of  the  dusky  margins  sooner  or  later  to  be  shed.  In  a  mild  winter  the  young 
males  would  soon  commence  to  throw  off  their  dull  aspect,  and  would  not  be 
distinguishable  from  the  old  males,  which  go  through  the  same  transformation. 
Some  of  the  changes  of  plumage  are  fully  described  by  me  in  the  "  Catalogue  of 
Birds"  (vol.  xiii.  p.  172).  Mr.  Harting  says  that  the  separation  of  the  sexes  in 
winter  is  not  universally  the  rule,  for  in  some  parts  of  the  country  many  indi- 
viduals of  both  sexes  remain  throughout  the  winter  and  do  not  flock  (ed.  Selborne, 
p.  47  note).— [R.  B.  S.] 

1  Professor  Bell  (vol.  i.  p.  40  note)  confirms  Gilbert  White's  opinion  that  the 
Common  Bunting  is  a  rare  bird  near  Selborne.  He  also  alludes  to  the  fact  that 
White  never  appears  to  have  detected  the  Cirl  Bunting  (Emberiza  ctrlus}  in  the 
neighbourhood,  though  Bell  found  it  actually  nesting  in  his  garden  in  the  year 
1848.  It  was  recorded  for  the  first  time  as  a  British  species  by  Montagu  after 
White's  death.  Bell  also  mentions  the  occurrence  of  the  Brambling  (Fringilla 
monlifringilla)  in  the  beech-woods  near  Selborne,  another  species  supposed  to 
have  been  undetected  by  Gilbert  White.— [R.  B.  S.] 


52      NATURAL   HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

winter.1  Quails  crowd  to  our  southern  coast,  and  are 
often  killed  in  numbers  by  people  that  go  on  purpose. 

Mr.  Stillingfleet,  in  his  Tracts,  says  that  "  if  the  wheat- 
ear  (cenanthe) 2  does  not  quit  England,  it  certainly  shifts 
places ;  for  about  harvest  they  are  not  to  be  found,  where 
there  was  before  great  plenty  of  them."  This  well 
accounts  for  the  vast  quantities  that  are  caught  about  that 
time  on  the  south  downs  near  Lewes,  where  they  are 
esteemed  a  delicacy.  There  have  been  shepherds,  I 
have  been  credibly  informed,  that  have  made  many 
pounds  in  a  season  by  catching  them  in  traps.  And 
though  such  multitudes  are  taken,  I  never  saw  (and  I 
am  well  acquainted  with  those  parts)  above  two  or  three 
at  a  time  ;  for  they  are  never  gregarious.  They  may 
perhaps  migrate  in  general  ;  and,  for  that  purpose,  draw 
towards  the  coast  of  Sussex  in  autumn  :  but  that  they  do 
not  all  withdraw  I  am  sure ;  because  I  see  a  few  stragglers 
in  many  counties,  at  all  times  of  the  year,  especially  about 
warrens  and  stone  quarries. 

I  have  no  acquaintance,  at  present,  among  the  gentle- 
men of  the  navy  :  but  have  written  to  a  friend,  who  was 
a  sea-chaplain  in  the  late  war,  desiring  him  to  look  into 

1  The  Pied  Wagtail  (Motacilla  lugubris)  is  almost  entirely  a  British  bird, 
but  is  subject  to  a  partial  migration,  as  the  species  visits  in  winter  the  south-west 
of  France  and  Spain.     Many,  however,  remain  throughout  the  winter  in  England. 
The  White  Wagtail  (Motacilla  alba)  is  a  tolerably  regular  visitor  to  Great  Britain 
every  year,  and  has  been  known  to  breed  with  us.     It  is  a  wide-spread  species  in 
Europe  and  Northern  Asia  during  the  nesting-season,  and  migrates  to  Northern 
Africa  and  India  in  winter.     The  only  other  species  of  Wagtail  found  in  winter  in 
England  is  the  Grey  Wagtail  (Motacilla  mclanope),  a  bird  of  nearly  the  same  dis- 
tribution as  the  White  Wagtail.     The  '  Yellow  '  Wagtail  of  our  fields  in  summer  is 
Motacilla  campestris.     It  is  known  as  Ray's  Wagtail,  and  leaves  for  West  and 
South  Africa  in  the  autumn.     It  would  be  the  Grey  Wagtail  to  which  Gilbert 
White  was  alluding.—  [R.  B.  S.] 

2  Professor  Bell  (vol.  i.  p.  41  note)  says  that  the  Wheatear  is  a  rare  bird  in 
the  vicinity  of  Selborne,  though  '  multitudinous '  on  the  downs  in  Hampshire.    The 
fact  that  Gilbert  White  mentions  his  observation  of  Wheatears  "  at  all  times  of 
the  year"  makes  one  doubt  whether  he  had  not  also  the  Stonechat  (Pratittcola 
rubicola)  in  his  mind.     The  Wheatear  (Saxicola  cenanthe)  leaves  England  in  the 
autumn  and  betakes  itself  to  Senegambia  and  North-eastern  Africa,  reaching  to 
the  Equatorial  provinces  of  the  latter  continent. — [R.  B.  S.] 


'/2   Life 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      53 

his  minutes,  with  respect  to  birds  that  settled  on  their 
rigging  during  their  voyage  up  or  down  the  channel. 
What  Hasselquist  says  on  that  subject  is  remarkable ;  there 
were  little  short-winged  birds  frequently  coming  on  board 
his  ship  all  the  way  from  our  channel  quite  up  to  the 
Levant,  especially  before  squally  weather. 

What  you  suggest,  with  regard  to  Spain,  is  highly 
probable.  The  winters  of  Andalusia  are  so  mild,  that,  in 
all  likelihood,  the  soft-billed  birds  that  leave  us  at  that 
season  may  find  insects  sufficient  to  support  them  there. 

Some  young  man,  possessed  of  fortune,  health,  and 
leisure,  should  make  an  autumnal  voyage  into  that 
kingdom  ;  and  should  spend  a  year  there,  investigating 
the  natural  history  of  that  vast  country.  Mr.  Willughby l 
passed  through  that  kingdom  on  such  an  errand  ;  but  he 
seems  to  have  skirted  along  in  a  superficial  manner  and 
an  ill-humour,  being  much  disgusted  at  the  rude,  dissolute 
manners  of  the  people. 

I  have  no  friend  left  now  at  Sunbury  to  apply  to  about 
the  swallows  roosting  on  the  aits  of  the  Thames :  nor  can 
I  hear  any  more  about  those  birds  which  I  suspected  were 
merulce  torquatce. 

As  to  the  small  mice,  I  have  farther  to  remark,  that 
though  they  hang  their  nests  for  breeding  up  amidst  the 
straws  of  the  standing  corn,  above  the  ground  ;  yet  I  find 
that,  in  the  winter,  they  burrow  deep  in  the  earth,  and 
make  warm  beds  of  grass :  but  their  grand  rendezvous 
seems  to  be  in  corn-ricks,  into  which  they  are  carried  at 
harvest.  A  neighbour  housed  an  oat-rick  lately,  under 
the  thatch  of  which  were  assembled  near  an  hundred, 
most  of  which  were  taken  ;  and  some  I  saw.  I  measured 
them  ;  and  found  that,  from  nose  to  tail,  they  were  just  two 
inches  and  a  quarter,  and  their  tails  just  two  inches  long. 
Two  of  them,  in  a  scale,  weighed  down  just  one  copper 
half-penny,  which  is  about  the  third  of  an  ounce  avoir- 
dupois :  so  that  I  suppose  they  are  the  smallest  quad- 
rupeds in  this  island.  A  full-grown  Mus  ntedius  domesticus 
1  See  "  Ray's  Travels,"  p.  466.— [G.  W.] 


54      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

weighs,  I  find,  one  ounce  lumping  weight,  which  is  more 
than  six  times  as  much  as  the  mouse  above  ;  and  measures 
from  nose  to  rump  four  inches  and  a  quarter,  and  the  same 
in  its  tail.  We  have  had  a  very  severe  frost  and  deep 
snow  this  month.  My  thermometer  was  one  day  four- 
teen degrees  and  a  half  below  the  freezing-point,  within 
doors.  The  tender  evergreens  were  injured  pretty  much. 
It  was  very  providential  that  the  air  was  still,  and  the 
ground  well  covered  with  snow,  else  vegetation  in  general 
must  have  suffered  prodigiously.  There  is  reason  to 
believe  that  some  days  were  more  severe  than  any  since 
the  year  I739-4O.1 

[Your  friend  Mr.  Barrington  (to  whom  I  am  an  entire 
stranger)  has  been  so  obliging  as  to  make  me  a  present  of 
one  of  his  Naturalist's  Journals,  which  I  hope  to  fill  in  the 
course  of  the  year.  Hoping  you  will  excuse  the  unreason- 
able length  of  this  letter 

I  conclude  with  great  regard, 

Yr  obedient  servant 

GIL  :  WHITE. 

SELBORNE,  Jan.  22,  1768. 

P.S. — I  have  just  ascertained  the  Nut-hatch,  sitta :  it 
is  not  a  common  bird  with  us.  This  last  frost  brought  us 
no  new  fowls.] 

1  See  Letters  LXI,  LXII  to  Barrington.— [R.  B.  S.] 


LETTER    XIV 

TO    THE    SAME 

SELBORNE,  March  I2th,  1768. 

DEAR  SIR, — If  some  curious  gentleman  would  procure 
the  head  of  a  fallow-deer,  and  have  it  dissected,  he  would 
find  it  furnished  with  two  spiracula,  or  breathing-places, 
besides  the  nostrils  ;  probably  analogous  to  the  puncta 
lachrymalia  in  the  human  head.  When  deer  are  thirsty 
they  plunge  their  noses,  like  some  horses,  very  deep  under 
water,  while  in  the  act  of  drinking,  and  continue  them  in 
that  situation  for  a  considerable  time  ;  but,  to  obviate  any 
inconveniency,  they  can  open  two  vents,  one  at  the  inner 
corner  of  each  eye,  having  a  communication  with  the 
nose.2  Here  seems  to  be  an  extraordinary  provision 

1  The  date  of  the  actual  letter  was  "March  14,  1768."— [R.  B.  S.] 

2  Sir  William  Jardine  writes  :  ' '  This  short  letter  is  devoted  entirely  to  one 
subject,  to  which  White's  attention  was  most  probably  directed  by  his  visits  to 
the  deer  in  Wolmer  Forest ;  it  is  one  of  those  which  requires  explanation,  especi- 
ally in  a  popular  work  so  much  read  as  '  Selborne,'  and  the  very  error  into 
which  White  has  fallen  with  his  remarks  will  lead  to  the  future  explanation  of  a 
structure  which  even  at  this  time  is  not  completely  understood.     The  statement 
in  the   letter,   'When   deer  are  thirsty,'  &c.,  is  quite  correct  so  far  as  'they 
plunge  their  noses,'  but  the  nostril  is  then  not  used,  and  the  whole  will  is  exerted 
in  quenching  a  thirst  at  the  time  excessive.     These  other  orifices  are  glandular 
cavities,  and  so  far  as  we  know  or  can  judge,  have  reference  to  the  season  of 
rutting,  and  have  no  connexion  whatever  with  respiration.     They  exist  in  greater 
or  less  development  in  all  the  deer  and  antelopes,  and  also  in  the  common  sheep, 
and  a  peculiar  secretion  may  be  seen  to  exude  from  it,  having  also  a  peculiar 
odour.    Some  animals  have  glandular  secretions  in  other  parts  of  the  body — musk, 
civet,  zibet,  &c. — known  as  perfumes,  and  the  peculiar  utilities  of  these  glands, 
except  in  secreting  a  strong  scent,  is  unknown." 

Professor  Bell  (vol.  i.  p.  44  note)  says :  "  The  view  taken  by  White  both  of 
the  structure  and  use  of  these  cavities  or  glands  is  entirely  erroneous.  They  have 
no  relation  to  the  function  of  respiration.  See  Owen's  description  of  them  in  the 
Proc.  ZooL  Soc.  for  1836,  and  Mr.  Bennett's  observations  in  his  edition  of  this 

55 


56      NATURAL    HISTORY   OF    SELBORNE 

of  nature  worthy  our  attention  ;  and  which  has  not,  that 
I  know  of,  been  noticed  by  any  naturalist.  For  it  looks 
as  if  these  creatures  would  not  be  suffocated,  though  both 
their  mouths  and  nostrils  were  stopped.  This  curious 
formation  of  the  head  may  be  of  singular  service  to 
beasts  of  chase,  by  affording  them  free  respiration  :  and 
no  doubt  these  additional  nostrils  are  thrown  open  when 
they  are  hard  run.1  Mr.  Ray  observed  that  at  Malta  the 
owners  slit  up  the  nostrils  of  such  asses  as  were  hard 
worked  :  for  they,  being  naturally  straight  or  small,  did 
not  admit  air  sufficient  to  serve  them  when  they  travelled, 
or  laboured,  in  that  hot  climate.  And  we  know  that 
grooms  and  gentlemen  of  the  turf,  think  large  nostrils 
necessary,  and  a  perfectio'n,  in  hunters  and  running 
horses. 

Oppian,  the  Greek  poet,  by  the  following  line,  seems  to 
have  had  some  notion  that  stags  have  four  spiracula : 

"  Trrpa6*v/iOi  pivts,  iricrvpts  TTVOITJITI  dtavAoi." 

"  Quadrifidse  nares,  quadruplices  ad  respirationem  canales." 

OPP.  CYN.  Lib.  ii.  1.  181. 

Writers,  copying  from  one  another,  make  Aristotle 
say  that  goats  breathe  at  their  ears ;  whereas  he  asserts 
just  the  contrary  : — "  AX/c/xato)i/  yap  OVK  dXrjQri  Xe-yet,  (^ayuevo? 
avairvetv  ray  cuya?  Kara  ra  wra."  "  Alctnceon  does  not  ad- 
vance what  is  true,  when  he  avers  that  goats  breathe 
through  their  ears." — History  of  Animals.  Book  I. 
chap.  xi. 

work,  pp.  73,  74."  See  also  interesting  notes  on  the  subject  in  Harting's  edition 
(pp.  51,  52,  notes).— [R.  B.  S.] 

1  In  answer  to  this  account,  Mr.  Pennant  sent  me  the  following  curious  and 
pertinent  reply.  "  I  was  much  surprised  to  find  in  the  antelope  something 
analogous  to  what  you  mention  as  so  remarkable  in  deer.  This  animal  also  has 
a  long  slit  beneath  each  eye,  which  can  be  opened  and  shut  at  pleasure.  On 
holding  an  orange  to  one  the  creature  made  as  much  use  of  those  orifices  as  of  his 
nostrils,  applying  them  to  the  fruit,  and  seeming  to  smell  it  through  them." 
-[G.  W.] 


LETTER    XV 

TO    THE    SAME1 

SELBORNE,  March  y>th,  1768. 

DEAR  SIR, — [Your  account  of  the  Moose  gives  me  a 
great  deal  of  satisfaction  ;  not  only  because  I  am  glad  to 
hear  that  two  such  animals,  so  little  known,  are  arrived  in 
this  neighbourhood ;  but  because  in  it  you  give  me  hopes 
that  I  may  have  the  Honour  of  yr  Company  at  Selborne ; 
and  I  earnestly  desire  that  you  will  not  disappoint  me  of 
that  satisfaction.  Tho'  the  direct  way  to  Goodwood  from 
Town  is  down  the  Chichester  road,  yet  if  you  will  come 
the  Alton,  and  so  to  Petersfield,  there  will  be  but  a  very 
few  miles'  difference ;  and  in  yr  way  to  Petersfield  you 
will  pass  within  three  miles  of  my  House ;  and  my 
Horses  shall  meet  you  on  the  turnpike  to  carry  you  to 
this  place.] 

Some  intelligent  country  people  have  a  notion  that  we 
have,  in  these  parts,  a  species  of  the  genus  mustelinum, 
besides  the  weasel,  stoat,  ferret,  and  polecat ;  a  little 
reddish  beast,  not  much  bigger  than  a  field-mouse,  but 
much  longer,  which  they  call  a  cane.  This  piece  of  in- 
telligence can  be  little  depended  on ;  but  farther  inquiry 
may  be  made.2 

A  gentleman  in   this   neighbourhood    had  two   milk- 

1  This  letter,  as  the  MS.  in  the  British  Museum  shows,  formed  part  of  the 
former  one  of  March  14,  1768,  and  the  author  must  have  divided  the  two  and 
given  a  new  date  to  the  second  half,  as  the  subjects  treated  of  were  somewhat 
different.     The  invitation  to  Selborne  was  omitted  in  the  published  work,  but  is 
here  restored,  as  being  of  undoubted  interest. — [R.  B.  S.] 

2  Professor  Bell  (vol.  i.  p.  44  note}  says  that  one  Cane  or  Kine  is  "  nothing 
more  than  an  unusually  small  female  Weasel,  the  latter  being  always  considerably 
smaller  than  the  male  ;  and  it  would  appear  that  in  some  localities  it  is  even 

57  H 


58      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

white  rooks  in  one  nest.  A  booby  of  a  carter,  finding 
them  before  they  were  able  to  fly,  threw  them  down 
and  destroyed  them,  to  the  regret  of  the  owner,  who 
would  have  been  glad  to  have  preserved  such  a  curiosity 
in  his  rookery.  I  saw  the  birds  myself  nailed  against  the 
end  of  a  barn,  and  was  surprised  to  find  that  their  bills, 
legs,  feet,  and  claws  were  milk-white.1 

A  shepherd  saw,  as  he  thought,  some  white  larks  on 
a  down  above  my  house  this  winter  :  were  not  these  the 
emberiza  nivalis,  the  snow-flake  of  the  Brit.  Zoo/.  ?  No 
doubt  they  were. 

A  few  years  ago  I  saw  a  cock  bullfinch  in  a  cage, 
which  had  been  caught  in  the  fields  after  it  was  come  to 
its  full  colours.  In  about  a  year  it  began  to  look  dingy  ; 
and,  blackening  every  succeeding  year,  it  became  coal- 
black  at  the  end  of  four.  Its  chief  food  was  hempseed. 
Such  influence  has  food  on  the  colour  of  animals  !  The 
pied  and  mottled  colours  of  domesticated  animals  are 
supposed  to  be  owing  to  high,  various,  and  unusual 
food.2 

I  had  remarked,  for  years,  that  the  root  of  the  cuckoo- 
pint  (arum)  was  frequently  scratched  out  of  the  dry  banks 
of  hedges,  and  eaten  in  severe  snowy  weather.  After 
observing,  with  some  exactness,  myself,  and  getting  others 
to  do  the  same,  we  found  it  was  the  thrush  kind  that 

smaller  than  ordinary."  He  states  that  he  has  received  it  both  from  Kent  and 
Sussex,  and  that  "it  cannot  be  considered  a  distinct  variety,  as  it  does  not  differ 
from  the  ordinary  character  in  any  other  respect." — [R.  B.  S.] 

1  Sir  William  Jardine  observes :  "We  possess  a  large  rookery,  and  although 
we  have  never  had  an  entire  white  or  cream-coloured  variety,  scarcely  a  year 
passes  without  some  young  being  observed  with  more  or  less  white  in  the  plumage, 
and  in  these  the  bill  and  feet,  as  well  as  the  claws,  are  also  white." 

For  some  years  in  succession  there  was  always  a  nest  within  a  small  area 
of  a  gigantic  lime-avenue  at  Avington  Park,  in  Hampshire,  in  which  all  the 
young  birds  had  white  chins.  Some  of  the  specimens  are  preserved  in  the 
British  Museum,  where  there  is  also  a  very  curious  variety  of  a  young  Rook, 
presented  by  Mr.  W.  B.  Tegetmeier,  which  has  white  tips  to  nearly  every 
feather  of  the  body.— [R-  B.  S.] 

2  This  black  Bullfinch  occurred   at  Faringdon,    while   Gilbert   White  was 
Curate  of  that  parish,  according  to  Professor  Bell  (i.  p.  45  note).     It  formed  the 
subject  of  a  letter  to  his  nephew,  Samuel  Barker. — [R.  B.  S.] 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      59 

searched  it  out.  The  root  of  the  arum  is  remarkably 
warm  and  pungent. 

Our  flocks  of  female  chaffinches  have  not  yet  forsaken 
us.  The  blackbirds  and  thrushes  are  very  much  thinned 
down  by  that  fierce  weather  in  January. 

In  the  middle  of  February  I  discovered,  in  my  tall 
hedges,  a  little  bird  that  raised  my  curiosity :  it  was  of 
that  yellow-green  colour  that  belongs  to  the  salicaria  kind, 
and,  I  think,  was  soft-billed.  It  was  no  parus;  and  was 
too  long  and  too  big  for  the  golden-crowned  wren,  ap- 
pearing most  like  the  largest  willow  wren.  It  hung  some- 
times with  its  back  downwards,  but  never  continuing  one 
moment  in  the  same  place.  I  shot  at  it,  but  it  was  so 
desultory  that  I  missed  my  aim.1 

I  wonder  that  the  stone-curlew,  charadrius  cedicnemus? 
should  be  mentioned  by  the  writers  as  a  rare  bird :  it 
abounds  in  all  the  campaign  parts  of  Hampshire  and 
Sussex,  and  breeds,  I  think,  all  the  summer,  having  young 
ones,  I  know,  very  late  in  the  autumn.  Already  they 
begin  clamouring  in  the  evening.  They  cannot,  I  think, 
with  any  propriety,  be  called,  as  they  are  by  Mr.  Ray,3 
"circa  aquas  versantes;"  for  with  us,  by  day  at  least,  they 
haunt  only  the  most  dry,  open,  upland  fields  and  sheep- 
walks,  far  removed  from  water  :  what  they  may  do  in  the 
night  I  cannot  say.  Worms  are  their  usual  food,  but  they 
also  eat  toads  and  frogs.4 

1  I  agree  with  Mr.  Harting  (ed.  Selbome,  p-54  note)  that  this  bird  must  have 
been  a  Chiffchaff  (Phylloscopus  minor),  a  species  which  must  occasionally  winter 
with  us  in  mild  seasons.     Mr.  Robert  Read  recently  presented  to  the  British 
Museum  a  specimen  obtained  by  him  near  Taunton  on  the  I2th  of  December 
i89i.-[R.  B.  S.] 

2  CEdicnemus  cedicnemus  (Linnaeus),  called  also  CEdicnemus  scolopax  (Scop.), 
and  CEdicnemus  crepitans  (Temm.)  by  modem  authors. — [R.  B.  S.] 

3  During  the  autumn  migration  they  are  sometimes  shot  on  the  sea-shore. — 
[R.  B.  S.] 

4  Mr.  Harting  says  (ed.  p.  55  note)  that  the  stomachs  of  specimens  examined 
by  him  were  filled  chiefly  with  the  remains  of  beetles,  but  in  one  the  remains 
of  a  long-tailed  Field-Mouse  were  found.     Some  living  birds  which  Dr.  Gunther 
and  I  kept  alive  in  our  gardens,  were  principally  fed  on  raw  meat  and  the 
bodies  of  Sparrows.     Gilbert  White,  though  duly  noting  the  perfect  assimila- 
tion of  their  plumage  to  their  surroundings,  does  not  allude  to  the  curious  method 


60      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

I  can  show  you  some  good  specimens  of  my  new  mice. 
Linnceus  perhaps  would  call  the  species  tnus  minimus. 

[When  yr  sheets  containing  a  list  of  the  British  birds, 
&c.,  come  out,  you  will  gratify  me  much  by  yr  sending  me 
one.  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  intend  to  continue  yr  publica- 
tions in  the  natural  way.  My  Relation  at  Gibraltar1  had 
never  at  all  applyed  to  these  kinds  of  studies,  &  has  no 
books  of  that  sort :  else  he  might  be  helpful  to  you  with 
regard  to  the  Birds  of  Barbary  and  Andalucia.  Pray  give 
my  humble  respects  to  Mr-  Banks,  &  tell  him  I  shall  not 
forget  him  next  month  with  regard  to  the  Lathraa  squam- 
maria.  If  he  will  do  me  the  Honour  to  come  &  see  me, 
he  will  soon  find  how  many  curious  plants  I  am  acquainted 
with  in  my  own  Country.  I  request  also  that  you  will  be 
pleased  to  pay  my  compliments  &  thanks  to  Mr-  Barrington 
for  the  agreeable  present  of  his  Journal,  which  I  am  filling 
up  day  by  day.  Buntings  I  saw  in  plenty  last  week. 
Requesting  that  you  will  continue  to  honour  me  with  the 
favour  of  yr  correspondence, 

I  conclude,  Sir, 
Yr  most  obedient  servant 
GIL  :  WHITE.] 

of  concealment  which  these  birds  exhibit — viz.,  of  throwing  themselves  flat  on  the 
ground  and  lying  quite  still  with  their  necks  stretched  out,  at  the  approach  of  the 
slightest  cause  of  alarm.  Even  the  tiny  nestlings  perform  this  trick,  and  in  fallow 
and  stony  ground  they  are  perfectly  indistinguishable  ;  but  it  is  laughable  to  see 
an  old  bird  stretching  himself  out,  and  fancying  himself  concealed,  in  the  middle  of 
a  tennis-lawn,  as  my  captive  pets  used  to  do,  their  tawny  plumage  rendering  them 
conspicuous  objects  at  a  distance  of  twenty  yards.  So  strong  is  the  force  of  instinct ! 
A  Bittern  (Botaurus  stellaris)  will  stand  in  front  of  a  green  bush  in  the  Zoological 
Gardens,  and  make  himself  thin  like  a  dead  bulrush,  with  his  neck  stiffened  out, 
and  then  gradually  turn  his  rush-like  neck  to  the  spectators,  moving  it  as  the 
latter  walk  to  one  side  or  the  other.  In  a  reed-bed  this  method  of  concealment 
would  be  effectual,  but  with  a  dark  green  back -ground  showing  up  the  light  plumage 
of  the  bird,  the  device  is  of  no  avail,  and  yet  the  instinct  of  concealment  remains 
unabated.— [R.  B.  S.] 

1  His  brother  John,  who  was  chaplain  there. — [R.  B.  S.] 


LETTER    XVI 

TO   THE   SAME 

SELBORNE,  April  i8tA,  I768.1 

DEAR  SIR, — [As  I  had  set  my  mind  on  the  pleasure  of 
yr  conversation,  so  I  was  in  proportion  disappointed  when 
I  found  that  you  could  not  come.  But  as  yr  business  may 
be  over  now  I  shall  still  live  in  hopes  of  seeing  you  at 
this  beautiful  season,  when  every  hedge  and  field  abounds 
with  matter  of  entertainment  for  the  curious.  If  you  could 
come  down  at  the  end  of  this  week,  or  the  beginning  of 
next,  I  should  be  ready  to  partake  with  you  in  a  post-chaise 
back  to  town  on  the  second  of  May.] 

The  history  of  the  stone-curlew,  charadrius  cedicnemus, 
is  as  follows.2  It  lays  its  eggs,  usually  two,  never 

1  Actual  date  of  letter  "  April  19  :  1768."— [R.  B.  S.] 

2  Thick-Knee  is  the  proper  name  for  this  bird.    It  is  not  a  Curlew  (Numenius) 
at  all,  the  latter  bird  being  allied  to  the  Sand-pipers  and  Snipes,  whereas  the  genus 
CEdicnemus  belongs  to  the  Plovers  ( Charadriina}  and  not  to  the  Snipes  ( Totanimz), 
two  very  distinct  sub-families  of  Wading  Birds  or  Limicolez,  as  they  are  called. 
The  Thick-Knees  are  not  far  removed  from  the  Bustards  (Otides).     In  past  years 
I  have  seen  many  pairs  on  Salisbury  Plain  and  an  occasional  pair  on  the  downs 
above  Avington,  in  Hampshire,  but  near  Selborne  the  species  is  evidently  much 
less  plentiful  than  it  was  in  Gilbert  White's  day,  for  Professor  Bell  writes:    "I 
have  occasionally  heard  its  cry  late  in  the  evening  as  it  has  passed  at  a  con- 
siderable height  over  the  village  ;  but  in  thirty  years  I  have  never  seen  one,  alive 
or  dead"  (vol.  i.  p.  47). 

Mr.   Paxton  Parkin  tells  me  that  he  has  occasionally  heard  the  cry  of  the 
Thick- Knee  at  night,  but  has  not  seen  one  since  he  has  lived  at  the  Wakes. 

Although  rarer  in  most  parts  of  the  south  of  England  than  it  was  formerly, 

61 


62      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

more  than  three,  on  the  bare  ground,  without  any  nest, 
in  the  field ;  so  that  the  countryman,  in  stirring  his 
fallows,  often  destroys  them.  The  young  run  immedi- 
ately from  the  egg,  like  partridges,  &c.,  and  are  with- 
drawn to  some  flinty  field  by  the  dam,  where  they 
sculk  among  the  stones,  which  are  their  best  security ;  for 
their  feathers  are  so  exactly  of  the  colour  of  our  grey 
spotted  flints,  that  the  most  exact  observer,  unless  he 
catches  the  eye  of  the  young  bird,  may  be  eluded.  The 
eggs  are  short  and  round ;  of  a  dirty  white,  spotted  with 
dark  bloody  blotches.  Though  I  might  not  be  able,  just 
when  I  pleased,  to  procure  you  a  bird,  yet  I  could  show 
you  them  almost  any  day  ;  and  any  evening  you  may  hear 
them  round  the  village,  for  they  make  a  clamour  which 
may  be  heard  a  mile.  (Edicnemus  is  a  most  apt  and  expres- 
sive name  for  them,  since  their  legs  seem  swoln  like  those 
of  a  gouty  man.1  After  harvest  I  have  shot  them  before  the 
pointers  in  turnip-fields.2 

I  make  no  doubt  but  there  are  three  species  of  the 
willow-wrens : 3  two  I  know  perfectly ;  but  have  not  been 
able  yet  to  procure  the  third.  No  two  birds  can  differ 
more  in  their  notes,  and  that  constantly,  than  those  two 
that  I  am  acquainted  with  ;  for  the  one  has  a  joyous,  easy, 
laughing  note  ;  the  other  a  harsh  loud  chirp.  The  former  is 
every  way  larger,  and  three-quarters  of  an  inch  longer,  and 
weighs  two  drams  and  a  half ;  while  the  latter  weighs  but 
two  :  so  the  songster  is  one-fifth  heavier  than  the  chirper. 

the  bird  must  still  occur  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Selbome,  for  there  is  plenty 
of  wild  down-land  suited  to  its  habits.  Lord  Walsingham  informs  me  that  the 
species  is  still  found  on  his  property  in  Norfolk,  whence  came  the  well-known 
family  group  of  these  birds  in  the  Natural  History  Museum,  but  that  it  is  not  so 
frequent  as  formerly.  It  does  not  stay  the  winter. — [R.  B.  S.] 

1  Mr.  Harting,  who  is  one  of  the  best  authorities  on  the  Wading-birds,  says, 
that  this  swelling  of  the  upper  part  of  the  tarsus  is  characteristic  only  of  the 
young  birds  of  the  year  (ed.  Selborne,  p.  56,  note). — [R,  B.  S.] 

*  See  Letter  XXIII.— [R.  B.  S.] 

3  The  differences  between  the  Willow  Warbler  (Phylloscopus  trochilus)  and 
the  Chiffchaff  (Phylloscopus  minor)  could  scarcely  be  better  described  than  is 
here  done  by  Gilbert  White,  who  was  then  on  the  track  of  the  third  species,  viz. 
the  Wood  Warbler  (Phylloscopus  sibilator).  (See  Letter  XIX,  p.  79.)— [R.  B.  S.] 


"AFTER  HARVEST  i  HAVE  SHOT  THEM  BEFORE  THE  POINTERS  IN 
TURNIP  FIELDS" 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      63 

The  chirper  (being  the  first  summer-bird  of  passage  that 
is  heard,  the  wryneck  sometimes  excepted)  begins  his  two 
notes  in  the  middle  of  March,  and  continues  them  through 
the  spring  and  summer  till  the  end  of  August,  as  appears 
by  my  journals.  The  legs  of  the  larger  of  these  two  are 
flesh-coloured  ;  of  the  less,  black. 

The  grasshopper-lark1  began  his  sibilous  note  in  my 
fields  last  Saturday.  Nothing  can  be  more  amusing  than 
the  whisper  of  this  little  bird,  which  seems  to  be  close  by 
though  at  an  hundred  yards  distance  ;  and,  when  close  at 
your  ear,  is  scarce  any  louder  than  when  a  great  way  off. 
Had  I  not  been  a  little  acquainted  with  insects,  and  known 
that  the  grasshopper  kind  is  not  yet  hatched,  I  should 
have  hardly  believed  but  that  it  had  been  a  locusta  whisper- 
ing in  the  bushes.  The  country  people  laugh  when  you 
tell  them  that  it  is  the  note  of  a  bird.  It  is  a  most  artful 
creature,  sculking  in  the  thickest  part  of  a  bush ;  and  will 
sing  at  a  yard  distance,  provided  it  be  concealed.  I  was 
obliged  to  get  a  person  to  go  on  the  other  side  of  the 
hedge  where  it  haunted,  and  then  it  would  run,  creeping 
like  a  mouse,  before  us  for  an  hundred  yards  together, 
through  the  bottom  of  the  thorns ;  yet  it  would  not  come 
into  fair  sight :  but  in  a  morning  early,  and  when  un- 
disturbed, it  sings  on  the  top  of  a  twig,  gaping  and  shiver- 
ing with  its  wings.  Mr.  Ray  himself  had  no  knowledge 
of  this  bird,  but  received  his  account  from  Mr.  Johnson, 
who  apparently  confounds  it  with  the  reguli  non  cristati, 
from  which  it  is  very  distinct.  See  Ray's  "Philosophical 
Letters"  p.  io8.2 

1  The  Grasshopper  Warbler  (Locustella  n<evta).—[R.  B.  S.] 

2  As  Professor   Newton  has  pointed   out  in   Bell's  edition  (vol.   i.   p.  49), 
Linnaeus   did  not   know  the    '  Grasshopper   Lark ' ;    and   the  name   of  Alauda 
trivialis  applies  to  the  Tree-Pipit.     Seebohm  (Hist.  Brit.  Birds,  vol.  i.  p.  340) 
observes  that  the  specimen  sent  to  Willoughby  and  Ray  by  Mr.  Johnson  of  Greta 
Bridge,  in  Yorkshire,  was  certainly,  from  the  description,  a  Grasshopper  Warbler, 
"  but  the  habits  of  the  bird  described  resemble  most  those  of  the  Wood  Warbler. 
Possibly  Mr.  Johnson  confounded  the  notes  of  the  two  species  together  :  "  hence 
White's  observation  !— [R.  B.  S.] 


64      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 


A  LIST  OF  THE  SUMMER  BIRDS  OF  PASSAGE  DISCOVERED  IN  THIS 

NEIGHBOURHOOD,     RANGED     SOMEWHAT     IN     THE     ORDER     IN 
WHICH  THEY  APPEAR  : l 

LINN/EI   NOMINA. 

Smallest  willow-wren,  Motacilla  trochilus. 

Wryneck,  Jynx  2  torquilla. 

House-swallow,  Hirundo  rustica, 

Martin,  Hirundo  urbica. 

Sand-martin,  Hirundo  riparia. 

Cuckoo,  Cuculus  canorus. 

Nightingale,  Motacilla  luscinia. 

Blackcap,  Motacilla  atricapilla. 

Whitethroat,  Motacilla  sylvia. 

Middle  willow-wren,  Motacilla  trochilus. 

Swift,  Hirundo  opus. 

Stone-curlew  ?  Charadrius  cedicnemus  ? 

Turtle-dove  ?  Turtur  aldrovandi? 

Grasshopper-lark,  Alauda  trivialis. 

Landrail,  Rallus  crex. 

Largest  willow-wren,  Motacilla  trochilus. 

Redstart,  Motacilla  phanicurus. 

Goat-sucker,  or  fern-owl,  Caprimulgus  europceus. 

Fly-catcher,  Muscicapa  grisola. 

The   fly-catcher   (stoparold)  has   not  yet   appeared ;    it 
usually  breeds  in  my  vine.    The  redstart  begins  to  sing  : 

1  The  smallest  'Willow  Wren'  of  this  list   is  the  Chiffchaff  (Phylloscopus 
minor},    'the    Middle    Willow   Wren'   is    the    Willow    Warbler    (Phylloscopus 
trochilus),    the   '  Grasshopper   Lark '   is   the  Grasshopper    Warbler   (Locustella 
mzvia),  and  Linnaeus'  name  of  Alauda  trivialis  applies  not  to  this  species,  but  to 
the   Tree  -  Pipit    (Anthus  trivialis),   a   bird   which   must    certainly   occur   near 
Selborne,  for  it  is  by  no  means  uncommon  in  summer  at  Avington,  only  a  few 
miles  off.    The  '  Largest  Willow  Wren '  is  the  Wood  Warbler  (Phylloscopus  sibila- 
tor).     Here  Gilbert  White  distinctly  affirms  the  presence  of  a  third  species  of 
Willow  Warbler  in  England.     (See/arfca,  Letter  XIX.)— [R.  B.  S.] 

2  The  spelling  of  the  name  lynx  is  of  curious  interest.     For  years  the  generic 
name  of  the  Wryneck  was  published  as   Yunx,  and  pronounced  as  such,  but  in 
1883  the  British  Ornithologists'  Union  issued  a '  List  of  British  Birds,'  of  which 
the  Editor  was  my  late  friend  Henry  T.  Wharton,  who  took  extraordinary  pains 
with  the  determination  of  the  classical  signification  of  the  names  employed.     He 
defined  the  derivation  of  the  genus  lynx  to  be  from  tvfa  (I  shout),  but  it  would 
seem  that  Gilbert  White,  good  classic  as  he  was,  also  knew  the  source  whence 
Linnaeus  derived  his  name,  and  wrote  it  correctly. — [R.  B.  S.] 


'/s  Life 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      65 

its  note  is  short  and  imperfect,  but  is  continued  till  about 
the  middle  of  June.  The  willow-wrens  (the  smaller  sort) 
are  horrid  pests  in  a  garden,  destroying  the  peas,  cherries, 
currants,  &c. ;  and  are  so  tame  that  a  gun  will  not  scare 
them. 

My  countrymen  talk  much  of  a  bird  that  makes  a 
clatter  with  its  bill  against  a  dead  bough,  or  some  old 
pales,  calling  it  a  jar-bird.  I  procured  one  to  be  shot  in 
the  very  fact ;  it  proved  to  be  the  sitta  europcsa  (the  nut- 
hatch}. Mr.  Ray  says  that  the  less  spotted  woodpecker 
does  the  same.  This  noise  may  be  heard  a  furlong  or 
more.1 

Now  is  the  only  time  to  ascertain  the  short-winged 
summer  birds ;  for,  when  the  leaf  is  out,  there  is  no 
making  any  remarks  on  such  a  restless  tribe  ;  and,  when 
once  the  young  begin  to  appear,  it  is  all  confusion ;  there 
is  no  distinction  of  genus,  species,  or  sex. 

In  breeding-time  snipes  play  over  the  moors,  piping 
and  humming  :  they  always  hum  as  they  are  descending. 
Is  not  their  hum  ventriloquous  like  that  of  the  turkey  ? 
Some  suspect  it  is  made  by  their  wings.2 

1  The  jarring  noise  produced  by  the  Greater  and  Lesser  Spotted  Woodpeckers 
(Dendrocopus  major  and  D.  minor']  is  often  to  be  heard  in  the  south  of  England  in 
the  spring,  and  carries  a  great  distance.    It  is  brought  about  by  the  rapid  hammer- 
ing on  slender  boughs  at  the  top  of  some  hollow  poplar  or  elm,  and  appears  to  be 
a  call-note  from  one  bird  to  another,  as  it  is  immediately  answered  by  a  second 
individual  from  some  distant  tree.     I  have  often  heard  the  birds  do  this  in  the 
park-land  near  Cookham,  in  Berkshire,  but  I  never  heard  a  Nuthatch  (Sitta  ccesia), 
which  is  a  common  enough  species  in  the  neighbourhood,  signal  in  the  same 
manner.     The  hammer-like  strokes  of  the  latter  bird  can  be  heard  a  long  way  off, 
but  they  consist  of  the  deliberate  tapping  and  hacking  of  the  bark,  not  the  vibrating 
'  whirr '  which  the  woodpeckers  produce  when  they  signal  to  each  other.     The 
rasping  sound  made  by  the  prising  off  of  the  bark  by  the  vigorous  little  Nuthatch 
can  also  be  heard  for  some  distance  from  the  tree  where  it  is  at  work.     The  large 
size  of  some  of  the  pieces  of  bark  which  fall  to  the  ground  could  scarcely  be 
believed  to  be  the  achievement  of  such  a  small  bird. — [R.  B.  S.] 

2  Some  naturalists  have  declared  that  the  drumming  is  produced  by  the  wings, 
or  by  the  tail-feathers,  while  others  affirm  that  the  effect  proceeds  from  the  bird's 
throat.    The  balance  of  contemporary  observation  is  in  favour  of  the  former  theory. 
— [R.  B.  S.] 

I 


66      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

This  morning  I  saw  the  golden-crowned  wren,  whos< 
crown  glitters  like  burnished  gold.  It  often  hangs  like  ; 
titmouse,  with  its  back  downwards. 

[I  look  back  not  without  confusion  at  the  length  of  rm 
letter  :  and  am  with  great  esteem, 

Yr  obedient  servant, 
GIL  :  WHITE.] 


LETTER  XVII 

TO   THE   SAME 

SELBORNE,  June  i8//4,  I768.1 

DEAR  SIR, — [Your  obliging  letter  dated  May  the  4th 
came  to  Selborne  while  I  was  in  London,  but  was  sent  up 
after  me.  While  I  was  in  town  I  was  often  in  company 
with  yr  friend  Mr.  Barrington ;  and  cannot  say  enough 
in  commendation  of  the  candor  and  affability  of  that 
gentleman.  Even  Mr.  Banks  (notwithstanding  he  was  so 
soon  to  leave  the  kingdom  and  undertake  his  immense 
voyage)  afforded  me  some  hours  of  his  conversation  at  his 
new  house,  where  I  met  Dr.  Solander. 

I  am  now  to  return  you  my  warmest  thanks  for  yr 
agreeable  present  of  the  British  Zoology,  which  I  accept 
with  great  satisfaction  as  a  token  of  yr  friendship  :  and 
shall  look  upon  yr  work  as  an  ornament  to  my  little  shelf 
of  natural  history.  As  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  com- 
pare any  animals  with  yr  descriptions,  I  find  them  just 
and  apt ;  and  such  as  may  readily  help  the  reader  to 
ascertain  any  quadrupede  or  bird  that  falls  in  his  way."]  2 

On  Wednesday  last  arrived  your  agreeable  letter  of  June 
the  zoth.  It  gives  me  great  satisfaction  to  find  that  you 

1  The  date  of  the  original  letter  is  June  10,  1768.     It  is  curious  that  the 
author  should  have  altered  the  actual  date  of  so  many  of  his  letters  in  his 
published  work.— [R.  B.  S.] 

2  The  above  paragraphs  have  been  crossed  out,  doubtless  by  Gilbert  White 
himself,  as  not  necessary  for  publication.     Then  follows  a  sentence  so  completely 
obliterated  that  only  a  few  words  are  decipherable.     I  can  detect  "  with  the  good 
sense  and  .  .  .  and  particularly  that  part  of  it  which  .  .  .  in  the  study  of  nature." 
The  author  then  proceeds  :  "  Last  night  arrived  yr  agreeable  letter,  &c.,"  which 

fits  in  with  the  alteration  of  the  date  in  the  published  volume. — [R.  B.  S.] 

67 


68      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

pursue  these  studies  still  with  such  vigour,  and  are  in  suet 
forwardness  with  regard  to  reptiles  and  fishes. 

The  reptiles,  few  as  they  are,  I  am  not  acquainted  with 
so  well  as  I  could  wish,  with  regard  to  their  natural  history 
There  is  a  degree  of  dubiousness  and  obscurity  attending 
the  propagation  of  this  class  of  animals,  something  ana 
logous  to  that  of  the  cryptogamia  in  the  sexual  system  o 
plants  :  and  the  case  is  the  same  with  regard  to  some  of  the 
fishes  ;  as  the  eel,  &c. 

The  method  in  which  toads  procreate  and  bring  forth 
seems  to  be  very  much  in  the  dark.  Some  authors  saj 
that  they  are  viviparous  :  and  yet  Ray  classes  them  amon^ 
his  oviparous  animals ;  and  is  silent  with  regard  to  the 
manner  of  their  bringing  forth.  Perhaps  they  may  be 
eao)  fiiev  &>OTO/C<M,  efo>  Be  £o>oTo/cot,  as  is  known  to  be  the  case 
with  the  viper. 

The  copulation  of  frogs  (or  at  least  the  appearance  o: 
it ;  for  Swammerdam  proves  that  the  male  has  no  pent, 
intrans)  is  notorious  to  everybody  :  because  we  see  their 
sticking  upon  each  others  backs  for  a  month  together  ir 
the  spring :  and  yet  I  never  saw,  or  read,  of  toads  bein^ 
observed  in  the  same  situation.1  It  is  strange  that  the 
matter  with  regard  to  the  venom  of  toads  has  not  beer 
yet  settled.  That  they  are  not  noxious  to  some  animal; 
is  plain  :  for  ducks,  buzzards,  owls,  stone  curlews,  anc 
snakes,  eat  them,  to  my  knowledge,  with  impunity.  Anc 
I  well  remember  the  time,  but  was  not  eye-witness  to  the 
fact  (though  numbers  of  persons  were)  when  a  quack,  ai 
this  village,  ate  a  toad  to  make  the  country-people  stare 
afterwards  he  drank  oil.2 

1  Among  Gilbert  White's  papers  Professor  Bell  found  one  "  in  a  boy's  hand ' 
(doubtless  a  note  dictated  to  his  nephew  John)  relating  to  the  venom  of  a  toad 
He  says  that  a  little  Terrier-bitch  "  touched  it  very  gently  with  her  nose  .  . 
and  instantly  the  foam  came  from  her  mouth,  and  her  face  and  eyes  wen 
strongly  convulsed.  This  continued  upon  her  half-an-hour,  &c."  (Bell's  ed. 
vol.  i.  p.  52  note. ) — [R.  B.  S.] 

*  Sir  William  Jardine's  edition  of  White's  "Selborne"  contains  the  following 
interesting  note  on  Letter  XVII :  "  This  is  a  letter  upon  reptiles,  the  natura 
history  of  which,  as  well  as  that  of  fishes,  White  had  little  opportunity  o 
studying.  Toads  procreate  exactly  in  the  same  manner  as  frogs,  and  both  an 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      69 

I  have  been  informed  also,  from  undoubted  authority, 
that  some  ladies  (ladies  you  will  say  of  peculiar  taste)  took 
a  fancy  to  a  toad,  which  they  nourished  summer  after 
summer,  for  many  years,  till  he  grew  to  a  monstrous  size, 
with  the  maggots  which  turn  to  flesh  flies.  The  reptile  used 
to  come  forth  every  evening  from  an  hole  under  the  garden- 
oviparous  ;  the  bead-like  chains  which  are  often  seen  in  pools  in  spring,  as  if 
they  were  looped  over  each  other,  being  the  newly-deposited  spawn  of  the  former. 
The  venom  of  toads  is  discarded  as  a  fable  ;  but  there  is  an  excretion  from  the 
skin  which  can  be  exuded  upon  irritation,  and  serves  for  protection.  It  causes 
the  excessive  secretion  of  saliva  in  the  mouth  of  a  dog,  and  evidently  gives  pain. 
Mr.  Herbert  says  a  pike  will  seize  a  toad,  but  immediately  disgorges  it,  while 
a  frog  is  swallowed. 

"There  has  always  been  an  aversion  or  disgust  at  toads.  The  older  poets 
clothed  him  in  a  garb  '  ugly  and  venomous,'  and  one  of  our  master-bards  has 
likened  the  Evil  Spirit  to  him,  as  a  semblance  of  all  that  is  devilish  or  disgusting. 

'  Him  they  found 

Squat  like  a  toad,  close  at  the  ear  of  Eve, 

Assaying  with  all  his  devilish  art  to  reach 

The  organs  of  her  fancy. ' 

Thus  we  are  taught,  and  the  feeling  is  handed  down  from  family  to  family,  to 
loathe  a  harmless  animal.  The  bite  is  innocent  of  any  after  consequences,  and 
we  never  saw  a  toad  attempt  to  bite.  The  exudation  of  the  skin  is  only  used  in 
self-defence.  They  are  extremely  useful  in  the  destruction  of  insects,  and  they 
will  be  found  to  be  valuable  as  well  as  amusing  assistants  in  a  greenhouse  or 
conservatory.  Sir  Joseph  Banks  wrote :  '  I  have  from  my  childhood,  in  con- 
formity with  the  precepts  of  a  mother  void  of  all  imaginary  fear,  been  in  the 
constant  habit  of  taking  toads  in  my  hand,  holding  them  there  some  time,  and 
applying  them  to  my  face  and  nose  as  it  may  happen.  My  motive  for  doing  this 
very  frequently  is  to  inculcate  the  opinion  I  have  held,  since  I  was  told  by  my 
mother,  that  the  toad  is  actually  a  harmless  animal :  and  to  whose  manner  of  life 
man  is  certainly  under  some  obligation,  as  its  food  is  chiefly  those  insects  which 
devour  his  crops  and  annoy  him  in  various  ways  "  (p.  51)- 

Professor  Bell  adds  the  following  remarks"(ed.  "  Selborne,"  p.  50  note)  :  "  The 
whole  of  the  typical  Batrachia,  the  frogs,  toads,  newts,  salamanders,  &c. ,  undergo 
a  complete  metamorphosis.  In  the  land  species  (of  which  we  have  no  representative 
in  this  country),  as  from  their  habits  they  cannot  have  constant  access  to  water,  the 
aquatic  portion  of  their  existence,  during  which  the  gills  remain  attached,  cannot 
be  passed  in  that  medium  in  the  same  manner  as  the  frogs,  &c.  This  essential 
process,  therefore,  takes  place  in  the  oviduct,  before  they  are  excluded  from  the 
mother  and  come  forth  in  the  perfect  condition.  But  in  the  other  forms,  to  which 
our  native  species  all  belong,  the  change  takes  place  in  the  water,  and  the  young 
live  there  for  a  time  in  a  fish-like  state  as  regards  not  only  their  respiration  but 
most  of  the  other  functions  of  life.  The  common  water-newt,  or  eft,  exhibits  a 
beautiful  example  of  this  interesting  change,  retaining  its  pretty  reddish  leaf-like 
gills  till  the  animals  are  an  inch  or  more  in  length." — [R.  B.  S.] 


70      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

steps ;  and  was  taken  up,  after  supper,  on  the  table  to 
fed.     But  at  last  a  tame  raven,  kenning  him  as  he  put  foi 
his  head,  gave  him  such  a  severe  stroke  with  his  horny  be 
as   put   out  one   eye.      After   this   accident    the   creatu 
languished  for  some  time  and  died. 

I  need  not  remind  a  gentleman  of  your  extensive  readi 
of  the  excellent  account  there  is  from  Mr.  Derham,  in  Ra 
"  Wisdom  of  God  in  the  Creation  "  (p.  365),  concerning  t 
migration  of  frogs  from  their  breeding  ponds.  In  tl 
account  he  at  once  subverts  that  foolish  opinion  of  th 
dropping  from  the  clouds  in  rain  ;  showing  that  it  is  frc 
the  grateful  coolness  and  moisture  of  those  showers  tl 
they  are  tempted  to  set  out  on  their  travels,  which  th 
defer  till  those  fall.  Frogs  are  as  yet  in  their  tadpole  stat 
but,  in  a  few  weeks,  our  lanes,  paths,  fields,  will  swarm  I 
a  few  days  with  myriads  of  those  emigrants,  no  larger  th 
my  little  finger  nail.  Swammerdam  gives  a  most  accun 
account  of  the  method  and  situation  in  which  the  m; 
impregnates  the  spawn  of  the  female.  How  wonderful 
the  ceconomy  of  Providence  with  regard  to  the  limbs  of 
vile  a  reptile  !  While  it  is  an  aquatic  it  has  a  fish-like  tz 
and  no  legs  :  as  soon  as  the  legs  sprout,  the  tail  drops  off 
useless,  and  the  animal  betakes  itself  to  the  land  ! 

Merret,  I  trust,  is  widely  mistaken  when  he  advanc 
that  the  rana  arborea  is  an  English  reptile  ;  it  abounds 
Germany  and  Switzerland^ 

It  is  to  be  remembered  that  the  salamandra  aquatica 
Ray  (the  water-newt  or  eft)  will  frequently  bite  at  t 
angler's  bait,  and  is  often  caught  on  his  hook.  I  used 
take  it  for  granted  that  the  salamandra  aquatica  v» 
hatched,  lived,  and  died,  in  the  water.  But  John  Eh 
Esq.,  F.R.S.  (the  coralline  Ellis\  asserts,  in  a  letter  to  t 

1  Professor  Bell  comments  on  this  statement:  "There  is,  of  course, 
ground  for  the  statement  that  the  Hyla  viridis  is  a  native  of  this  coun 
It  is  difficult  to  understand  how  Gilbert  White  could  entertain  a  repugnance  t 
little  creature  so  harmless  and  beautiful,  and  so  interesting  in  its  habits.  As 
Hyla  lives  on  trees,  and  does  not  frequent  the  water  except  for  breeding 
changes  its  skin  in  the  same  manner  as  the  toad.  This  I  have  ascertaine 
(Bell's  ed.,  i.  p.  53  note.)— [R.  B.  S.] 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      71 

Royal  Society,  dated  June  the  5th,  1766,  in  his  account  of 
the  mud  inguana,  an  amphibious  bipes  from  South  Carolina, 
that  the  water-eft,  or  newt,  is  only  the  larva  of  the  land-eft, 
as  tadpoles  are  of  frogs.  Lest  I  should  be  suspected  to 
misunderstand  his  meaning,  I  shall  give  it  in  his  own 
words.  Speaking  of  the  opercula  or  coverings  to  the  gills 
of  the  mud  inguana,  he  proceeds  to  say  that,  "The  form 
of  these  pennated  coverings  approach  very  near  to  what 
I  have  some  time  ago  observed  in  the  larva  or  aquatic  state 
of  our  English  lacerta,  known  by  the  name  of  eft,  or  newt ; 
which  serve  them  for  coverings  to  their  gills,  and  for  fins 
to  swim  with  while  in  this  state ;  and  which  they  lose,  as 
well  as  the  fins  of  their  tails,  when  they  change  their  state 
and  become  land  animals,  as  I  have  observed,  by  keeping 
them  alive  for  some  time  myself." 

LinncBus,  in  his  Systema  Natura,  hints  at  what  Mr.  Ellis 
advances  more  than  once. 

Providence  has  been  so  indulgent  to  us  as  to  allow  of 
but  one  venomous  reptile  of  the  serpent  kind  in  these 
kingdoms,  and  that  is  the  viper.  As  you  propose  the  good 
of  mankind  to  be  an  object  of  your  publications,  you  will 
not  omit  to  mention  common  sallad  oil  as  a  sovereign 
remedy  against  the  bite  of  the  viper.  As  to  the  blind  worm 
(anguis  fragilis,  so  called  because  it  snaps  in  sunder  with 
a  small  blow),  I  have  found,  on  examination,  that  it  is 
perfectly  innocuous.  A  neighbouring  yeoman  (to  whom 
I  am  indebted  for  some  good  hints)  killed  and  opened  a 
female  viper  about  the  27th  of  May:  he  found  her  filled 
with  a  chain  of  eleven  eggs,  about  the  size  of  those  of  a 
blackbird  ;  but  none  of  them  were  advanced  so  far  towards 
a  state  of  maturity  as  to  contain  any  rudiments  of  young. 
Though  they  are  oviparous,  yet  they  are  viviparous  also, 
hatching  their  young  within  their  bellies,  and  then  bringing 
them  forth.  Whereas  snakes  lay  chains  of  eggs  every 
summer  in  my  melon-beds,  in  spite  of  all  that  my  people 
can  do  to  prevent  them ;  which  eggs  do  not  hatch  till  the 
spring  following,  as  I  have  often  experienced.  Several 
intelligent  folks  assure  me  that  they  have  seen  the  viper 


72      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

open  her  mouth,  and  admit  her  helpless  young  down  he 
throat  on  sudden  surprises,  just  as  the  female  opossui 
does  her  brood  into  the  pouch  under  her  belly,  upon  th 
like  emergencies ;  and  yet  the  London  viper-catchers  insi: 
on  it,  to  Mr.  Barringlon,  that  no  such  thing  ever  happens 

1  Sir  William  Jardine's  note  in  his  edition  of  "Selborne"  is  as  follows  :  "Tl 
question  remains,  we  believe,  nearly  as  it  did  in  White's  time.  There  have  bei 
statements  upon  both  sides,  and  some  time  since  it  gave  rise  to  a  very  long  di 
cussion  in  the  Gardener's  Chronicle,  but  which,  with  the  others,  ended  in  nothii 
that  could  be  taken  as  undoubted  proof  of  the  fact.  We  have  always  looked  up< 
this  as  a  popular  delusion,  and  the  supposed  habit  is  so  much  at  variance  wi 
what  we  know  of  the  general  manners  and  instincts  of  animals  that,  without  « 
doubted  proof  of  its  occurrence,  we  incline  still  to  consider  it  as  such.  Somethii 
always  occurs  to  prevent  the  adder  that  has  swallowed  her  young  being  capture 
and  the  evidence  rests  on  such  an  one  having  seen  the  young  enter  the  mou 
of  the  parent.  Now,  we  do  not  mean  to  call  in  question  the  veracity  of  tl 
observers  reporting  what  they  at  the  time  believed  to  be  the  case,  but  we  knc 
how  easy  it  is  to  be  deceived,  and  how  difficult  it  is  to  observe  correctly.  W 
Bennett  leaves  the  question  open;  but  in  the  latest  edition  of  'Selborne,' 
Bohn's  Illustrated  Library,  the  following  note  by  the  editor  occurs :  '  Havii 
taken  much  pains  to  ascertain  the  fact  of  young  vipers  entering  the  mouth  of  the 
mother,  I  can  now  have  little  doubt  but  that  such  is  the  case,  after  the  eviden 
of  persons  who  assured  me  that  they  had  seen  it.  I  also  found  young  vipers 
the  stomach  of  the  mother  of  a  much  larger  size  than  they  would  be  when  fii 
ready  to  be  excluded.'  We  presume  that  the  young  vipers  in  the  stomach  of  ti 
mother  were  found  alive  ;  it  is  not  so  stated.  Could  the  Zoological  Society  n 
do  something  to  solve  this  problem?  A  comparatively  trifling  expense  wou 
procure  a  good  collection  of  adders  were  it  known  they  were  wanted,  and  amoi 
them  a  female  might  be  found  and  watched.  See  also  Mr.  White's  remark 
Letter  XXXI,  to  Mr.  Barrington,  where  he  cut  up  an  adder,  and  found  youi 
in  the  'abdomen,'  by  which  term  he  evidently  means  the  uterus  or  ovarium,1  f 
he  adds,  '  there  was  little  room  to  suppose  they  were  taken  in  for  refuge.'  Lett 
XXXI  should  be  turned  to  and  read  with  this  one  to  Pennant "  (p.  53). 

Professor  Bell  contributed  the  following  observation  to  Mr.  Bennett's  editic 
of  "Selborne,"  and  reproduces  it  in  a  note  to  his  own  edition  (p.  54  note) :  " 
have  been  assured  by  a  very  honest  and  worthy  gardener  in  Dorsetshire  that  1 
had  seen  the  young  vipers  enter  the  mouth  of  the  mother  when  alarmed.  I  ha' 
never  been  able  to  obtain  further  reliable  evidence  of  the  fact,  though  I  ha 
made  the  most  extensive  inquiries  in  my  power.  If  it  be  untrue,  the  popular  en- 
may  have  arisen  from  the  fact  of  fully-formed  young  having  been  found  in  tl 
abdomen  of  the  mother,  ready  to  be  excluded."  "Surely,"  says  Bell,  "the  e 
periment  might  be  tried,  and  the  question  set  at  rest."  Frank  Buckland  in  I 
edition  of  "  Selborne  "  ridicules  the  idea  of  the  young  vipers  seeking  refuge  fro 
danger  in  the  mouth  of  the  mother,  and  an  amusing  skit  on  the  subject  is  pr 
vided  by  the  late  Harry  Lee.  A  few  years  ago  I  contributed  a  weekly  article 
Lloyd's  newspaper  on  natural  history.  These  popular  sketches  were  written  1 

i  Oviduct.— [W.  P.  P.] 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      73 

The  serpent  kind  eat,  I  believe,  but  once  in  a  year  ;  or, 
rather,  but  only  just  at  one  season  of  the  year.  Country 
people  talk  much  of  a  water-snake,  but,  I  am  pretty  sure, 
without  any  reason  ;  for  the  common  snake  (coluber  natrix) 
delights  much  to  sport  in  the  water,  perhaps  with  a  view  to 
procure  frogs  and  other  food. 

I  cannot  well  guess  how  you  are  to  make  out  your 
twelve  species  of  reptiles,  unless  it  be  by  the  various  species, 
or  rather  varieties,  of  our  lacerti,  of  which  Ray  enumerates 
five.  I  have  not  had  opportunity  of  ascertaining  these ; 
but  remember  well  to  have  seen,  formerly,  several  beautiful 
green  lacerti  on  the  sunny  sand-banks  near  Farnham,  in 
Surrey ;  and  Ray  admits  there  are  such  in  Ireland.1 

myself  or  by  my  friends,  Mr.  Lydekker,  Mr.  R.  I.  Pocock,  and  other  colleagues 
in  the  Natural  History  Museum,  and  among  the  best  of  these  articles  was  one 
contributed  by  my  friend  Mr.  Pickard-Cambridge,  an  excellent  field -naturalist, 
who  would  have  none  of  the  legend  of  the  viper  providing  in  its  own  body  a 
refuge  for  its  little  ones.  I  received  a  letter  in  reply  (which,  to  my  great  regret, 
I  cannot  at  the  moment  lay  hands  upon)  from  a  correspondent  who  averred  that 
he  had  witnessed  the  fact  himself.  "  Brusher "  Mills,  the  well-known  snake- 
catcher  of  the  New  Forest,  affirms  that  the  young  vipers  do  take  refuge  in  the 
mouth  of  the  mother  (see  Wide  World  Magazine  for  Oct.  1899,  p.  153),  and  in 
the  face  of  so  much  independent  testimony  it  seems  scarcely  possible  to  doubt 
that  the  young  are  received  into  the  old  viper's  oesophagus  on  the  approach  of 
danger.— [R.  B.  S.] 

1  Gilbert  White  never  pretended  to  have  more  than  a  passing  knowledge  of 
Reptiles  and  Fishes,  and  he  laments  his  want  of  opportunity.  Professor  Bell  is 
doubtless  right  when  he  credits  him  with  a  "strong  prejudice"  against  Reptilia 
and  Amphibia,  but  many  people,  even  at  the  present  day,  are  similarly  prejudiced. 
Bell  says  that  this  inherent  dislike  "  prevented  him  from  either  acquiring  a  technical 
knowledge  of  the  different  species,  or  of  observing  their  habits  and  physiology." 
Gilbert  White  was  such  a  thorough  field-naturalist  that  I  feel  sure  that  he  would 
have  studied  the  life-history  of  any  animal  which  came  within  his  power  of  obser- 
vation, but  he  was  a  horticulturist  and  an  ornithologist  first  of  all,  and  a  very  busy 
man  at  all  times,  so  that  the  absence  of  detailed  notes  on  the  habits  of  Reptilia 
may  actually  have  arisen  from  lack  of  opportunity  to  study  the  ways  of  animals,  to 
which  he  may  also  have  entertained  a  natural  antipathy. 

The  following  note  of  Professor  Bell's  is  of  great  interest  :  "  The  species 
which  I  have  myself  seen  at  Selborne  are  the  following  : — of  Reptilia,  the  little 
viviparous  lizard,  Zootoca  vivipara,  which  is  common  on  the  sandy  heath  of 
Wolmer  Forest;  the  blind-worm,  Anguis  fragilis ;  the  common  snake,  Natrix 
torquata  ;  the  viper,  Pelias  bents  ;  of  Amphibia,  the  common  frog,  Rana  tempor- 
aria ;  the  common  toad,  Bitfo  vulgaris ;  the  natter-jack,  Bufo  calamita ;  the 
warty  newt,  Triton  cristatus ;  the  common  smooth  newt,  Lissotriton  punctatus  ; 
the  palmated  smooth  newt,  L issotriton  palmipes.  It  is  unnecessary  now,  and  in 

K 


74      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

[I  should  now  proceed  to  the  answering  some  queries 
in  y  last,  and  to  congratulating  you  on  the  discovery  of  a 
new  Salicaria ;  but  having  destined  this  epistle  altogethei 
to  the  service  of  reptiles,  I  shall  stick  to  my  text ;  and  defei 
such  matters  'til  a  further  opportunity,  ('til  the  next  time 
I  have  the  honour  to  write  to  you). 

I  am  with  the  greatest  esteem, 

Yr's  &c.,  &c.] 

this  work,  to  enter  into  any  detail  of  the  physiology  of  these  animals  ;  but  a  fev 
facts  respecting  one  or  two  of  them  as  occurring  at  Selborne  may  not  be  out  o 
place.  Some  years  ago  the  natter-jack  was  by  far  the  most  common  species  o 
toad  in  my  garden,  taking  the  place  of  the  ordinary  species,  which  was  then  com 
paratively  rare ;  but  for  some  years  past  not  one  of  the  former  has  been  seen, 
and  no  cause  has  ever  suggested  itself  for  its  disappearance.  Its  voice  was  fai 
more  powerful  and  resonant  than  that  of  any  of  its  congeners,  and  could  be  hearc 
at  a  great  distance,  resembling  almost  deceptively  that  of  the  night-jar ;  it  was 
however,  only  heard  during  the  breeding  season.  Another  remarkable  peculiarity 
was  its  fondness  for  hot  and  dry  situations ;  one  in  particular  took  its  statior 
under  a  stone  close  to  a  south  wall,  and  was  frequently  seen  peeping  out  from  it; 
hiding-place,  and  if  taken  up  in  the  hand  would  immediately  resume  its  positior 
upon  being  placed  on  the  ground.  I  have  seen  hundreds  of  young  ones  not  large: 
than  the  finger-nail  on  the  heath  at  Wolmer,  not  far  from  the  pond,  where  doubt 
less  they  had  been  bred.  The  palmated  smooth  newt  formerly  inhabited  a  pone 
on  the  common  ;  but  I  have  not  seen  it  for  some  years." — [R.  B.  S.] 


LETTER  XVIII 

TO   THE   SAME 

SELBORNE,  July  2^tk,  I768.1 

DEAR  SIR, — I  received  your  obliging  and  communicative 
letter  of  June  the  28th,  while  I  was  on  a  visit  at  a  gentle- 
man's house,  where  I  had  neither  books  to  turn  to,  nor 
leisure  to  sit  down,  to  return  you  an  answer  to  many 
queries,  which  I  wanted  to  resolve  in  the  best  manner  that 
I  am  able. 

A  person,  by  my  order,  has  searched  our  brooks,  but 
could  find  no  such  fish  as  the  gasterosteus  pungitius :  he 
found  the  gasterosteus  aculeatus  in  plenty.  This  morning, 
in  a  basket,  I  packed  a  little  earthen  pot  full  of  wet  moss, 
and  in  it  some  sticklebacks,  male  and  female ;  the  females 
big  with  spawn  :  some  lamperns  ;  some  bulls  heads ;  but 
I  could  procure  no  minnows.  This  basket  will  be  in  Fleet 
Street  by  eight  this  evening  ;  so  I  hope  Mazel  will  have 
them  fresh  and  fair  to-morrow  morning.2  I  gave  some 
directions,  in  a  letter,  to  what  particulars  the  engraver 
should  be  attentive.3 

Finding,  while  I  was  on  a  visit,  that  I  was  within  a 
reasonable  distance  of  Ambresburyf  I  sent  a  servant  over  to 
that  town,  and  procured  several  living  specimens  of  loaches, 

1  Actual  date,  July  25,  1768,— [R.  B.  S.] 

2  In  the  original  letter  the  passage  reads  as  follows :  "As  the  coach  goes  every 
day  from  Alton  to  London,  I  think  that  fish  sent  in  wet  moss  by  that  conveyance 
will  arrive  very  fresh  in  town :  therefore  I  intend  to  procure  the  fishes  of  our 
streams,  and  will  send  them  up  to  Mr.  Mazel  by  means  of  my  Brother,  who  will 
order  him  to  engrave  them  as  you  desire." — [R.  B.  S.] 

3  Peter  Mazell  was  the  engraver  of  the  plates  in  Pennant's  works,  and  engraved 
some  of  the  plates  for  Gilbert  White's  original  edition  of  "Selborne." — [R.  B.  S.] 

4  Amesbury.— [R.  B.  S.] 

75 


76      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

which  he  brought,  safe  and  brisk,  in  a  glass  decanter.  The} 
were  taken  in  the  gullies  that  were  cut  for  watering  the 
meadows.  From  these  fishes  (which  measured  from  twc 
to  four  inches  in  length)  I  took  the  following  description 
"The  loach,1  in  its  general  aspect,  has  a  pellucid  appear 
ance  :  its  back  is  mottled  with  irregular  collections  of  smal 
black  dots,  not  reaching  much  below  the  linea  lateralis,  a; 
are  the  back  and  tail  fins  ;  a  black  line  runs  from  each  ey( 
down  to  the  nose ;  its  belly  is  of  a  silvery  white  ;  the  uppei 
jaw  projects  beyond  the  lower,  and  is  surrounded  with  sb 
feelers,  three  on  each  side ;  it's  pectoral  fins  are  large,  it's 
ventral  much  smaller ;  the  fin  behind  it's  anus  small ;  it's 
dorsal-fin  large,  containing  eight  spines  ;  it's  tail,  where  i 
joins  to  the  tail-fin,  remarkably  broad,  without  any  taperness 
so  as  to  be  characteristic  of  this  genus ;  the  tail-fin  is  broad 
and  square  at  the  end.  From  the  breadth  and  musculai 
strength  of  the  tail  it  appears  to  be  an  active  nimble  fish." 
In  my  visit  I  was  not  very  far  from  Hungerford,  and  die 
not  forget  to  make  some  inquiries  concerning  the  wonderfu 
method  of  curing  cancers  by  means  of  toads.  Several  in 
telligent  persons,  both  gentry  and  clergy,  do,  I  find,  give  '< 
great  deal  of  credit  to  what  was  asserted  in  the  papers :  anc 
I  myself  dined  with  a  clergyman  who  seemed  to  be  per 
suaded  that  what  is  related  is  matter  of  fact ;  but,  when 
came  to  attend  to  his  account,  I  thought  I  discerned  cir 
cumstances  which  did  not  a  little  invalidate  the  woman': 
story  of  the  manner  in  which  she  came  by  her  skill.  Sh< 
says  of  herself  "  that,  labouring  under  a  virulent  cancer,  sh< 
went  to  some  church  where  there  was  a  vast  crowd  :  on  goin^ 
into  a  pew,  she  was  accosted  by  a  strange  clergyman  ;  who 
after  expressing  compassion  for  her  situation,  told  her  tha 
if  she  would  make  such  an  application  of  living  toads  as  ii 
mentioned  she  would  be  well."  Now  is  it  likely  that  thi: 
unknown  gentleman  should  express  so  much  tenderness  foi 
this  single  sufferer,  and  not  feel  any  for  the  many  thousand; 
that  daily  languish  under  this  terrible  disorder  ?  Would  h< 
not  have  made  use  of  this  invaluable  nostrum  for  his  owr 

1  Ntmachilus  barbatulus,  L. — [G.  A.  B.] 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      77 

emolument ;  or  at  least,  by  some  means  of  publication  or 
other,  have  found  a  method  of  making  it  public  for  the  good 
of  mankind  ?  In  short,  this  woman  (as  it  appears  to  me) 
having  set  up  for  a  cancer-doctress,  finds  it  expedient  to 
amuse  the  country  with  this  dark  and  mysterious  relation. 

The  water-eft  has  not,  that  I  can  discern,  the  least 
appearance  of  any  gills  ;  for  want  of  which  it  is  continually 
rising  to  the  surface  of  the  water  to  take  in  fresh  air.  I 
opened  a  big-bellied  one  indeed,  and  found  it  full  of  spawn. 
Not  that  this  circumstance  at  all  invalidates  the  assertion 
that  they  are  larva:  for  the  larva  of  insects  are  full  of  eggs, 
which  they  exclude  the  instant  they  enter  their  last  state. 
The  water-eft  is  continually  climbing  over  the  brims  of  the 
vessel,  within  which  we  keep  it  in  water,  and  wandering 
away :  and  people  every  summer  see  numbers  crawling,  out 
of  the  pools  where  they  are  hatched,  up  the  dry  banks. 
There  are  varieties  of  them,  differing  in  colour ;  and  some 
have  fins  up  their  tail  and  back,  and  some  have  not.1 

[I  am  not  certain  that  the  stone  curlew,  cedicnemus,  stays 
with  us  quite  in  the  dead  of  winter.  I  had  often  seen  them 
late  in  the  autumn  and  early  in  spring.  It  is  probable  they 
may  depart  for  a  time  :  for  they  have  been  seen  in  this 
neighbourhood  &  in  Sussex  near  Chichester,  30  &  40,  nay 
100  in  a  flock  towards  winter.  They  are  not  usually  brought 
to  table  :  but  a  Gent :  told  me  he  dressed  one  last  summer, 
&  it  proved  a  juicy,  well-flavoured  bird.  I  have  been  en- 
deavouring all  the  summer  to  procure  you  some  of  their 
eggs,  but  without  success. 

First  young  swallows  appeared  on  July  the  4th-  Martins 
(perhaps  the  new-flown  young  ones)  began  to  congregate 
on  the  top  of  our  may-pole  July  23. 

My  heart  &  inclinations  will  be  with  you  when  you 
climb  the  rocks  of  Snowdon,  &  traverse  the  shores  of 
Anglesea  and  Caernarvon,  but  there  are  insuperable  diffi- 
culties between  us.  That  romantic  and  Alp-like  country 
must  afford  much  of  entertainment  for  a  naturalist. 

1  The  fins  or  membranes  upon  the  tail  and  back  are  an  appendage  to  the  males 
only,  and  are  developed  at  the  season  of  their  breeding. — [W.  J.] 


78      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

A  man  brings  me  word  just  this  minute  that  a  person  at 
Alton  has  got  a  couple  of  eggs  of  the  cedicnemus,  which  he 
took  this  summer  in  a  bean-field  ;  they  are  large  and  round, 
&  very  much  of  the  shape  &  colour  of  those  of  the  Falco 
y  the  Kite. 

I  am  with  the  greatest  respect  &c.,  &c.] 


Life  size 


LETTER   XIX1 

TO   THE   SAME 

SELBORNE,  August  I'jth,  1768. 

DEAR  SIR, — [I  wrote  to  you  about  the  25th  of  July,  & 
hope  my  letter  reached  you  as  it  was  directed  to  Sr  R  : 
Mostyn  as  usual.  In  that  letter  I  gave  you  an  account  that 

1  This  is  one  of  the  most  important  letters  in  the  book.  It  is  the  first  clear 
definition  of  the  three  migratory  species  of  Willow-Wrens,  or  Willow  Warblers 
(as  they  are  variously  called),  which  annually  visit  Great  Britain.  Although  the 
three  species  are  perfectly  distinct,  it  requires  to  be  a  trained  naturalist  to  estimate 
their  specific  characters,  and  to  recognise  their  notes.  On  the  2oth  of  May  1899, 1 
first  visited  Gilbert  White's  country,  in  company  with  Mr.  Freemantle  and  Mr. 
Herbert  Railton,  and  I  undertook  to  show  them  the  three  species  of  Willow 
Warblers.  The  Chiff-chaff  was  detected  by  his  note  among  the  ivy-covered  trees 
and  bushes  which  adjoin  the  path  leading  to  the  "  zigzag  " ;  the  Willow  Wren  sang  to 
us  from  the  bushy  trees  which  fringe  the  Hanger,  close  to  the  Park  which  belongs 
to  the  "Wakes  "  ;  and  without  moving  from  the  spot,  the  Wood  Warbler's  song 
was  heard  from  the  beech-trees  of  the  adjacent  Hanger,  then  in  the  full  spring 
perfection  of  its  new  foliage.  The  latter  was  Gilbert  White's  "  yellowish  bird," 
the  largest  of  our  three  British  Willow  Warblers  :  it  is  distinguished  by  its  white 
breast  and  abdomen,  and  brown  or  flesh  coloured  legs,  and  is  the  Phylloscopus 
sibilator  of  modern  naturalists.  The  Willow  Wren  (P.  trachilus}  has  also  light- 
coloured  legs,  is  intermediate  in  size  between  the  other  two,  and  is  altogether  a 
yellower  bird,  while  the  Chiff-chaff  (P.  minor)  is  the  smallest,  and  has  black  legs. 
The  latter  bird,  one  of  the  earliest  of  our  spring  migrants,  has  a  more  rounded 
wing  than  the  other  two  species.  The  second  primary  is  intermediate  in  length 
between  the  sixth  and  ninth.  It  migrates  to  the  Mediterranean  countries  and  reaches 
Abyssinia  and  Somali  Land.  The  Willow  Warbler  always  has  the  second  primary 
intermediate  in  length  between  the  fifth  and  sixth.  It  has  a  more  extended  winter 
range  than  the  Chiff-chaff  or  the  Wood  Warbler,  and  is  found  during  our  cold 
season  throughout  Africa,  reaching  even  to  the  Cape  Colony.  The  winter  home 
of  the  Wood  Warbler  is  in  North-east  Africa  and  West  Africa,  for  it  has  been  met 
with  on  the  Gold  Coast  during  our  winter  months.  The  above-mentioned  differ- 
ences in  the  proportions  of  the  primaries  or  flight-feathers  are  of  great  service 
in  distinguishing  the  three  species  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  and  particularly 
in  the  autumn,  when  the  yellow  tint  of  the  plumage  assumed  by  old  and  young 

79 


8o      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

I  had  sent  the  fishes  of  our  streams  up  to  Mazel  to  be 
engraved.  You  had  in  it  also  a  pretty  exact  description  of 
the  Ambresbury  loach  taken  from  living  specimens  pro- 
cured from  thence ;  my  sentiments  with  regard  to  the  use 
of  toads  near  Hungerford  ;  and  my  suspicions  with  regard 
to  the  water-eft. 

Now  I  present  you  with  a  paper  of  remarks  from  Thomas 
Barker  Esq.  of  Lyndon-hall  in  Rutland,  a  Gent :  who 
marryed  one  of  my  Sisters.  In  it  you  will  find,  I  think, 
a  curious  register,  kept  by  himself  for  32  years,  relative 
to  the  coming  and  departure  of  birds  of  passage.  If  you 
find  anything  in  it,  or  among  ye  rest  of  the  observations 
worthy  yr  notice  you  are  wellcome,  he  says,  to  make 
what  use  you  please  of  any  of  them.] 1 

I  have  now,  past  dispute,  made  out  three  distinct  species 
of  the  willow- wrens  (motacilloe  trochili)  which  constantly  and 
invariably  use  distinct  notes.  But  at  the  same  time  I  am 
obliged  to  confess  that  I  know  nothing  of  your  willow-lark.2 
In  my  letter  of  April the  i8th,  I  had  told  you  peremptorily 
that  I  knew  your  willow-lark,  but  had  not  seen  it  then ; 
but  when  I  came  to  procure  it,  it  proved,  in  all  respects, 
a  very  motacilla  trochilus ;  only  that  it  is  a  size  larger  than 
the  two  other,  and  the  yellow-green  of  the  whole  upper 
part  of  the  body  is  more  vivid,  and  the  belly  of  a  clearer 
white.  I  have  specimens  of  the  three  sorts  now  lying 
before  me  ;  and  can  discern  that  there  are  three  gradations 

birds  after  their  autumn  moult  renders  their  identification  more  difficult  than 
in  the  breeding  season. 

The  Willow  Warbler  and  the  Wood  Warbler  both  build  a  half-domed  grass- 
nest  on  the  ground,  and  the  former  bird  lines  its  nest  with  feathers,  while  the 
Wood  Warbler  lines  its  nest  with  horse-hair,  and  its  eggs  are  unmistakable  from 
the  purplish  colour  of  the  spots,  which  are  often  thickly  clustered  together  at  the 
larger  end.  The  spots  on  the  eggs  of  the  Willow  Warbler  are  smaller  and  more 
decidedly  rufous  in  tint.  The  Chiff-chaff  builds  its  nest  a  little  way  off  the  ground, 
sometimes  at  a  height  of  three  or  four  feet,  forms  it  of  grass,  but  uses  no  moss  like 
the  Willow  Warbler,  although  it  lines  the  nest  with  feathers.  The  eggs  are 
slightly  smaller  than  those  of  the  other  two  species,  and  the  spots,  either  reddish 
or  purple,  are  more  equally  distributed  over  the  surface  of  the  egg. — [R.  B.  S.] 

1  This  "curious"  (i.e.  carefully  made)  register  of  the  migration  of  birds  in 
Rutlandshire  seems  no  longer  to  be  in  existence. — [R.  B.  S.] 

2  "Brit.  Zool.,"  edit  1776,  octavo,  p.  381.— [G.  W.] 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      81 

of  sizes,  and  that  the  least  has  black  legs,  and  the  other  two 
flesh-coloured  ones.  The  yellowest  bird  is  considerably 
the  largest,  and  has  its  quill-feathers  and  secondary  feathers 
tipped  with  white,  which  the  others  have  not.  This  last 
haunts  only  the  tops  of  trees  in  high  beechen  woods,  and 
makes  a  sibilous  grasshopper-like  noise,  now  and  then,  at 
short  intervals,  shivering  a  little  with  its  wings  when  it 
sings  ;  and  is,  I  make  no  doubt  now,  the  regulus  non  cristatus 
of  Ray ;  which  he  says,  "  cantat  voce  stridula  locustce."  Yet 
this  great  ornithologist  never  suspected  that  there  were 
three  species.1 

[The  behaviour  of  the  antelope  which  you  saw  in  town, 
strongly  corroborates  my  suspicions  concerning  the  deer. 
I  desire  you  will  not  fail  to  procure  a  buck's  head  from 
Sr  R  :  M  : 2  &  will  have  it  dissected  with  care.  I  could 
have  procured  one  with  ease  myself  'til  this  year  :  but  now 
my  neighbour  Sr  Simeon  Stuart  has  destroyed  his  stock, 
&  turned  his  park  into  sheep-walks. 

The  first  young  swallows  appeared  on  July  4th  &  ye 
first  martins  began  to  congregate  on  ye  bush  of  the  village 
may-pole  on  July  23. 

To  me  it  is  very  plain,  that  the  first  swallows  &  martins 
that  congregate,  are  the  birds  of  the  first  brood,  &  that 
thro'  an  inability  of  flying  long  at  a  time.  For  while  these 
first  flyers  are  spending  as  much  time  on  a  may-pole,  the 
battlements  of  a  tower,  &c. :  the  old  ones  are  busily 
employed  in  rearing  a  second  brood. 

The  swifts  have  never  been  seen  with  us  since  Aug  :  5th 
&  I  conclude  will  come  no  more  this  season.  I  am  always 

1  In  the  original  letter  follows  a  repetition  of  the  note  on  the  Thick-knee 
which  occurred  in  Letter  XVIII,  and  which  I  have  there  restored.      The  two 
notes  are  identical,  with  the  exception  that  the  words  "nay  100  in  a  flock"  are 
not  repeated,  as  if  the  author  fancied  that  his  estimate  might  have  been  too  large. 
He  then  continues :  "  Understanding  that  a  Quaker  at  Alton  had  got  two  of 
their  eggs  which  he  took  in  a  bean-field  as  they  lay  in  a  hollow  place  on  the 
naked  ground,  I  went  over  to  see  them,  and  found  them  round  and  large,  and  of 
a  yellow-white  blotched  with  red,  and  not  unlike  those  of  the  Falco  milvus.     The 
man  was  very  civil,  and  says  I  may  have  them  when  I  chuse  to  send :  so  I  shall 
preserve  them  for  you." — [R.  B.  S.] 

2  Sir  Roger  Mostyn.— [R.  B.  S.] 

L 


82      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

amazed  that  this  species  should  constantly  depart  so  man> 
months  before  their  congeners.  It  is  worth  our  remarking 
that  tho'  the  swift  is  at  its  arrival  of  a  dark  sootty  colour 
yet  by  being  for  16  hours  together  almost  constantly  in  th< 
sun  &  air,  it  becomes  before  its  departure  much  bleached 
&  as  it  were  what  the  country  people  call  piss-burnt,  lik< 
an  old  weather-beaten  brown  wig  :  &  yet  it  returns  soott] 
again  in  the  spring.  Now  if  they  go  into  warm  region 
during  our  winter,  why  do  they  not  return  sun-burnt,  a; 
they  went  off  ?  It  is  a  matter  of  curious  enquiry  to  con 
sider  when  swifts  moult.  Change  their  feathers  here  the; 
certainly  do  not :  &  if  they  have  as  much  occasion  fo 
their  wings  while  absent,  as  while  here,  they  would  fin< 
no  opportunity  to  spare  several  feathers  at  a  time, 
would  not  pretend  to  lay  too  much  stress  on  thesi 
reflections :  but  certainly  can't  refrain  from  observing 
that  they  tend  rather  to  make  one  suspect  that  they  hide 
rather  than  migrate  ...  at  least  for  part  of  the  long  tim 
they  are  absent  from  us  :  and  perhaps  that  at  that  junctur 
they  moult. 

Hoping  for  a  long  and  communicative  letter  soon, 
I  conclude,  with  great  esteem, 

Yr  most  obedient  servant, 

GIL  :  WHITE. 

P.S. — When  you  have  done  with  Mr-  Barker's  remarks 
please  to  return  them.] 


LETTER   XX 

TO   THE  SAME 

SELBORNE:  Octobr  8,  1768. 

DEAR  SIR, — [Your  letter  of  Septemr  6th  gave  me  a  great 
deal  of  entertainment  &  satisfaction:  &  the  more  satisfac- 
tion because  I  really  began  to  fear  from  yr  long  &  unusual 
silence  that  you  might  be  prevented  from  writing  by  sick- 
ness or  some  accident  that  might  have  befallen  you  in  yr 
Caernarvon  tour.  But  as  I  much  esteem  yr  friendly  cor- 
respondence already,  I  desire  you  will  not  make  use  of  any 
such  methods  of  enhancing  the  value  of  it  for  the  future. 

I  receive  yr  kind  invitation  into  Flintshire  as  a  fresh 
instance  of  yr  friendly  disposition  towards  me :  but  whether 
my  health,  or  the  want  of  command  of  my  time  will  ever 
permit  me  to  gratify  myself  with  so  pleasing  a  tour  &  visit, 
I  cannot  pretend  to  say :  however  I  depend  much  on  having 
it  in  my  power  to  give  you  a  meeting  in  town  next  spring  : 
&  it  would  be  matter  of  high  entertainment  &  instruction 
to  me  to  be  able  to  accompany  you  in  yr  pursuits  after 
natural  knowledge. 

As  I  do  not  live  nearer  to  any  sand-banks  than  three 
miles,  I  am  not  so  conversant  with  ye  sand-martins  as 
with  their  congeners.  However  I  know  in  general  that 
they  appear  as  soon  as  the  swallows,  and  retire  much 
about  the  same  time.  As  their  stay  is  of  such  length,  there 
is  little  reason  to  doubt  but  that  they  breed  twice  like  the 
swallow,  &  house-martin  :  but  this  I  do  not  advance  as 

from  my  own  knowledge.     How  strange  is  it  that  so  feeble 

83 


84      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

a  little  bird  as  the  sand-martin  with  its  soft  bill  &  weak 
claws  should  be  able  to  terebrate  such  deep  holes  in  the 
hard  sand-banks  ?  &  yet  there  is  no  manner  of  doubt  but 
that  these  latebrae  are  of  their  own  boring.  Some,  I  see, 
are  now  left  not  more  than  an  Inch  deep ;  some  three 
or  four;  &  must  remain  uncompleated  'til  some  future 
summer.  I  remember  but  one  instance  of  their  deviating 
from  this  manner  of  building  in  banks;  &  that  is  at  Bishop's 
Waltham  in  Hants,  where  these  birds  have  nested  time  out 
of  mind  in  great  numbers  in  the  scaffold-holes,  &  crannies 
of  the  walls  of  the  Bishop's  old  stables,  which  are  now 
malt-houses.  One  colony  of  these  martins  on  the  verge  of 
our  forest  has  been  dispossessed  of  their  caverns  by  the 
house-sparrows,  who  breed  in  them,  as  they  often  do  in 
the  nests  of  house-martins.  Mr<  Peter  Collinson,  I  re- 
member, procured  several  of  these  holes  to  be  dug-out  to 
the  bottom  in  winter,  &  found  that  they  were  about  two 
feet  deep,  &  serpentine  ;  but  contained  nothing  but  old 
nests.  It  appears  by  my  Nat :  Journal,  that  sand-martins 
were  seen  in  plenty  on  Septemr  i6th-  They  always  haunt 
near  great  lakes,  &  waters. 

I  met  with  a  paragraph  in  the  news-papers  some  weeks 
ago  that  gave  me  some  odd  sensations,  a  kind  of  mixture  of 
pleasure  &  pain  at  the  same  time :  it  was  as  follows  :  "  On 
the  sixth  day  of  August  Joseph  Banks  Esq.,  accompanyed 
by  Dr-  Solander,  Mr-  Green  the  Astronomer,  &c:  set-out 
for  Deal  in  order  to  embark  aboard  the  Endeavour,  Captain 
Cook,  bound  for  the  South-seas."  When  I  reflect  on  the 
youth  &  affluence  of  this  enterprizing  Gent :  I  am  filled  with 
wonder  to  see  how  conspicuously  the  contempt  of  dangers, 
&  the  love  of  excelling  in  his  favourite  studies  stand  forth 
in  his  character.  And  yet  tho'  I  admire  his  resolution, 
which  scorns  to  stoop  to  any  difficulties ;  I  cannot  divest 
myself  of  some  degree  of  solicitude  for  his  person.  The 
circumnavigation  of  the  globe  is  an  undertaking  that  must 
shock  the  constitution  of  a  person  inured  to  a  sea-faring  life 
from  his  childhood  :  &  how  much  more  that  of  a  landman  ? 
May  we  not  hope  that  this  strong  Impulse,  which  urges  for- 


(j9st 


P/5   Life  size 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      85 

ward  this  distinguished  Naturalist  to  brave  the  intemperance 
of  every  climate ;  may  also  lead  him  to  the  discovery  of 
something  highly  beneficial  to  mankind  ?  If  he  survives, 
with  what  delight  shall  we  peruse  his  Journals,  his  Fauna, 
his  Flora  ?  ....  if  he  fails  by  the  way,  I  shall  revere  his 
fortitude,  &  contempt  of  pleasures,  &  indulgences  :  but 
shall  always  regret  him,  tho'  my  knowledge  of  his  worth 
was  of  late  date,  &  my  acquaintance  with  him  but  slender.] 
It  is,  I  find,  in  zoology  as  it  is  in  botany:  all  nature  is  so 
full,  that  that  district  produces  the  greatest  variety  which 
is  the  most  examined.  Several  birds,  which  are  said  to 
belong  to  the  north  only,  are,  it  seems,  often  in  the  south. 
I  have  discovered  this  summer  three  species  of  birds  with 
us,  which  writers  mention  as  only  to  be  seen  in  the  northern 
counties.  The  first  that  was  brought  me  (on  the  i4th  of 
May]  was  the  sandpiper,  tringa  hypoleucus :  it  was  a  cock 
bird,  and  haunted  the  banks  of  some  ponds  near  the  village  ; 
and,  as  it  had  a  companion,  doubtless  intended  to  have 
bred  near  that  water.1  Besides,  the  owner  has  told  me 

1  This  it  would  not  have  done,  the  neighbourhood  of  Selborne  being  quite 
different  from  the  more  northern  moorland  haunts  which  the  Common  Sandpiper 
affects  during  the  breeding-season.  In  the  spring  migrations,  however,  the  Sand- 
piper visits  the  ponds  and  lakes  of  Hampshire  on  its  passage  northward,  and  at 
Avington  Park  I  have  seen  several  individuals  of  this  species  on  the  great  lake  in 
May,  but  I  never  saw  one  in  the  autumn,  when  the  Sandpiper  appears  to  travel 
south  in  family  parties  along  the  rivers,  or  else  by  the  coast-lines.  On  the  banks 
of  the  Thames  they  are  seen  singly  or  in  pairs  in  the  spring,  and  are  rare  ;  whereas 
in  autumn  they  are  rather  common,  being  met  with  in  little  parties  on  the  sandy 
banks  such  as  those  between  Cookham  and  Marlow,  according  to  my  own 
experience.  In  the  mud-flats  of  the  south  coast  they  are  generally  seen  singly, 
frequenting  the  ditches  between  the  mud-banks  as  the  tide  recedes.  There  are 
always  plenty  of  them  about,  so  that  they  may  belong  to  the  same  family  party. 

Professor  Bell  (ed.  "  Selborne,"  vol.  i.  p.  59  note)  says  that  in  July  1860  (a  some- 
what early  date  for  the  return  journey  of  the  species ;  the  day  of  the  month  is 
unfortunately  not  given)  a  Common  Sandpiper  was  shot  on  the  mill-stream  and 
brought  to  him.  He  also  mentions  a  Green  Sandpiper  (Melodramas  ochropus)  as 
having  been  shot  in  August  1858.  This  specimen  is  now  in  the  Alton  Museum. 
A  Spotted  Redshank,  changing  from  summer  to  winter  plumage,  was  shot  at 
Oakhanger  on  August  30,  1851.  This  specimen  was  also  presented  to  the  Alton 
Museum.  Gilbert  White  also  mentions  the  shooting  of  a  Green  Sandpiper  in 
August  1769,  as  appears  in  the  hitherto  unpublished  portion  of  Letter  XXV 
(postea,  p.  lio).— [R.  B.  S.] 


86      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

since,  that,  on  recollection,  he  has  seen  some  of  the  sam 
birds  round  his  ponds  in  former  summers. 

The  next  bird  that  I  procured  (on  the  2ist  of  May)  w< 
a  male  red-backed  butcher-bird,  lanius  collurio.  My  neigl 
bour,  who  shot  it,  says  that  it  might  easily  have  escaped  h 
notice,  had  not  the  outcries  and  chattering  of  the  whiti 
throats  and  other  small  birds  drawn  his  attention  to  tt 
bush  where  it  was ;  it's  craw  was  filled  with  the  legs  an 
wings  of  beetles. 

The  next  rare  birds  (which  were  procured  for  me  la 
week)  were  some  ring-ousels,  turdi  torquati. 

This  week  twelve  months  a  gentleman  from  London 
being  with  us,  was  amusing  himself  with  a  gun,  and  foun 
he  told  us,  on  an  old  yew  hedge  where  there  were  berrii 
some  birds  like  blackbirds,  with  rings  of  white  round  the 
necks  :  a  neighbouring  farmer  also  at  the  same  time  observe 
the  same  ;  but,  as  no  specimens  were  procured,  little  noti< 
was  taken.  I  mentioned  this  circumstance  to  you  in  n 
letter  of  November  the  4th,  1767  :  (you  however  paid  b 
small  regard  to  what  I  said,  as  I  had  not  seen  these  bir 
myself)  ;  but  last  week  the  aforesaid  farmer,  seeing  a  larj 
flock,  twenty  or  thirty  of  these  birds,  shot  two  cocks  at 
two  hens  :  and  says,  on  recollection,  that  he  remembers 
have  observed  these  birds  again  last  spring,  about  Lady-dt 
as  it  were,  on  their  return  to  the  north.  Now  perhaps  the 
ousels  are  not  the  ousels  of  the  north  of  England,  b 
belong  to  the  more  northern  parts  of  Europe;*  and  m 
retire  before  the  excessive  rigor  of  the  frosts  in  those  part 
and  return  to  breed  in  the  spring,  when  the  cold  abat< 
i 

1  In  the  original  letter  :  "  My  brother  from  Fleet  Street  [Pennant's  publish 
Benjamin  White]  being  with  us,  was  amusing  himself  with  a  gun,  &c." — [K.  B. 

2  The   Ring-ousel  (Merula  torquata}  is  a  bird  of  the  fells  in  summer, 
nests  on  the  moors  in  the  west  and  north  of  England,  and  in  Scotland  : 
Ireland.     The  birds  observed  by  Gilbert  White  were  not  likely  to  be  those  wh 
had  nested  on  the  moors  of  Dorsetshire  or  Wales,  as  there  is  no  evidence  o 
west-to-east  migration  in  the  Ring-ousel,  and  the  numbers  I  saw  in  Heligoh 
in  1876  came  from  the  north  and  flew  due  south  when  they  were  disturbed.     1 
Ring-ousels  doubtless  come  to  visit  Selborne  in  the  autumn  on  their  south 
migration  just  as  they  visit  Brighton,  and  at  the  same  season  they  occur 
Central  Europe  and  winter  in  the  Mediterranean  countries. — [R.  B.  S.] 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      87 

If  this  be  the  case,  here  is  discovered  a  new  bird  of  winter 
passage,  concerning  whose  migrations  the  writers  are  silent  : 
but  if  these  birds  should  prove  the  ousels  of  the  north  of 
England,  then  here  is  a  migration  disclosed  within  our  own 
kingdom  never  before  remarked.  It  does  not  yet  appear 
whether  they  retire  beyond  the  bounds  of  our  island  to  the 
south  ;  but  it  is  most  probable  that  they  usually  do,  or  else 
one  cannot  suppose  that  they  would  have  continued  so 
long  unnoticed  in  the  southern  countries.  The  ousel  is 
larger  than  a  blackbird,  and  feeds  on  haws  ;  but  last  autumn 
(when  there  were  no  haws)  it  fed  on  yew-berries  :  in  the 
spring  it  feeds  on  ivy-berries,  which  ripen  only  at  that 
season,  in  March  and  April.1 

[I  am  persuaded  from  the  accounts  of  two  or  three 
people  that  the  Sturnus  cinclus  is  sometimes  seen  in  these 
parts,2  but  more  frequently  round  Lewes  in  Sussex.] 

I  must  not  omit  to  tell  you  (as  you  have  been  so  lately 
on  the  study  of  reptiles)  that  my  people,  every  now  and 
then  of  late,  draw  up  with  a  bucket  of  water  from  my  well, 
which  is  sixty-three  feet  deep,  a  large  black  warty  lizard 
with  a  fin-tail  and  yellow  belly.3  How  they  first  came  down 
at  that  depth,  and  how  they  were  ever  to  have  got  out 
thence  without  help,  is  more  than  I  am  able  to  say. 

My  thanks  are  due  to  you  for  your  trouble  and  care  in 
the  examination  of  a  buck's  head.  As  far  as  your  dis- 
coveries reach  at  present,  they  seem  much  to  corroborate 

1  Jardine  gives  the  following  note  in  his  edition  :  "  White's  observations  upon 
the  ring-ousel,  at  the  time  he  wrote,  were  very  important,  and  made  with  great 
accuracy.     As  in  other  matters,  it  will  be  very  interesting  for  Professor  Bell  to 
give  his  attention  to  their  present  habits  in  the  vicinity  of  Selborne,  to  ascertain 
if  their  numbers  continue  as  many,  and  their  appearance  as  regular.     In  Scotland 
the  ring-ousel  is  a  regular  summer  visitant,  extending  from  the  English  border  to 
Sutherlandshire  ;  in  the  rocky  districts  of  the  latter  county  it  is  tolerably  frequent. 
In  autumn  and  before  their  departure  they  visit  the  lower  country,  and  remain  a 
day  or  a  week  according  to  circumstances,  feeding  at  this  time  upon  various 
berries,  and  occasionally  visiting  gardens.     The  broods  are  now  joined  and  mixed 
together,  and  the  young  appear  in  their  imperfect  mottled  dress  "  (p.  60).     Pro- 
fessor Bell  does  not  seem  to  have  published  any  notes  on  the  Ring-ousels  near 
Selbome  in  modern  days. — [R.  B.  S.J 

2  The  Dipper  (Cinclus  aquaticus). — [R.  B.  S.] 
*  Triton palustris.— [G.  A.  B.] 


88      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

my  suspicions ;  and  I  hope  Mr. l  may  find  reason 

give  his  decision  in  my  favour ;  and  then,  I  think,  we  rm 
advance  this  extraordinary  provision  of  nature  as  a  ne 
instance  of  the  wisdom  of  God  in  the  creation. 

As  yet  I  have  not  quite  done  with  my  history  of  tl 
cedicnemus,  or  stone-curlew  ;  for  I  shall  desire  a  gentlerra 
in  Sussex  (near  whose  house  these  birds  congregate  in  va 
flocks  in  the  autumn)  to  observe  nicely  when  they  lea1! 
him,  (if  they  do  leave  him),  and  when  they  return  again  i 
the  spring  :  I  was  with  this  gentleman  lately,  and  sa 
several  single  birds. 

[I  am  with  the  greatest  esteem, 
Your  obliged,  &  most  obedient  servant 
GIL  :  WHITE. 

P.S.  —  Young  martins  in  their  nest  Septembr  251 
Swallows  and  Martins  still  appear  Octobr  yth.] 

1  "Hunter,"  in  the  original  letter.— [R.  B.  S.] 


LETTER    XXI 

TO  THE  SAME 

SELBORNE:  Nffif  28,  1786. 

DEAR  SIR, — [Your  obliging  &  communicative  letter  of 
Octobr  23rd  lies  before  me  ;  &  ought  not  any  longer  to 
remain  unanswered.  It  is  a  great  pleasure  to  me  to  find 
that  amidst  your  various  &  extensive  correspondence,  & 
the  daily  labours  of  your  work  in  hand,  you  still  afford 
time  to  pay  regard  to  my  trifling  remarks,  &  discoveries  ; 
which  a  man  cannot  avoid  stumbling  upon  now  &  then, 
if  he  lives  altogether  in  the  country,  &  gives  any  attention 
at  all  to  the  works  of  Nature.  Happy  the  man  !  who 
knows,  like  you,  how  to  keep  himself  innocently  &  use- 
fully employed ;  especially  where  his  studies  tend  to  the 
advancement  of  knowledge,  &  the  benefit  of  Society.  And 
happy  would  it  be  for  many  more  men  of  fortune  if  they 
knew  what  to  do  with  their  time  ;  if  they  knew  how  to 
shun  "  The  pains  &  penalties  of  Idleness,"  how  much  dissi- 
pation, riot,  &  excess  would  they  escape ;  not  without  the 
complacency  of  finding  themselves  growing  still  better 
neighbours  &  better  commonwealths-men  ? 

Poor  Mr-  Banks  !  his  undertakings  are  virtu  in  excess  : 
&  I  could  almost  wish  he  had  followed  your  advice,  &  sent 
a  proxy.  But  then  he  would  have  foregone  the  honour  & 
praise  due  to  such  a  disinterested  hazarding  of  his  life  ; 
which  a  very  sensible  man  the  other  day  told  me  much 
more  merited  a  peerage  than  the  enterprize  undertaken 
by  Ld  Anson. 

I  am  sorry  Dr-  Hunter  has  given  you  no  better  satis- 
faction with  regard  to  the  buck's  head ;  as  I  was  in  hopes 

89  M 


9o      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

the  suspicions  concerning  the  extraordinary  provision  for 
smelling  bestowed  on  that  animal  would  have  been  cleared 
up  at  once  by  that  Gent  :  in  a  matter  so  much  in  his 
own  way.] 

With  regard  to  the  cedicnemus,  or  stone-curlew,  I  intend 
to  write  very  soon  to  my  friend  near  Chichester,1  in  whose 
neighbourhood  these  birds  seem  most  to  abound  ;  and  shall 
urge  him  to  take  particular  notice  when  they  begin  to  con- 
gregate, and  afterwards  to  watch  them  most  narrowly 
whether  they  do  not  withdraw  themselves  during  the  dead 
of  the  winter.  When  I  have  obtained  information  with 
respect  to  this  circumstance,  I  shall  have  finished  my 
history  of  the  stone-curlew ;  which  I  hope  will  prove  to 
your  satisfaction,  as  it  will  be,  I  trust,  very  near  the  truth. 
This  gentleman,  as  he  occupies  a  large  farm  of  his  own,  and 
is  abroad  early  and  late,  will  be  a  very  proper  spy  upon  the 
motions  of  these  birds  :  and  besides,  as  I  have  prevailed  on 
him  to  buy  the  Naturalist's  Journal  (with  which  he  is  much 
delighted),  I  shall  expect  that  he  will  be  very  exact  in  his 
dates.  It  is  very  extraordinary,  as  you  observe,  that  a  bird 
so  common  with  us  should  never  straggle  to  you. 

And  here  will  be  the  properest  place  to  mention,  while 
I  think  of  it,  an  anecdote  which  the  above-mentioned 
gentleman  told  me  when  I  was  last  at  his  house  ;  which  was 
that,  in  a  warren  joining  to  his  outlet,  many  daws  (corvi 
monedula)  build  every  year  in  the  rabbit-burrows  under 
ground.  The  way  he  and  his  brothers  used  to  take  their 
nests,  while  they  were  boys,  was  by  listening  at  the  mouths 
of  the  holes ;  and,  if  they  heard  the  young  ones  cry,  they 
twisted  the  nest  out  with  a  forked  stick.  Some  water-fowls 
(viz.  the  puffins)  breed,  I  know,  in  that  manner ;  but  I 
should  never  have  suspected  the  daws  of  building  in  holes 
on  the  flat  ground. 

1  Professor  Bell  says  that  Gilbert  White's  friend  "  near  Chichester,:'  was  Mr 
John  Woods  of  Chilgrove  (about  six  miles  from  Chichester,  lying  under  the  chalk 
down  called  Bow  Hill).  He  adds  :  "  The  stone-curlew,  I  am  informed,  is  still 
occasionally  met  with;  but  its  numbers  are  now  but  few"  (ed.  "Selborne," 
vol.  i.  p.  61  note).— [R.  B.  S.] 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      91 

Another  very  unlikely  spot  is  made  use  of  by  daws  as 
a  place  to  breed  in,  and  that  is  Stonehenge.  These  birds 
deposit  their  nests  in  the  interstices  between  the  upright 
and  the  impost  stones  of  that  amazing  work  of  antiquity  : 
which  circumstance  alone  speaks  the  prodigious  height  of 
the  upright  stones,  that  they  should  be  tall  enough  to  secure 
those  nests  from  the  annoyance  of  shepherd-boys,  who  are 
always  idling  round  that  place. 

1  One  of  my  neighbours  last  Saturday,  November  the  26th, 
saw  a  martin  in  a  sheltered  bottom :  the  sun  shone  warm, 
and  the  bird  was  hawking  briskly  after  flies.  I  am  now 
perfectly  satisfied  that  they  do  not  all  leave  this  island  in 
the  winter. 

You  judge  very  right,  I  think,  in  speaking  with  reserve 
and  caution  concerning  the  cures  done  by  toads  :  for,  let 
people  advance  what  they  will  on  such  subjects,  yet  there 
is  such  a  propensity  in  mankind  towards  deceiving  and 
being  deceived,  that  one  cannot  safely  relate  anything  from 
common  report,  especially  in  print,  without  expressing 
some  degree  of  doubt  and  suspicion. 

Your  approbation,  with  regard  to  my  new  discovery 
of  the  migration  of  the  ring-ousel,  gives  me  satisfaction  ; 
and  I  find  you  concur  with  me  in  suspecting  that  they  are 
foreign  birds  which  visit  us.  You  will  be  sure,  I  hope,  not 
to  omit  to  make  inquiry  whether  your  ring-ousels  leave 
your  rocks  in  the  autumn.  What  puzzles  me  most,  is  the 
very  short  stay  they  make  with  us ;  for  in  about  three 
weeks  they  are  all  gone.  I  shall  be  very  curious  to  remark 
whether  they  will  call  on  us  at  their  return  in  the  spring, 
as  they  did  last  year. 

[Let  me  congratulate  you  on  the  correspondence  that 
You  have  newly  settled  with  your  Languedoc  Doctors ; 
since  you  have  always  expressed  an  earnest  desire  of  getting 
correspondents  somewhere  in  the  South  of  Europe.  If 
these  men  are  any  thing  of  good  Naturalists,  they  may  be 
sure  to  assist  you  with  their  informations  &  observations 
with  regard  to  migration ;  &  especially  that  of  the  soft- 

1  This  sentence  forms  the  postscript  to  the  original  letter. — [R.  B.  S.] 


92      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

billed  birds.     It  is  remarkable  that  You  and  Gouan  shouh 
be  both  publishing  Ichthyology  together. 

I  have  also  written  to  my  South  country  corresponden 
at  Gibraltar,1  &  urged  him  to  take  up  the  study  of  Natun 
a  little ;  &  to  habituate  his  mind  to  attend  to  the  migration 
of  birds  &  fishes  ;  &  to  the  plants,  fossils,  and  insects  of  tha 
part  of  the  world.  I  have  also  sent  him  yr  British  zoology 
that  he  may  see  what  is  going  on  at  home  :  &  my  Brother 
has  sent  him  Ray's  Synopsis  avium  &  piscium,  the  System^ 
Natures,  Ray's  Synop :  animalium  quadrup"1  &c.  As  t< 
birds,  I  fear  that  the  concourse  &  din  of  a  garrison  will  no 
prove  very  inviting  to  such  timid  animals :  &  long  o 
frequent  excursions  into  Andalusia  may  not  be  allowed  o 
by  the  bigotted  &  narrow-minded  Spaniards  ;  nor  be  con 
sistent  with  the  strict  &  rigid  discipline  of  a  place  at  arm 
surrounded  with  a  constant  blockade  of  jealous  enemies 
However  I  could  earnestly  wish  to  see  a  well  executei 
Fauna  from  that  part  of  the  world. 

It  is  a  matter  of  no  small  satisfaction  to  me  to  hear  tha 
You  are  so  forward  in  your  work,  &  that  it  is  to  appear  ii 
spring.] 

I  want  to  be  better  informed  with  regard  to  ichthyology 
If  fortune  had  settled  me  near  the  sea-side,  or  near  som 
great  river,  my  natural  propensity  would  soon  have  urgei 
me  to  have  made  myself  acquainted  with  their  produc 
tions  :  but  as  I  have  lived  mostly  in  inland  parts,  and  in  ai 
upland  district,  my  knowledge  of  fishes  extends  little  farthe 
than  to  those  common  sorts  which  our  brooks  and  lake 
produce. 

[With  the  greatest  esteem 
I  remain,  your  obedient,  and  obliged  servant, 
GIL  :  WHITE.] 

1  -His  brother  John.— [R.  B.  S.]  2  His  brother  Benjamin.— [R.  B.  S.] 


LETTER   XXII 

TO  THE  SAME 

SELBORNE,y«W.  2,   1769. 

DEAR  SIR, — [Your  kind  &  agreable  letter  in  answer  to 
mine  of  Novemr  28th  came  safe  to  hand,  but  without 
any  date.  Among  the  many  correspondents  that  I  stand 
indebted  to  for  their  pleasing  communications,  there  are 
none  whose  epistles  I  sit  down  to  answer  with  more  satis- 
faction than  your  own.] 

As  to  the  peculiarity  of  jackdaws  building  with  us  under 
the  ground  in  rabbit-burrows,  you  have,  in  part,  hit  upon 
the  reason  ;  for,  in  reality,  there  are  hardly  any  towers  or 
steeples  in  all  this  country.1  And  perhaps,  Norfolk  excepted, 
Hampshire  and  Sussex  are  as  meanly  furnished  with  churches 
as  almost  any  counties  in  the  kingdom.  We  have  many 
livings  of  two  or  three  hundred  pounds  a  year,  whose 
houses  of .  worship  make  little  better  appearance  than 
dovecots.  When  I  first  saw  Northamptonshire,  Cambridge- 
shire, and  Huntingdonshire,  and  the  fens  of  Lincolnshire,  I 
was  amazed  at  the  number  of  spires  which  presented  them- 
selves in  every  point  of  view.  As  an  admirer  of  prospects, 
I  have  reason  to  lament  this  want  in  my  own  country  ;  for 
such  objects  are  very  necessary  ingredients  in  an  elegant 
landscape. 

What  you  mention  with  respect  to  reclaimed  toads  raises 
my  curiosity.  An  ancient  author,  though  no  naturalist,  has 
well  remarked  that  "  Every  kind  of  beasts,  and  of  birds,  and 

1  The   nesting   of  the  Jackdaw  in  rabbit-burrows  has  been  frequently  re- 
corded.—[R.  B.  S.] 

93 


94      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

of  serpents,  and  things  in  the  sea,  is  tamed,  and  hath  been 
tamed,  of  mankind."  1 

It  is  a  satisfaction  to  me  to  find  that  a  green  lizard  has 
actually  been  procured  for  you  in  Devonshire;  because  it 
corroborates  my  discovery,  which  I  made  many  years  ago, 
of  the  same  sort,  on  a  sunny  sandbank  near  Farnham,  in 
Surrey?  I  am  well  acquainted  with  the  south  hams  of 
Devonshire  ;  and  can  suppose  that  district,  from  it's  southerly 
situation,  to  be  a  proper  habitation  for  such  animals  in 
their  best  colours. 

Since  the  ring-ousels  of  your  vast  mountains  do  certainly 
not  forsake  them  against  winter,3  our  suspicions  that  those 
which  visit  this  neighbourhood  about  Michaelmas  are  not 
English  birds,  but  driven  from  the  more  northern  parts  of 
Europe  by  the  frosts,  are  still  more  reasonable  ;  and  it  will 
be  worth  your  pains  to  endeavour  to  trace  from  whence 
they  come,  and  to  inquire  why  they  make  so  very  short 
a  stay. 

[In  your  letter  of  June  28th  1768  I  could  but  admire 
with  how  much  frankness  you  acknowledged  several  mis- 
takes in  your  zoology  with  respect  to  some  birds  of  the 
Grallcs  order.  Candor  is  a  very  essential  part  of  a  Naturalist, 
and  this  accomplishment  our  great  countryman  Mr-  Ray 
possessed  in  an  eminent  degree  ;  &  that  rendered  him  so 
excellent.  ...  If  a  man  was  never  to  write  on  natural 
knowledge  'til  he  knew  every  thing,  he  would  never  write 
at  all  :  &  therefore  a  readiness  to  acknowledge  mistakes  on 
due  conviction  is  the  only  certain  path  to  perfection.] 

In  your  account  of  your  error  with  regard  to  the  two 
species  of  herons,  you  incidentally  gave  me  great  entertain- 

1  James,  chap.  iii.  7. — [G.  W.] 

2  "  The  green  lizard  here  spoken  of,"  writes  Professor  Bell,  "  which  was  found 
by  Gilbert  White  and  by  the  Rev.  Revett  Shepherd  near  Farnham,  was  doubtless 
the  Lacerta  stirpium  of  Daudin  and  Jenyns,  now  known  to  be  a  British  species. 
It  has  been  repeatedly  found  by  myself  in  the  Isle  of  Purbeck  and  Poole  Heath, 
in  Dorsetshire.     It  is  doubtless  the  true  L.  agilis  of  Linnaeus  ('Brit.  Reptiles,' 
p.  17),"  (ed.  "  Selborne,"  vol.  i.  p.  64). 

3  This  statement  of  Pennant's  is  quite  erroneous.     The  Ring-ousel  does  not 
pass  the  winter  in  Britain. — [R.  B.  S.] 


</ 


'/a  L  ife  size. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      95 

ment  in  your  description  of  the  heronry  at  Cressi-hall  ; 
which  is  a  curiosity  1  never  could  manage  to  see.  Fourscore 
nests  of  such  a  bird  on  one  tree  is  a  rarity  which  I  would 
ride  half  as  many  miles  to  have  a  sight  of.  Pray  be  sure 
to  tell  me  in  your  next  whose  seat  Cressi-hall  is,  and  near 
what  town  it  lies.1  I  have  often  thought  that  those  vast 
extents  of  fens  have  never  been  sufficiently  explored.  If 
half  a  dozen  gentlemen,  furnished  with  a  good  strength  of 
water-spaniels,  were  to  beat  them  over  a  week,  they  would 
certainly  find  more  species. 

[I  often  take  up  yr  zoology  for  an  hour,  &  entertain 
myself  with  comparing  your  descriptions  with  those  of  the 
authors  that  have  written  on  the  same  subject;  &  am  pleased 
to  find  that  my  friend  has  thro'  the  whole  acquitted  himself 
so  much  to  advantage.  Your  treatise  in  particular  on 
migration  I  admire  much,  &  think  that  if  it  is  enlarged  as 
more  information  comes  in,  it  will  contribute  much  to 
the  advancement  of  natural  knowledge.  But  there  is  a 
passage  in  the  article  Goatsucker,  page  247,  which  you 
will  pardon  me  for  objecting  to,  as  I  always  thought  it 
exceptionable  :  &  that  is,  "  This  noise  being  made  only  in 
its  flight,  we  suppose  it  to  be  caused  by  the  resistance  to 
the  air  against  the  hollow  of  its  vastly  extended  mouth  & 
throat  for  it  flies  with  both  open  to  take  its  prey."  Now 
as  the  first  line  appears  to  me  to  be  a  false  fact ;  the 
supposition  of  course  falls  to  the  ground,  if  it  should 
prove  so.] 

There  is  no  bird,  I  believe,  whose  manners  I  have  studied 
more  than  that  of  the  caprimulgus  (the  goat-sucker),  as  it  is 
a  wonderful  and  curious  creature  :  but  I  have  always  found 
that  though  sometimes  it  may  chatter  as  it  flies,  as  I  know 
it  does,  yet  in  general  it  utters  it's  jarring  note  sitting  on  a 
bough  ;  and  I  have  for  many  an  half  hour  watched  it  as  it 
sat  with  it's  under  mandible  quivering,  and  particularly  this 
summer.  It  perches  usually  on  a  bare  twig,  with  it's  head 
lower  than  it's  tail,  in  an  attitude  well  expressed  by  your 

1  Cressi  or  Cressy  Hall  is  near  Spalding,  in  Lincolnshire.     Mr.  Harting  says 
that  the  Heronry  has  long  since  been  destroyed. — [R.  B.  S.] 


96      NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

draughtsman  in  the  folio  British  Zoology.  This  bird  is  most 
punctual  in  beginning  it's  song  exactly  at  the  close  of  day ; 
so  exactly  that  I  have  known  it  strike  up  more  than  once 
or  twice  just  at  the  report  of  the  Portsmouth  evening  gun, 
which  we  can  hear  when  the  weather  is  still.  It  appears 
to  me  past  all  doubt  that  it's  notes  are  formed  by  organic 
impulse,  by  the  powers  of  the  parts  of  it's  windpipe,  formed 
for  sound,  just  as  cats  pur.1  You  will  credit  me,  I  hope, 
when  I  assure  you  that,  as  my  neighbours  were  assembled 
in  an  hermitage  on  the  side  of  a  steep  hill  where  we  drink 
tea,  one  of  these  churn-owls  came  and  settled  on  the  cross 
of  that  little  straw  edifice  and  began  to  chatter,  and  con- 
tinued his  note  for  many  minutes ;  and  we  were  all  struck 
with  wonder  to  find  that  the  organs  of  that  little  animal, 
when  put  in  motion,  gave  a  sensible  vibration  to  the  whole 
building  !  This  bird  also  sometimes  makes  a  small  squeak, 
repeated  four  or  five  times  ;  and  I  have  observed  that  to 
happen  when  the  cock  has  been  pursuing  the  hen  in  a 
toying  way  through  the  boughs  of  a  tree. 

It  would  not  be  at  all  strange  if  your  bat,  which  you 
have  procured,  should  prove  a  new  one,  since  five  species 
have  been  found  in  a  neighbouring  kingdom.  The  great 
sort  that  I  mentioned  is  certainly  a  non-descript ;  I  saw  but 
one  this  summer,  and  that  I  had  no  opportunity  of  taking.2 

Your  account  of  the  Indian-grass  was  entertaining.  I 
am  no  angler  myself ;  but  inquiring  of  those  that  are,  what 
they  supposed  that  part  of  their  tackle  to  be  made  of  ? 
they  replied,  "  Of  the  intestines  of  a  silkworm." 

[And  here  I  beg  once  for  all  that  you  would  please  to 
remember,  that  tho'  I  should  not  just  immediately  take 

1  Professor  Bell  reproduces  in  a  footnote  (vol.  i.  p.  65)  the  original  part  of 
White's  letter,  and  adds  :  "This  statement  of  Pennant's  is  one  of  many  proofs 
how  imperfect  was  his  own  observation  of  the  habits  of  birds,  and  how  fallacious 
and  inconsistent  was  his  reasoning.      Who  could  imagine  that  the  possibility 
of  the  mere  'resistance  of  the  air,'  as  the  bird  was  flying  with  its  mouth  open, 
could  produce  a  noise  similar  to  that  of  a  spinning-wheel,  and  loud  enough  to  be 
heard  for  more  than  a  mile  ?     This  bird  is  certainly  less  common  in  Selborne  and 
its  neighbourhood  than  it  was  some  years  ago,  and  I  have  neither  seen  nor  heard 
one  for  some  years  past,"  &c. — [R.  B.  S.] 

2  See  Letters  XXVI,  XXXVI,  and  note(postea,  pp.  114  and  152). 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      97 

notice  of  any  curious  matter  which  you  may  inform  me  of, 
you  are  not  to  suppose  that  I  neglect  it ;  for  either  I  may 
wait  for  information,  or  may  have  somewhat  to  advance 
which  I  may  think  more  necessary  at  that  time.] 

Though  I  must  not  pretend  to  great  skill  in  entomology, 
yet  I  cannot  say  that  I  am  ignorant  of  that  kind  of  know- 
ledge ;  I  may  now  and  then  perhaps  be  able  to  furnish  you 
with  a  little  information. 

The  vast  rains  ceased  with  us  much  about  the  same  time 
as  with  you,  and  since  we  have  had  delicate  weather.  Mr. 
Barker?  who  has  measured  the  rain  for  more  than  thirty 
years,  says,  in  a  late  letter,  that  more  has  fallen  this  year 
than  in  any  he  ever  attended  to  ;  though  from  July  1763  to 
January  1764  more  fell  than  in  any  seven  months  of  this 
year. 

[Desiring  that  you  will  be  pleased  to  accept  of  my 
sincerest  wishes  suitable  to  the  season,  I  remain 

Your  obliged,  &  obedient  servant 
GIL  :  WHITE. 

The  nut-hatch  just  begins  to  chatter  :  it  chatters  flying.] 

1  In  original  letter,  "  My  brother  Barker."— [R.  B.  S.] 


LETTER    XXIII 

TO  THE  SAME 

SRLBORNK  :  Feb.  28,  1769. 

DEAR  SIR, — [Some  avocation  or  business  of  one  kin 
or  another  has  still  prevented  my  paying  that  attention  t 
your  kind  letter  of  Jan.  22  :  which  it  deserved.  As  at  th 
close  of  that  letter  you  invite  me  in  a  most  obliging  manne 
to  come  &  spend  some  time  in  Flintshire  ;  that  paragrap 
seems  to  challenge  my  first  attention.  You  will  not, 
hope,  suspect  me  of  flattery  when  I  assure  You  that  ther 
is  no  man  in  the  kingdom  whom  I  should  visit  with  mor 
satisfaction.  For  as  our  studies  turn  the  same  way,  &  w 
have  been  so  well  acquainted  by  a  long  &  communicativ 
correspondence  ;  I  trust  we  should  relish  each  other' 
conversation,  &  be  soon  as  well  acquainted  in  person  a 
by  letter.  Besides  your  part  of  the  world  would  not  b 
without  its  charms  from  novelty ;  as  I  am  not  acquaints 
with  the  N  :  W  :  part  of  this  island  any  farther  up  thai 
Shrewsbury.  Your  improvements,  yr  mines,  yr  fossils,  \ 
botany,  your  shores,  yr  birds,  would  all  be  matter  of  th 
highest  entertainment  to  me. 

But  then  how  am  I  to  get  at  all  these  pleasures  I 
amusements  ?  I  have  neither  time  nor  bodily  abilitie 
adequate  to  so  long  a  journey.  And  if  I  had  time  I  an 
subject  to  such  horrible  coach-sickness,  that  I  should  b 
near  dead  long  before  I  got  to  Chester.  These  difficulties 
I  know,  will  be  matter  of  great  mirth  to  you,  who  hav 
travelled  all  over  Europe  ;  but  they  are  formidable  to  me 
As  therefore  the  man  cannot  come  to  the  mountain  ; 

hope   the   mountain  (since   friendship  will   effect   strang 

98 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE      99 

things)  will  come  to  the  man  :  I  hope  you  will  have  it  in 
your  power  to  meet  me  in  London,  &  that  you  will 
gratify  me  with  an  opportunity  of  waiting  on  you  to 
Selborne.] 

It  is  not  improbable  that  the  Guernsey  lizard  and  our 
green  lizards  may  be  specifically  the  same  ;  all  that  I  know 
is,  that,  when  some  years  ago  many  Guernsey  lizards  were 
turned  loose  in  Pembroke  college  garden,  in  the  University 
of  Oxford,  they  lived  a  great  while,  and  seemed  to  enjoy 
themselves  very  well,  but  never  bred.  Whether  this  circum- 
stance will  prove  anything  either  way  I  shall  not  pretend 
to  say. 

I  return  you  thanks  for  your  account  of  Cressi-hall ; 
but  recollect,  not  without  regret,  that  in  June  1746  I  was 
visiting  for  a  week  together  at  Spalding,  without  ever  being 
told  that  such  a  curiosity  was  just  at  hand.  Pray  send  me 
word  in  your  next  what  sort  of  tree  it  is  that  contains  such 
a  quantity  of  herons'  nests ;  and  whether  the  heronry  con- 
sists of  a  whole  grove  of  wood,  or  only  of  a  few  trees. 

It  gave  me  satisfaction  to  find  we  accorded  so  well 
about  the  caprimulgus :  all  I  contended  for  was  to  prove 
that  it  often  chatters  sitting  as  well  as  flying  ;  and  therefore 
the  noise  was  voluntary,  and  from  organic  impulse,  and 
not  from  the  resistance  of  the  air  against  the  hollow  of  its 
mouth  and  throat. 

If  ever  I  saw  anything  like  actual  migration,  it  was  last 
Michaelmas-fay.  I  was  travelling,  and  out  early  in  the 
morning  :  at  first  there  was  a  vast  fog  ;  but,  by  the  time 
that  I  was  got  seven  or  eight  miles  from  home  towards  the 
coast,  the  sun  broke  out  into  a  delicate  warm  day.  We 
were  then  on  a  large  heath  or  common,  and  I  could  discern, 
as  the  mist  began  to  break  away,  great  numbers  of  swallows 
(hirundines  rustica)  clustering  on  the  stunted  shrubs  and 
bushes,  as  if  they  had  roosted  there  all  night.  As  soon  as 
the  air  became  clear  and  pleasant  they  all  were  on  the 
wing  at  once  ;  and,  by  a  placid  and  easy  flight,  proceeded 
on  southward  towards  the  sea  :  after  this  I  did  not  see  any 
more  flocks,  only  now  and  then  a  straggler. 


ioo     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

I  cannot  agree  with  those  persons  that  assert1  that  the 
swallow  kind  disappear  some  and  some  gradually,  as  they 
come,  for  the  bulk  of  them  seem  to  withdraw  at  once  ;  only 
some  stragglers  stay  behind  a  long  while,  and  do  never, 
there  is  the  greatest  reason  to  believe,  leave  this  island. 
Swallows  seem  to  lay  themselves  up,  and  to  come  forth  in 
a  warm  day,  as  bats  do  continually  of  a  warm  evening,  after 
they  have  disappeared  for  weeks  [this  moment  a  bat  is 
flying  round  my  house].  For  a  very  respectable  gentleman 
assured  me  that,  as  he  was  walking  with  some  friends  under 
Merton-wall  on  a  remarkably  hot  noon,  either  in  the  last 
week  in  December  or  the  first  week  in  January,  he  espied 
three  or  four  swallows  huddled  together  on  the  moulding 
of  one  of  the  windows  of  that  college.  I  have  frequently 
remarked  that  swallows  are  seen  later  at  Oxford  than  else- 
where :  is  it  owing  to  the  vast  massy  buildings  of  that  place, 
to  the  many  waters  round  it,  or  to  what  else  ? 2 

[Swallows  (hirundines  rusticce]  as  far  as  I  can  observe, 
are  the  only  birds  that  feed  their  Young  flying.  At  first 
when  they  bring  out  their  broods  they  usually  place  them 
in  a  row  on  the  dead  bough  of  some  tree  where  they  feed 
them  sitting.  As  soon  as  the  young  can  fly  tollerably,  the 
parent-birds,  whenever  their  mouth  is  well-furnished  with 
flies,  give  a  signal  by  a  certain  note  ;  &  the  dam  &  the 
young  bird  advancing  in  a  rising  direction  towards  each 
other  on  the  wing,  the  food  is  conveyed  by  a  delicate 
sleight  from  the  mouth  of  the  former  to  that  of  the  latter. 
This  method  of  feeding  continues  for  some  time  :  for  after 
the  broods  are  able  to  fly  pretty  strongly,  yet  there  are 
such  awkward  vacillations  in  their  motions  as  incapacitate 
them  to  provide  for  themselves. 

1  In  the  original  letter :  "  I  cannot  agree  with  Mr.  Barker "  (his  brother-in- 
law),  whose  notes  on  migration  were  then  in  Pennant's  hands. — [R.  B.  S.] 

'-  This  letter  is  a  reply  to  some  of  Mr.  Pennant's  inquiries,  and  is  remarkable 
for  the  very  distinct  observations  made  upon  the  swallows.  In  a  small  pamphlet 
printed  at  Rotherham  in  1815,  the  author  of  which  we  never  ascertained,  there  are 
some  observations  made  that  agree  with  many  of  those  recorded  by  Mr.  White. 
These  were  also  made  by  a  clergyman,  as  it  is  told  in  his  short  preface,  "  to  rescue 
a  beautiful  and  instructive  phenomenon  from  oblivion,  and  to  render  it  subservient  to 
the  moral  improvement  of  his  numerous  and  highly-respected  charge." — [W.  J.] 


Vs    Life    size. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     101 

Swallows  with  us  sometimes  build  in  barns  against 
rafters  :  &  so  they  did  in  Virgil's  time  :  Antea  quam  tignis 
nidos  suspendit  hirundo.  Some  times  also  they  build  in 
porches  :  &  therefore  the  epithet  or  trivial  name,  chimney, 
(chimney-swallow)  used  by  Mr.  Ray  is  not  a  good  one  : 
&  would  still  be  more  improper  in  countries  where  there 
are  no  chimnies. 

Long  before  I  had  the  pleasure  of  your  correspondence 
I  began  to  suspect  that  Swifts  copulate  flying.  I  kept  my 
suspicions  to  myself,  &  have  observed  them  narrowly 
several  years ;  &  do  not  yet  find  any  reason  to  retract 
my  supposition ;  and  therefore  hope  you  will  not  be 
startled  at  it. 

Those  that  will  attend  to  their  motions  on  fine  summer 
mornings  in  the  height  of  breeding  time,  may  see  that  as 
they  sail  gently  round  very  high  in  the  air,  one  shall  settle 
on  the  back  of  the  other.  During  this  contact  they  tumble 
down  for  many  fathoms  together  head  over  heels  with  a 
loud  shriek :  at  this  juncture  I  suppose  the  business  of 
generation  is  carrying  on. 

There  is  nothing  very  strange  in  the  supposition  ;  for  we 
know  that  many  insects  engender  flying ;  as  do  ducks  in 
their  own  element  the  water.  All  that  I  have  to  say  about 
swifts  farther  at  present  is,  that  if  what  I  advance  is  true, 
these  birds  eat,  drink,  collect  materials  for  their  nests,  & 
procreate  on  the  wing  :  in  short  perform  every  function 
in  the  air  except  that  of  incubation  &  sleeping  !] 

When  I  used  to  rise  in  a  morning  last  autumn,  and  see 
the  swallows  and  martins  clustering l  on  the  chimneys  and 

1  The  migration  of  the  Swallows  from  England  can  be  observed  by  any  one 
interested  in  birds.  When  the  instinct  of  migration  becomes  enforced,  numbers 
of  Swallows  may  be  seen  congregating  on  telegraph-wires  or  on  the  bare  boughs 
of  trees.  They  rest  for  a  day  or  so  and  are  gone  the  next.  Sand- Martins  also 
affect  the  telegraph-wires  in  large  numbers  at  the  season  of  migration,  and  I  have 
also  seen  them  in  flocks  resting  on  the  warm  sands  of  our  southern  harbours  (such 
as  Pagham  was  in  the  old  days),  before  migrating  across  the  Channel.  All  that  I 
procured  were  young  birds,  and  I  did  not  see  a  single  adult  one.  In  inland 
villages  I  have  known  our  House-Martins  to  congregate  in  what  Gilbert  White 
would  have  called  "  vast "  numbers  on  the  slate  roofs  of  houses  in  the  early  morn- 
ing, as  the  slates  were  warmed  by  the  sun.  They  would  sit  preening  their 


102     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

thatch  of  the  neighbouring  cottages,  I  could  not  help  being 
touched  with  a  secret  delight,  mixed  with  some  degree  of 
mortification  :  with  delight,  to  observe  with  how  much 
ardour  and  punctuality  those  poor  little  birds  obeyed  the 
strong  impulse  towards  migration,  or  hiding,1  imprinted 
on  their  minds  by  their  great  Creator  ;  and  with  some 
degree  of  mortification,  when  I  reflected  that,  after  all  our 
pains  and  inquiries,  we  are  yet  not  quite  certain  to  what 
regions  they  do  migrate  ; z  and  are  still  farther  embarrassed 
to  find  that  some  do  not  actually  migrate  at  all. 

These  reflections  made  so  strong  an  impression  on  my 
imagination,  that  they  became  productive  of  a  composition 
that  may  perhaps  amuse  you  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
when  next  I  have  the  honour  of  writing  to  you. 
[I  am,  with  the  greatest  esteem, 

Yr  obliged  &  humble  servant, 
GIL  :  WHITE.] 

feathers  and  twitter  incessantly,  while  numbers  would  perch  on  the  gutters  and 
indulge  in  a  bath.  I  have  already  spoken  of  the  way  in  which  the  Swallows 
haunt  the  reed-beds  of  the  Thames  and  the  marsh-lands  of  the  southern  coasts  in 
thousands  before  the  autumn  flight  takes  place. —  [R.  B.  S.] 

1  That  Gilbert  White  entertained  a  qualified  belief  in  the  hibernation   of 
Swallows  is  evident  throughout  his  writings.     He  certainly  maintained  an  open 
mind  on  the  subject,  not  liking  entirely  to  reject  some  ol  the  evidence  brought  to 
his  knowledge.     As  recently  as  1 896  a  very  striking  instance  of  the  occurrence  of 
two  Swallows  in  Yorkshire  in  the  winter  of  1895-96  was  recorded  by  Dr.  Frank 
Penrose  in  the  "  Bulletin  "  of  the  British  Ornithologists'  Club  (vol.  vi.  pp.  xviii. 
xix.)     The  occurrence  is  vouched  for  by  the  Rev.  T.  Powell,  Vicar  of  Healey — 
[R.  B.  S.] 

2  If  Gilbert  White  had  lived  in  the  present  day,  his  doubts  as  to  the  migration 
of  the  British  Swallows  and  their  winter  homes  would  have  been  set  at  rest.    The 
Common  Swallow  (Hirundo  rustica)  is  found  abundantly  in  tropical  Africa  during 
our  cold   season,   and   reaches   to  the  Cape  Colony,   while  the  House-Martin 
(Chelidon  urbica)   and  the  Sand-Martin   (Clivicola  riparia}  have  been  found  in 
the  Transvaal  and  Rhodesia.— [R.  B.  S.] 


LETTER   XXIV 

TO   THE   SAME 

SELBORNE,  May  2gtk,  1769. 

DEAR  SIR, — [When  your  agreable  but  tardy  letter  of 
April  22nd  arrived  at  this  place,  I  was  in  London  :  but  it 
was  sent  up  after  me.  It  gave  me  concern  to  hear  you 
had  been  a  good  while  indisposed  ;  &  satisfaction  to  find 
that  you  are  recovered. 

The  great  honours  that  have  befallen  you  at  Drontheim 
call  for  my  congratulations.  You  must  heartily  believe 
now  in  the  accounts  given  by  Pontopidon  of  the  kraken, 
&  sea-snake  :  if  you  should  express  any  disrespect  towards 
these  two  remarkable  animals,  I  don't  know  but  they  may 
remove  you  from  ye  society  as  an  unworthy  brother.] 

The  scarabceus  fullo  I  know  very  well,  having  seen  it  in 
collections ;  but  have  never  been  able  to  discover  one  wild 
in  its  natural  state.  Mr.  Banks  told  me  he  thought  it 
might  be  found  on  the  sea-coast1 

On  the  thirteenth  of  April  I  went  to  the  sheep-down, 
where  the  ring-ousels  have  been  observed  to  make  their 
appearance  at  spring  and  fall,  in  their  way  perhaps  to  the 
north  or  south  ;  and  was  much  pleased  to  see  these  birds 
about  the  usual  spot.  We  shot  a  cock  and  a  hen  ;  they 
were  plump  and  in  high  condition.  The  hen  had  but  very 
small  rudiments  of  eggs  within  her,  which  proves  they  are 
late  breeders ;  whereas  those  species  of  the  thrush  kind 
that  remain  with  us  the  whole  year  have  fledged  young 
before  that  time.  In  their  crops  was  nothing  very  dis- 

1  This  handsome  Cockchafer  (Melontka,  or  Polyphylla,  fullo)  is  not  a  British 
species,  but  a  few  have  been  captured  on  the  coast  of  Kent— evidently  stragglers 

from  the  Continent. — [R.  I.  P.] 

103 


104     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

tinguishable,  but  somewhat  that  seemed  like  blades  of 
vegetables  nearly  digested.  In  autumn  they  feed  on  haws 
and  yew-berries,  and  in  the  spring  on  ivy-berries.  I  dressed 
one  of  these  birds,  and  found  it  juicy  and  well-flavoured. 
It  is  remarkable  that  they  make  but  a  few  days  stay  in 
their  spring  visit,  but  rest  near  a  fortnight  at  Michaelmas. 
These  birds,  from  the  observations  of  three  springs  and  two 
autumns,  are  most  punctual  in  their  return  ;  and  exhibit 
a  new  migration  unnoticed  by  the  writers,  who  supposed 
they  never  were  to  be  seen  in  any  southern  countries. 

One  of  my  neighbours  lately  brought  me  a  new  salicaria, 
which  at  first  I  suspected  might  have  proved  your  willow- 
lark,1  but,  on  a  nicer  examination,  it  answered  much  better 
to  the  description  of  that  species  which  you  shot  at 
Revesby?  in  Lincolnshire.  My  bird  I  describe  thus  :  "  It 
is  a  size  less  than  the  grasshopper-lark  ;  the  head,  back, 
and  coverts  of  the  wings,  of  a  dusky  brown,  without  those 
dark  spots  of  the  grasshopper-lark  ;  over  each  eye  is  a 
milk-white  stroke  ;  the  chin  and  throat  are  white,  and  the 
under  parts  of  a  yellowish  white ;  the  rump  is  tawny,  and 
the  feathers  of  the  tail  sharp-pointed  ;  the  bill  is  dusky  and 
sharp,  and  the  legs  are  dusky ;  the  hinder  claw  long  and 
crooked."  The  person  that  shot  it  says  that  it  sung  so 
like  a  reed-sparrow  that  he  took  it  for  one  ;  and  that  it 
sings  all  night :  but  this  account  merits  farther  inquiry. 
For  my  part,  I  suspect  it  is  a  second  sort  of  locustella, 
hinted  at  by  Dr.  Derham  in  Ray's  Letters :  see  p.  108.  He 
also  procured  me  a  grasshopper-lark. 

The  question  that  you  put  with  regard  to  those  genera 
of  animals  that  are  peculiar  to  America,  viz.,  how  they 
came  there,  and  whence  ?  is  too  puzzling  for  me  to  answer  ; 
and  yet  so  obvious  as  often  to  have  struck  me  with  wonder. 
If  one  looks  into  the  writers  on  that  subject  little  satisfac- 
tion is  to  be  found.  Ingenious  men  will  readily  advance 
plausible  arguments  to  support  whatever  theory  they  shall 

1  For  this  salicaria  see  letter  August  30,  1769. — [G.W.] 
a  This  was  Sir  Joseph  Banks's  place,  where  apparently  Pennant  had  been 
staying.— [R.  B.  S.] 


Life    s  .•  z. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     105 

chuse  to  maintain ;  but  then  the  misfortune  is,  every 
one's  hypothesis  is  each  as  good  as  another's,  since  they 
are  all  founded  on  conjecture.  The  late  writers  of  this 
sort,  in  whom  may  be  seen  all  the  arguments  of  those 
that  have  gone  before,  as  I  remember,  stock  America  from 
the  western  coast  of  Africa  and  the  south  of  Europe;  and 
then  break  down  the  Isthmus  that  bridged  over  the  Atlantic. 
But  this  is  making  use  of  a  violent  piece  of  machinery  : 
it  is  a  difficulty  worthy  of  the  interposition  of  a  god  ! 
"  Incredulus  odi." 

[I  return  you  thanks  for  yr  late  letter  of  May  9th  :  which 
I  shall  endeavour  to  answer  hereafter.  In  the  meanwhile 
hoping  for  the  pleasure  of  hearing  from  you, 

I  remain, 

Please  to  return  Mr.  Yr  obedient  servant, 

Barker's  paper.  GIL  :  WHITE.] 


To  THOMAS  PENNANT,  ESQUIRE 
THE   NATURALIST'S  SUMMER-EVENING  WALK 


-equidem  credo,  quia  sit  divinitus  illis 


Ingenium.  VIRG.  Georg. 

WHEN  day  declining  sheds  a  milder  gleam, 

What  time  the  may-fly  1  haunts  the  pool  or  stream  ; 

When  the  still  owl  skims  round  the  grassy  mead, 

What  time  the  timorous  hare  limps  forth  to  feed  ; 

Then  be  the  time  to  steal  adown  the  vale, 

And  listen  to  the  vagrant 2  cuckoo's  tale  ; 

To  hear  the  clamorous  3  curlew  call  his  mate, 

Or  the  soft  quail  his  tender  pain  relate  ; 

To  see  the  swallow  sweep  the  dark'ning  plain 

Belated,  to  support  her  infant  train  ; 


1  The  angler's  may-fly,  the  ephemera  vulgata  LINN,   comes  forth  from  it's 
aurelia  state,  and  emerges  out  of  the  water  about  six  in  the  evening,  and  dies 
about  eleven  at  night,  determining  the  date  of  it's  fly  state  in  about  five  or  six 
hours.     They  usually  begin  to  appear  about  the  4th  of  June,  and  continue  in  suc- 
cession for  near  a  fortnight.     See  Sivammerdam,  Derham,  Scopoli,  &c. — [G.  W.] 

2  Vagrant  cuckoo ;  so  called  because,  being  tied  down  by  no  incubation  or 
attendance  about  the  nutrition  of  it's  young,  it  wanders  without  control. — [G.  W.] 

3  Charadrius  ccdicnemus. — [G.  W.]  =  (Edicnemus  adicnemus(Uum.). — [R.  B. S.] 

O 


106     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

To  mark  the  swift  in  rapid  giddy  ring 
Dash  round  the  steeple,  unsubdued  of  wing  : 
Amusive  birds  ! — say  where  your  hid  retreat 
When  the  frost  rages  and  the  tempests  beat  ; 
Whence  your  return,  by  such  nice  instinct  led, 
When  spring,  soft  season,  lifts  her  bloomy  head  ? 
Such  baffled  searches  mock  man's  prying  pride, 
The  GOD  of  NATURE  is  your  secret  guide  ! 

While  deep'ning  shades  obscure  the  face  of  day, 
To  yonder  bench  leaf-shelter*  d  let  us  stray, 
'Till  blended  objects  fail  the  swimming  sight, 
And  all  the  fading  landscape  sinks  in  night ; 
To  hear  the  drowsy  dor  come  brushing  by 
With  buzzing  wing,  or  the  shrill 1  cricket  cry  ; 
To  see  the  feeding  bat  glance  through  the  wood  ; 
To  catch  the  distant  falling  of  the  flood  ; 
While  o'er  the  cliff  th'  awaken'd  churn-owl  hung 
Through  the  still  gloom  protracts  his  chattering  song  ; 
While  high  in  air,  and  poised  upon  his  wings, 
Unseen,  the  soft  enamour'd  2  woodlark  sings  : 
These,  NATURE'S  works,  the  curious  mind  employ, 
Inspire  a  soothing  melancholy  joy  : 
As  fancy  warms,  a  pleasing  kind  of  pain 
Steals  o'er  the  cheek,  and  thrills  the  creeping  vein  ! 

Each  rural  sight,  each  sound,  each  smell,  combine  ; 
The  twinkling  sheep-bell,  or  the  breath  of  kine  ; 
The  new-mown  hay  that  scents  the  swelling  breeze, 
Or  cottage-chimney  smoking  through  the  trees. 

The  chilling  night-dews  fall  : — away,  retire  ! 
For  see,  the  glow-worm  lights  her  amorous  fire  !  3 
Thus,  ere  night's  veil  had  half  obscured  the  sky, 
Th'  impatient  damsel  hung  her  lamp  on  high  : 
True  to  the  signal,  by  love's  meteor  led, 
Leander  hasten'd  to  his  Hero's  bed.4 

1  Gryllus  campestris.—[G.  W.] 

2  In  hot  summer  nights  woodlarks  soar  to  a  prodigious  height,  and  hang 
singing  in  the  air. — [G.  W.] 

3  The  light  of  the  female  glow-worm  (as  she  often  crawls  up  the  stalk  of  a  grass 
to  make  herself  more  conspicuous)  is  a  signal  to  the  male,  which  is  a  slender  dusky 
scarabaus. — [G.  W.] 

4  See  the  story  of  Hero  and  Leander. — [G.  W.] 


LETTER   XXV 

TO   THE   SAME 

SELBORNE,  Aug.  3oM,  I769.1 


DEAR  SIR,  —  [I  am  to  acknowledge  my  tardiness  in 
answering  your  kind  letter  of  June  9th  and  have  to  plead, 
business,  workmen,  &  company  :  &  yet  I  ought  not  to 
have  been  silent  for  so  many  weeks.  In  a  former  letter 
of  May  the  9th  you  mention  a  thought  of  a  periodical 
publication,  that  shall  receive  the  various  pieces  of  natural 
history  that  otherwise  might  perish.  Not  being  conversant 
in  such  undertakings  I  am  little  of  a  judge  whether  such 
a  pamphlet  would  be  likely  to  take  :  &  am  fearful  that  the 
very  occasion  of  your  magazine  may  be  the  cause  of  its 
not  suceeding  :  for  amidst  the  din  &  clamour  of  party 
Rage,  the  still  small  voice  of  Philosophy  will,  I  fear,  be 
little  attended  to.  However,  if  you  think  such  a  publica- 
tion expedient,  you  will  no  doubt  get  considerable  assist- 
ance from  your  friends  ;  &  I  shall  be  ready  to  advance  my 
mite  :  but  then  I  shall  expect  you  to  be  very  charitable 
in  your  allowance,  &  to  grant  that  my  mite  in  one  respect 
is  equal  to  larger  contributions,  as  it  is  all  my  stock  of 
knowledge.] 

It  gives  me  satisfaction  to  find  that  my  account  of  the 
ousel  migration  pleases  you.  You  put  a  very  shrewd  ques- 
tion when  you  ask  me  how  I  know  that  their  autumnal 
migration  is  southward  ?  Was  not  candour  and  openness 
the  very  life  of  natural  history,  I  should  pass  over  this 
query  just  as  a  sly  commentator  does  over  a  crabbed 
passage  in  a  classic  ;  but  common  ingenuousness  obliges 

1  Actual  date  of  letter  —  September  1st,  1769.  —  [R.  B.  S.] 
107 


io8     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

me  to  confess,  not  without  some  degree  of  shame,  that  I 
only  reasoned  in  that  case  from  analogy.  For  as  all  other 
autumnal  birds  migrate  from  the  northward  to  us,  to  partake 
of  our  milder  winters,  and  return  to  the  northward  again 
when  the  rigorous  cold  abates,  so  I  concluded  that  the  ring- 
ousels  did  the  same,  as  well  as  their  congeners  the  fieldfares; 
and  especially  as  ring-ousels  are  known  to  haunt  cold 
mountainous  countries  :  but  I  have  good  reason  to  suspect 
since  that  they  may  come  to  us  from  the  westward  ;  because 
I  hear,  from  very  good  authority,  that  they  breed  on 
Dartmore ;  and  that  they  forsake  that  wild  district  about 
the  time  that  our  visitors  appear,  and  do  not  return  till  late 
in  the  spring.1 

I  have  taken  a  great  deal  of  pains  about  your  salicaria 
and  mine,  with  a  white  stroke  over  it's  eye  and  a  tawny 
rump.2  I  have  surveyed  it  alive  and  dead,  and  have  pro- 
cured several  specimens ;  and  am  perfectly  persuaded  my- 
self (and  trust  you  will  soon  be  convinced  of  the  same) 
that  it  is  no  more  nor  less  than  the  passer  arundinaceus 
minor  of  Ray.  This  bird,  by  some  means  or  other,  seems 
to  be  entirely  omitted  in  the  British  Zoology ;  and  one 
reason  probably  was  because  it  is  so  strangely  classed  in 
Ray,  who  ranges  it  among  his  picis  affines.  It  ought  no 
doubt  to  have  gone  among  his  aviculce  caudd  unicolore,  and 
among  your  slender-billed  small  birds  of  the  same  division. 
Linn&us  might  with  great  propriety  have  put  it  into  his 
genus  of  motadlla ;  and  motacilla  salicaria  of  his  fauna 
suecica  seems  to  come  the  nearest  to  it.  It  is  no  uncommon 
bird,  haunting  the  sides  of  ponds  and  rivers  where  there 
is  covert,  and  the  reeds  and  sedges  of  moors.  The  country 

1  The  Ring-ousel  is  a  north-to-south  migrant  in  autumn,  and  vice  versd  in 
spring.     I  have  seen  no  trace  of  a  west-to-east  migration  in  the  autumn  on  our 
southern  coasts,  and  the  influx  of  the  species  has  always  seemed  to  me  to  be  from 
the  northward.     So  it  was  in  Heligoland  in  1876,  and  there  were  no  arrivals  from 
the  east,  as  was  the  case  with  the  Hooded  Crow  (Corone  comix),  Great  Grey 
Shrike  (Lanius  excubitor),  and  other  species. — [R.  B.  S.] 

2  The  Sedge  Warbler  (Ac rocephalus  phragntitis),  a  widely-distributed  species 
in  Britain  during  the  summer,  migrating  in  autumn  to  Africa,  where  it  extends 
eren  to  the  southernmost  parts  of  that  continent. — [R.  B.  S.] 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     109 

people  in  some  places  call  it  the  sedge-bird.  It  sings 
incessantly  night  and  day  during  the  breeding-time,  imitat- 
ing the  note  of  a  sparrow,  a  swallow,  a  sky-lark  ;  and  has 
a  strange  hurrying  manner  in  its  song.  My  specimens 
correspond  most  minutely  to  the  description  of  your  fen 
salicaria  shot  near  Revesby.  Mr.  Ray  has  given  an  excellent 
characteristic  of  it  when  he  says,  "  Rostrum  et  pedes  in  hdc 
aviculd  multb  majores  sunt  qudm  pro  corporis  rationed  See 
letter,  May  29,  1769.  (Preceding  letter,  XXIV.) 

I  have  got  you  the  egg  of  an  cedicnemus,  or  stone-curlew, 
which  was  picked  up  in  a  fallow  on  the  naked  ground  : 
there  were  two,  but  the  finder  inadvertently  crushed  one 
with  his  foot  before  he  saw  them. 

[My  Brother  sent  me  your  book  of  fishes,  which  proves 
very  entertaining  &  edifying  :  &  I  wish  that  I  was  better 
acquainted  with  the  subject :  but  having  never  lived  near 
great  waters,  or  the  sea,  my  opportunities  of  prying  into 
that  branch  of  Nature  have  been  few.] 

When  I  wrote  to  you  last  year  on  reptiles,  I  wish  I  had 
not  forgot  to  mention  the  faculty  that  snakes  have  of 
stinking  se  defendendo.  I  knew  a  gentleman  who  kept  a 
tame  snake,  which  was  in  its  person  as  sweet  as  any  animal 
while  in  good  humour  and  unalarmed  ;  but  as  soon  as  a 
stranger,  or  a  dog  or  cat,  came  in,  it  fell  to  hissing,  and 
filled  the  room  with  such  nauseous  effluvia  as  rendered 
it  hardly  supportable.  Thus  the  squnck,  or  stonck,  of 
Ray's  Synop.  Quadr.  is  an  innocuous  and  sweet  animal ; 
but,  when  pressed  hard  by  dogs  and  men,  it  can  eject  such 
a  most  pestilent  and  fetid  smell  and  excrement,  that 
nothing  can  be  more  horrible. 

[When  an  opportunity  offers  I  shall  be  glad  to  look 
into  yr  Indian  Zoology.  Mr.  Skinner  of  C  :  C  :  C  :  &  Mr. 
Sheffield  of  Worcester  Coll :  have  lately  been  with  me 
for  a  fortnight :  &  are  the  only  Naturalists  that  I  have 
ever  yet  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  at  my  house.  They 
are  both  excellent  Botanists  :  &  the  latter  makes  a  very 
rapid  Progress  in  Entomology.  There  was  great  satis- 
faction in  walking  out  with  these  men  :  because  no  bird, 


no     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

plant  or  insect  came  before  them  unascertain'd.  One  day 
we  shot  a  Tringa  ochrophus,  which  is  a  very  rare  bird  in 
these  parts.1  Mr.  Sheffield  tells  me  you  have  an  elegant 
place  at  Downing ;  large  and  noble  oaks  before  your  house, 
&  beautiful  rills  and  falls  of  water  among  them  tumbling 
from  slope  to  slope  into  the  sea. 

At  the  time  that  you  were  to  be  on  your  journey,  I 
took  notice  that  we  had  most  beautiful  weather  here  in 
the  south  :  I  hope  the  same  season  attended  you  in  the 
most  northerly  parts  of  this  kingdom ;  &  that  you  are 
returned  safe  from  Scotland,  full  fraught  with  curiosities 
&  a  fresh  fund  of  natural  knowledge.] 

A  gentleman  sent  me  lately  a  fine  specimen  of  the  lanius 
minor  cinerascens  cum  maculd  in  scapulis  albd  Raii;z  which 
is  a  bird  that,  at  the  time  of  your  publishing  your  two  first 
volumes  of  British  Zoology,  I  find  you  had  not  seen.  You 
have  described  it  well  from  Edwards' s  drawing. 

[There  appears  a  Comet  nightly  (having  a  tail  of  about 
six  degrees  in  length)  in  the  constellation  of  Aries,  between 
the  24  :  29  :  &  51  stars  of  that  constellation  in  the  English 
catalogue. 

Having  been  lately  very  much  hurryed  by  a  good  deal 
of  correspondence,  &  a  good  deal  of  other  writing  I  was 
glad  to  make  use  of  an  Amanuensis. 

I  am  with  the  greatest  esteem 
Your  most  obedient  &  obliged  servant, 
GIL  :  WHITE.] 

1  See  note,  antea,  p.  85.— [R.  B.  S.] 

*  The  Wood-Chat  Shrike  (Lanius  pomeranus)  is  an  occasional  visitor  to 
Great  Britain,  and  has  even  been  said  to  nest  in  the  Isle  of  Wight.  It  is  distri- 
buted over  the  greater  part  of  Europe  in  summer,  and  winters  in  North-east 
Africa  and  Senegambia.— -[R.  B.  S.] 


LETTER    XXVI 

TO  THE   SAME 

SELBORNE,  December  %th,  1769. 

DEAR  SIR, — I  was  much  gratified  by  your  communi- 
cative letter  on  your  return  from  Scotland,  where  you  spent, 
I  find,  some  considerable  time,  and  gave  yourself  good 
room  to  examine  the  natural  curiosities  of  that  extensive 
kingdom,  both  those  of  the  islands,  as  well  as  those  of 
the  highlands.  The  usual  bane  of  such  expeditions  is 
hurry ;  because  men  seldom  allot  themselves  half  the  time 
they  should  do  :  but,  fixing  on  a  day  for  their  return, 
post  from  place  to  place,  rather  as  if  they  were  on  a 
journey  that  required  dispatch,  than  as  philosophers  in- 
vestigating the  works  of  nature.  You  must  have  made, 
no  doubt,  many  discoveries,  and  laid  up  a  good  fund  of 
materials  for  a  future  edition  of  the  British  Zoology ;  and 
will  have  no  reason  to  repent  that  you  have  bestowed  so 
much  pains  on  a  part  of  Great-Britain  that  perhaps  was 
never  so  well  examined  before. 

[Pray  when  does  Dr.  Walker  propose  to  publish  his 
Natural  History  of  the  Hebrides  ?] 

It  has  always  been  matter  of  wonder  to  me  that  field- 
fares, which  are  so  congenerous  to  thrushes  and  blackbirds, 
should  never  chuse  to  breed  in  England ;  but  that  they 
should  not  think  even  the  highlands  cold  and  northerly, 
and  sequestered  enough,  is  a  circumstance  still  more  strange 
and  wonderful.1  The  ring-ousel,  you  find,  stays  in  Scotland 

1  The  Fieldfare  ( Turdus  pilaris)  has  never  been  known  to  breed  in  Great 
Britain,  though  it  could  be  readily  believed  that  it  might  do  so.  At  present 
there  is  no  proof  that  it  has  nested,  and  my  own  experience  has  been  that 


ii2     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

the  whole  year  round;  so  that  we  have  reasons  to  conclude 
that  those  migrators  that  visit  us  for  a  short  space  every 
autumn  do  not  come  from  thence.1 

And  here,  I  think,  will  be  the  proper  place  to  mention 
that  those  birds  were  most  punctual  again  in  their  migra- 
tion this  autumn,  appearing,  as  before,  about  the  3oth  of 
September :  but  their  flocks  were  larger  than  common,  and 
their  stay  protracted  somewhat  beyond  the  usual  time. 
If  they  came  to  spend  the  whole  winter  with  us,  as  some 
of  their  congeners  do,  and  then  left  us,  as  they  do,  in 
spring,  I  should  not  be  so  much  struck  with  the  occurrence, 
since  it  would  be  similar  to  that  of  the  other  winter  birds  of 
passage  ;  but  when  I  see  them  for  a  fortnight  at  Michaelmas, 
and  again  for  about  a  week  in  the  middle  of  April,  I  am 
seized  with  wonder,  and  long  to  be  informed  whence  these 
travellers  come,  and  whither  they  go,  since  they  seem  to 
use  our  hills  merely  as  an  inn  or  baiting  place. 

Your  account  of  the  greater  brambling,  or  snow-fleck, 
is  very  amusing  ;  and  strange  it  is  that  such  a  short- winged 
bird  should  delight  in  such  perilous  voyages  over  the 
northern  ocean  !  Some  country  people  in  the  winter- 
time have  every  now  and  then  told  me  that  they  have 
seen  two  or  three  white  larks  on  our  downs ;  but,  on 
considering  the  matter,  I  begin  to  suspect  that  these  are 
some  stragglers  of  the  birds  we  are  talking  of,  which  some- 
times perhaps  may  rove  so  far  to  the  southward. 

It  pleases  me  to  find  that  white  hares  are  so  frequent  on 
the  Scottish  mountains,  and  especially  as  you  inform  me 
that  it  is  a  distinct  species ;  for  the  quadrupeds  of  Britain 
are  so  few,  that  every  new  species  is  a  great  acquisition.2 

specimens  of  "Fieldfares,"  from  Scotland,  when  sent  to  the  British  Museum 
with  their  nests  and  eggs,  have  invariably  proved  to  be  Mistle  Thrushes 
(Turdus  viscivorus).— [R.  B.  S.] 

1  The  Ring-ousel  does  not  "  remain  in  Scotland  the  whole  year  round,"  and 
Pennant  was  mistaken. — [R.  B.  S.] 

2  Professor   Bell   gives   the  following  note  on  the  above  sentence:    "The 
identity  of  the  Scottish  or  mountain  hare  with  the  J^ftts  variabilis  of  Pallas 
has  long  been  known.     It  is  found  in  the  greater  part  of  Scotland,  especially  in 
the  mountainous  districts,  and  in  the  whole  of  Ireland.     In  the  former,  the  fur 
changes  colour  on  the  approach  of  winter,  becoming  gradually  white,  excepting. 


"hm&njy,. 


X?  Life   size. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     113 

The  eagle-owl,  could  it  be  proved  to  belong  to  us,  is  so 
majestic  a  bird,  that  it  would  grace  our  fauna  much.  I  never 
was  informed  before  where  wild-geese  are  known  to  breed. 

You  admit,  I  find,  that  I  have  proved  your  fen-salicaria 
to  be  the  lesser  reed-sparrow  of  Ray :  and  I  think  you  may 
be  secure  that  I  am  right ;  for  I  took  very  particular  pains 
to  clear  up  that  matter,  and  had  some  fair  specimens ;  but, 
as  they  were  not  well  preserved,  they  are  decayed  already. 
You  will,  no  doubt,  insert  it  in  its  proper  place  in  your  next 
edition.  Your  additional  plates  will  much  improve  your 
work. 

De  Buff  on,  I  know,  has  described  the  water  shrew-mouse  :* 
but  still  I  am  pleased  to  find  you  have  discovered  it  in 
Lincolnshire,  for  the  reason  I  have  given  in  the  article  of  the 
white  hare. 

As  a  neighbour  was  lately  ploughing  in  a  dry  chalky 
field,  far  removed  from  any  water,  he  turned  out  a  water-rat, 
that  was  curiously  lain  up  in  an  hybernaculum  artificially 
formed  of  grass  and  leaves.  At  one  end  of  the  burrow  lay 
above  a  gallon  of  potatoes  regularly  stowed,  on  which  it 
was  to  have  supported  itself  for  the  winter.  But  the 
difficulty  with  me  is  how  this  amphibius  mus  came  to  fix  it's 
winter  station  at  such  a  distance  from  the  water.  Was  it 
determined  in  it's  choice  of  that  place  by  the  mere  accident 
of  finding  the  potatoes  which  were  planted  there  ;  or  is  it 

the  tips  of  the  ears,  which  are  permanently  black.  On  the  return  of  spring  the 
white  fur  comes  off,  and  is  replaced  by  its  grey  summer  coat.  As  it  seldom,  if 
ever,  changes  its  colour  in  Ireland,  it  was  supposed  that  the  Irish  Hare  was  a 
distinct  species ;  and  it  was  described  as  such  by  Mr.  Yarrell,  with  the  name  of 
Lefus  hibernicus.  There  is,  however,  no  structural  difference  to  warrant  such  a 
distinction,  and  the  persistence  of  its  ordinary  colour  throughout  the  winter  must 
doubtless  be  attributed  to  the  milder  climate  of  Ireland. — (Bell,  ed.  "  Selbome," 
vol.  i.  p.  76  note.)— [R.  B.  S.] 

1  The  following  interesting  footnote  occurs  in  Professor  Bell's  edition  of 
"  Selborne"  (vol.  i.  p.  76  note} :  "  Some  years  since  I  observed  the  water-shrew 
( Crossopus  fodiens)  in  the  stream  which  passes  in  front  of  the  Grange  Farm  in 
Selborne.  It  was  hunting  at  the  bottom  of  the  water  among  the  aquatic  plants  for 
insects,  and  was  so  flattened  that  the  white  of  the  belly  was  conspicuous  as  a  narrow 
margin  on  each  side  of  the  black  back,  forming  a  striking  and  pretty  object. 
I  found  also  in  my  garden  a  specimen,  recently  killed,  of  the  black-bellied  variety, 
formerly  known  as  Sorex  rcmifer.  It  was  far  from  any  water.  .  .  ." — [R.  B.  S.] 

P 


H4     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

the  constant  practice  of  the  aquatic-rat  to  forsake  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  water  in  the  colder  months  ? 

Though  I  delight  very  little  in  analogous  reasoning, 
knowing  how  fallacious  it  is  with  respect  to  natural  history ; 
yet,  in  the  following  instance,  I  cannot  help  being  inclined 
to  think  it  may  conduce  towards  the  explanation  of  a 
difficulty  that  I  have  mentioned  before,  with  respect  to  the 
invariable  early  retreat  of  the  hirundo  opus,  or  swift,  so 
many  weeks  before  it's  congeners ;  and  that  not  only  with 
us,  but  also  in  Andalusia,  where  they  also  begin  to  retire 
about  the  beginning  of  August. 

The  great  large  bat1  (which  by  the  by  is  at  present  a 
non-descript  in  England?  and  what  I  have  never  been  able 
yet  to  procure)  retires  or  migrates  very  early  in  the  summer : 
it  also  ranges  very  high  for  its  food,  feeding  in  a  different 
region  of  the  air ;  and  that  is  the  reason  I  never  could 
procure  one.  Now  this  is  exactly  the  case  with  the  swifts  ; 
for  they  take  their  food  in  a  more  exalted  region  than  the 
other  species,  and  are  very  seldom  seen  hawking  for  flies 
near  the  ground,  or  over  the  surface  of  the  water.  From 
hence  I  would  conclude  that  these  hirundines,  and  the 
larger  bats  are  supported  by  some  sorts  of  high-flying  gnats, 
scarabs,  m  phalcena,  that  are  of  short  continuance  ;  and  that 
the  short  stay  of  these  strangers  is  regulated  by  the  defect 
of  their  food. 

[It  is  grievous  to  see  from  Dr.  Solander's  letter  in  the 
Gent :  Mag :  dated  from  Rio  de  Janeiro  with  what  insolence 
the  viceroy  of  Brazil  treated  those  Gent:  that  have  hazarded 
their  lives  in  pursuit  of  natural  knowledge  :  &  this  is  not 
the  worst  of  it :  for  when  they  arrive  in  the  South  Seas  their 
reception  will  be  just  the  same  from  every  Spanish  Governor 
from  Chile  to  Mexico.] 

By  my  journal  it  appears  that  curlews3  clamoured  on 

1  The  little  bat  appears  almost  every  month  in  the  year ;  but  I  have  never 
seen  the  large  ones  till  the  end  of  April,  nor  after  July.  They  are  most  common 
in  June,  but  never  in  any  plenty:  are  a  rare  species  with  us. — [G.  W.]  This 
forms  the  postscript  to  the  original  letter. — [R.  B.  S.] 

3  See  also  Letters  XXII  and  XXXVI  (pp.  96  and  152).— [R.  B.  S.] 

*  The  Stone-Curlew  or  Thick-Knee,  (Edicnemus  ctdicncmus. — [R.  B.  S.] 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     115 

to  October  the  thirty-first ;  since  which  I  have  not  seen  or 
heard  any.  Swallows  were  observed  on  to  November  the 
third. 

[In  your  last  letter  you  propose  to  treat  zoology  geo- 
graphically ;  &  desire  some  arguments  to  support  such 
a  new  plan  :  but  as  I  do  not  quite  take  the  purport  of  yr 
Idea  on  that  occasion,  I  must  desire  in  yr  next  favour  some 
explanation  of  yr  intention. 

I  am  with  the  greatest  regard  and  esteem, 
Your  Humble  Servant, 
GIL  :  WHITE.] 


LETTER   XXVII 

TO   THE   SAME 

SELBORNE,  Feb.  22,  1770. 

DEAR  SIR, — [In  the  first  place  I  am  to  acknowledge  your 
favour  of  Decemr  23  :  which  I  had  no  proper  leisure  nor 
opportunity  of  answering  before  the  time  at  which  you 
proposed  to  leave  Flintshire.  I  am  also  to  express  my 
thanks  for  your  friendly  letter  of  last  week  from  London, 
in  which  you  press  me  to  give  you  a  meeting  in  town.  If 
nothing  was  wanting  but  inclination  I  should  with  pleasure 
have  set  out  before  now  :  but  this  is  not  a  convenient 
season  for  me  to  be  from  home ;  &  I  am  now  become  a 
very  bad  traveller :  however  I  will  endeavour  to  give  you  a 
meeting  if  possible. 

As  to  the  manner  how  swifts  procure  materials  for  their 
nests  I  am  much  at  a  loss :  indeed  I  rather  suspect,  &  with 
good  reason,  that  they  do  not  (themselves)  procure  any  at 
all.  For  after  much  &  careful  observation  at  the  time  of 
breeding  I  never  could  see  one  swift  carrying  in  any  thing 
necessary  for  building.  But  as  the  house-sparrow  &  swift 
use  exactly  the  same  materials,  that  is  to  say,  grasses  from 
an  hay-rick,  &  hen's  feathers ;  I  am  ready  to  suspect  that 
the  latter  take  up  with  the  old  nests  of  the  former,  & 
perhaps  sometimes  take  away  their  new  nests  :  for  I  often 
see  swifts  at  their  first  coming  squabbling  with  sparrows  at 
the  eaves  of  the  church  ;  &  the  cock-sparrows  up  in  arms, 
&  much  disturbed  at  the  intrusion  of  these  migrants.  Now 
the  swallow  &  martin,  which  are  known  to  procure  their 
own  materials,  are  seen  building  every  day  :  but  how  the 
swift  should  convey  long  grasses,  &  large  feathers  from 

116 


NATURAL     HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     117 

year  to  year  without  being  ever  discovered  so  to  do  by  the 
curious  observer,  is  to  me  very  strange.] 

Hedge-hogs  abound  in  my  gardens  and  fields.  The 
manner  in  which  they  eat  their  roots  of  the  plantain  in  my 
grass-walks  is  very  curious  ;  with  their  upper  mandible, 
which  is  much  longer  than  their  lower,  they  bore  under 
the  plant,  and  so  eat  the  root  off  upwards,  leaving  the  tuft 
of  leaves  untouched.  In  this  respect  they  are  serviceable, 
as  they  destroy  a  very  troublesome  weed  ;  but  they  deface 
the  walks  in  some  measure  by  digging  little  round  holes. 
It  appears,  by  the  dung  that  they  drop  upon  the  turf,  that 
beetles  are  no  inconsiderable  part  of  their  food.  In  June 
last  I  procured  a  litter  of  four  or  five  young  hedge-hogs, 
which  appeared  to  be  about  five  or  six  days  old  :  they,  I 
find,  like  puppies,  are  born  blind,  and  could  not  see  when 
they  came  to  my  hands.  No  doubt  their  spines  are  soft 
and  flexible  at  the  time  of  their  birth,  or  else  the  poor  dam 
would  have  but  a  bad  time  of  it  in  the  critical  moment  of 
parturition  :  but  it  is  plain  they  soon  harden  ;  for  these  little 
pigs  had  such  stiff  prickles  on  their  backs  and  sides  as 
would  easily  have  fetched  blood,  had  they  not  been  handled 
with  caution.  Their  spines  are  quite  white  at  this  age  ; 
and  they  have  little  hanging  ears,  which  I  do  not  remember 
to  be  discernible  in  the  old  ones.  They  can,  in  part,  at 
this  age  draw  their  skin  down  over  their  faces  ;  but  are  not 
able  to  contract  themselves  into  a  ball,  as  they  do,  for  the 
sake  of  defence,  when  full  grown.  The  reason,  I  suppose, 
is,  because  the  curious  muscle  that  enables  the  creature  to 
roll  itself  up  in  a  ball  was  not  then  arrived  at  it's  full  tone 
and  firmness.  Hedge-hogs  make  a  deep  and  warm  hyber- 
naculum  with  leaves  and  moss,  in  which  they  conceal  them- 
selves for  the  winter:  but  I  never  could  find  that  they 
stored  in  any  winter  provision,  as  some  quadrupeds 
certainly  do.1 

1  "  There  is  one  use  of  the  hedgehog's  armour,"  writes  Professor  Bell,  "  which  I 
have  never  seen  mentioned,  but  which  I  had  repeated  opportunities  of  verifying 
in  one  which  I  kept  myself.  Running  about  a  small  yard  at  the  back  of  the 
house,  which  overhung  an  area,  it  would  go  to  the  very  edge ;  and  after  looking 
over  as  if  to  ascertain  if  the  descent  were  safe,  it  would  roll  up  into  a  ball  in  the 


n8     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

I  have  discovered  an  anecdote  with  respect  to  the  field- 
fare (turdus  pilaris),  which  I  think  is  particular  enough  ; 
this  bird,  though  it  sits  on  trees  in  the  daytime,  and  pro- 
cures the  greatest  part  of  its  food  from  white-thorn  hedges  ; 
yea,  moreover,  builds  on  very  high  trees,  as  may  be  seen  by 
the  fauna  suecica ;  yet  always  appears  with  us  to  roost  on 
the  ground.  They  are  seen  to  come  in  flocks  just  before 
it  is  dark,  and  to  settle  and  nestle  among  the  heath  on  our 
forest.  And  besides,  the  larkers,  in  dragging  their  nets  by 
night  frequently  catch  them  in  the  wheat  stubbles ;  while 
the  bat-fowlers,  who  take  many  red-wings  in  the  hedges, 
never  entangle  any  of  this  species.  Why  these  birds,  in 
the  matter  of  roosting,  should  differ  from  all  their  con- 
geners, and  from  themselves  also  with  respect  to  their  pro- 
ceedings by  day,  is  a  fact  for  which  I  am  by  no  means  able 
to  account. 

[You  are,  I  understand,  embarked  in  the  great  &  extensive 
work  of  an  universal  zoology.  It  will  be  very  seldom,  I 
fear,  that  I  shall  be  able  to  send  you  any  assistance.] 

I  have  somewhat  to  inform  you  of  concerning  the 
moose-deer ;  but  in  general  foreign  animals  fall  seldom  in 
my  way ;  my  little  intelligence  is  confined  to  the  narrow 
sphere  of  my  own  observations  at  home. 

[As  a  naturalist  I  may  say — 

....  ego  apis  matinae 

More  modoque 

Grata  carpentis  thyma  per  laborem 
Plurimum,  circa  nemus  uvidique 
Triburis  ripas,  operosa  parvus 

....  fingo. 

With  my  respects  to  Mr.  Harrington,  &  thanks  for  his 
two  letters,  I  conclude — 

Your  obliged,  & 

Humble  servant 

GIL:  WHITE.] 

very  act  of  throwing  itself  down  ;  and,  falling  upon  its  elastic  spines,  it  would  in  a 
few  seconds  after  alighting  upon  the  stones,  open  and  run  off,  wholly  unhurt  by  this 
voluntary  fall  of  at  least  ten  feet "  (ed.  "  Selborne,"  vol.  i.  p.  79  note). — [R.  B.  S.] 


LETTER    XXVIII 

TO   THE   SAME 

SELBORNE,  March, 

DEAR  SIR, — [A  journey  of  business,  which  detained  me 
longer  from  home  than  I  expected,  must  be  my  excuse  for 
neglecting  to  answer  your  letter  'til  this  time. 

My  thanks  are  due  for  your  obliging  present  of  your 
last  publication,  which  will  conduce  much  to  illustrate, 
&  improve  the  British  zoology:  the  designs  are  just  & 
the  attitudes  easy  &  natural :  &  the  plates  so  well  en- 
graved, that  they  will  convey  a  much  more  adequate  Idea 
of  an  unknown  animal  to  a  young  naturalist  than  words 
possibly  can. 

Tho'  you  are  embarked  in  a  more  extensive  plan  of 
natural  history,  yet  I  am  glad  to  find  that  you  do  by  no 
means  give  up  the  Brit  :  zoology  :  that  I  think  should  be 
your  principal  object :  &  I  hope  you  will  continue  to 
revise  it  at  your  leisure,  &  to  re-touch  it  over  'til  you  have 
render'd  it  as  perfect  as  the  nature  of  the  work  will  admit 
of.  If  people  that  live  in  the  country  would  take  a  little 
pains,  daily  observations  might  be  made  with  respect  to 
animals,  &  particularly  regarding  their  life  &  conversation, 
their  actions  &  ceconomy,  which  are  the  life  &  soul  of 
natural  history. 

Every  species  of  the  swallow-kind  take  their  drink  by 
sipping  the  water  as  they  skim  lightly  over  the  surface  of 

it— 

flumina  libant 

Summa  leves 

— VIRG. 

They  never  settle  to  drink  like  other  birds. 

1  The  original  letter  is  dated  May  12th,  1770.— [R.  B.  S.] 
119 


120     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

As  it  looks  somewhat  like  dissimulation,  I  shall  not 
conceal  from  you  any  longer  that  I  sometimes  receive  from 
Gibraltar  communications  in  the  natural  way.  And  the 
reason  I  have  not  imparted  them  to  you  from  time  to  time 
was,  because  my  Brother,  from  the  time  he  was  put  on 
looking  about  him,  conceived  a  design  of  drawing-up 
somewhat  of  a  natural  history  of  those  Southern  parts  of 
Europe.  The  apes  on  the  rock  of  Gibraltar  have  no  tails.] 

On  Michaelmas-day  1768  I  managed  to  get  a  sight  of 
the  female  moose  belonging  to  the  duke  of  Richmond,  at 
Goodwood ;  but  was  greatly  disappointed,  when  I  arrived 
at  the  spot,  to  find  that  it  died,  after  having  appeared  in 
a  languishing  way  for  some  time,  on  the  morning  before. 
However,  understanding  that  it  was  not  stripped,  I  pro- 
ceeded to  examine  this  rare  quadruped  :  I  found  it  in  an 
old  greenhouse,  slung  under  the  belly  and  chin  by  ropes, 
and  in  a  standing  posture  ;  but,  though  it  had  been  dead 
for  so  short  a  time,  it  was  in  so  putrid  a  state  that  the 
stench  was  hardly  supportable.  The  grand  distinction 
between  this  deer,  and  any  other  species  that  I  have  ever 
met  with,  consisted  in  the  strange  length  of  it's  legs ;  on 
which  it  was  tilted  up  much  in  the  manner  of  the  birds 
of  the  gralla  order.  I  measured  it,  as  they  do  an  horse, 
and  found  that  from  the  ground  to  the  wither,  it  was  just 
five  feet  four  inches ;  which  height  answers  exactly  to 
sixteen  hands,  a  growth  that  few  horses  arrive  at :  but 
then,  with  this  length  of  legs,  it's  neck  was  remarkably 
short,  no  more  than  twelve  inches  ;  so  that,  by  straddling 
with  one  foot  forward  and  the  other  backward,  it  grazed 
on  the  plain  ground,  with  the  greatest  difficulty,  between 
its  legs ;  the  ears  were  vast  and  lopping,  and  as  long  as 
the  neck ;  the  head  was  about  twenty  inches  long,  and 
ass-like  ;  and  had  such  a  redundancy  of  upper  lip  as  I 
never  saw  before,  with  huge  nostrils.  This  lip,  travellers 
say,  is  esteemed  a  dainty  dish  in  North  America.  It  is 
very  reasonable  to  suppose  that  this  creature  supports 
itself  chiefly  by  browsing  of  trees,  and  by  wading  after 
water  plants ;  towards  which  way  of  livelihood  the  length 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     121 

of  legs  and  great  lip  must  contribute  much.  I  have  read 
somewhere  that  it  delights  in  eating  the  nymphcea,  or  water- 
lily.  From  the  fore-feet  to  the  belly  behind  the  shoulder 
it  measured  three  feet  and  eight  inches  :  the  length  of  the 
legs  before  and  behind  consisted  a  greal  deal  in  the  tibia, 
which  was  strangely  long ;  but,  in  my  haste  to  get  out  of 
the  stench,  I  forgot  to  measure  that  joint  exactly.  Its  scut 
seemed  to  be  about  an  inch  long  ;  the  colour  was  a  grizzly 
black ;  the  mane  about  four  inches  long ;  the  fore-hoofs 
were  upright  and  shapely,  the  hind  flat  and  splayed.  The 
spring  before  it  was  only  two  years  old,  so  that  most  prob- 
ably it  was  not  then  come  to  its  growth.  What  a  vast 
tall  beast  must  a  full-grown  stag  be  !  I  have  been  told 
some  arrive  at  ten  feet  and  a  half !  This  poor  creature 
had  at  first  a  female  companion  of  the  same  species,  which 
died  the  spring  before.  In  the  same  garden  was  a  young 
stag,  or  red  deer,  between  whom  and  this  moose  it  was 
hoped  that  there  might  have  been  a  breed ;  but  their 
inequality  of  height  must  have  always  been  a  bar  to  any 
commerce  of  the  amorous  kind.  I  should  have  been  glad 
to  have  examined  the  teeth,  tongue,  lips,  hoofs,  &c. 
minutely  ;  but  the  putrefaction  precluded  all  farther  curio- 
sity. This  animal,  the  keeper  told  me,  seemed  to  enjoy 
itself  best  in  the  extreme  frost  of  the  former  winter.  In 
the  house  they  showed  me  the  horn  of  a  male  moose, 
which  had  no  front-antlers,  but  only  a  broad  palm  with 
some  snags  on  the  edge.  The  noble  owner  of  the  dead 
moose  proposed  to  make  a  skeleton  of  her  bones. 

Please  to  let  me  hear  if  my  female  moose  corresponds 
with  that  you  saw ;  and  whether  you  think  still  that  the 
American  moose  and  European  elk  are  the  same  creature. 
I  am,  with  the  greatest  esteem, 

[Your  most  humble  servant, 
GIL  :  WHITE. 

The  Caprimulgus  has  not  been  heard  yet.] 


LETTER    XXIX 

TO  THE  SAME 

SELBORNE,  May  \zth,  1770. 

DEAR  SIR, — Last  month  we  had  such  a  series  of  cold 
turbulent  weather,  such  a  constant  succession  of  frost,  and 
snow,  and  hail,  and  tempest,  that  the  regular  migration  or 
appearance  of  the  summer  birds  was  much  interrupted. 
Some  did  not  show  themselves  (at  least  were  not  heard)  till 
weeks  after  their  usual  time  ;  as  the  black-cap  and  white- 
throat  ;  and  some  have  not  been  heard  yet,  as  the  grass- 
hopper-lark and  largest  willow-wren.  As  to  the  fly-catcher, 
I  have  not  seen  it ;  it  is  indeed  one  of  the  latest,  but  should 
appear  about  this  time  :  and  yet,  amidst  all  this  meteorous 
strife  and  war  of  the  elements,  two  swallows  discovered 
themselves  as  long  ago  as  the  eleventh  of  April,  in  frost 
and  snow ;  but  they  withdrew  quickly,  and  were  not 
visible  again  for  many  days.  House-martins,  which  are 
always  more  backward  than  swallows,  were  not  observed 
till  May  came  in.1 

Among  the  monogamous  birds  several  are  to  be  found, 
after  pairing-time,  single,  and  of  each  sex ;  but  whether 
this  state  of  celibacy  is  matter  of  choice  or  necessity,  is  not 
so  easily  discoverable.  When  the  house-sparrows  deprive 
my  martins  of  their  nests,  as  soon  as  I  cause  one  to  be 
shot,  the  other,  be  it  cock  or  hen,  presently  procures  a 
mate,  and  so  for  several  times  following. 

1  This  sentence  formed  part  of  the  previous  letter  in  the  original  MS.,  which 
was  dated  "May  1 2th,  1770."  The  rest  of  the  letter  does  not  appear  in  the 
MS.  Letters  to  Pennant,  and  appears  to  have  been  an  interpolation  in  Gilbert 
White's  published  work.— [K  B.  S.] 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     123 

I  have  known  a  dove-house  infested  by  a  pair  of  white 
owls,  which  made  great  havock  among  the  young  pigeons  : 
one  of  the  owls  was  shot  as  soon  as  possible ;  but  the 
survivor  readily  found  a  mate,  and  the  mischief  went  on. 
After  some  time  the  new  pair  were  both  destroyed,  and 
the  annoyance  ceased.1 

Another  instance  I  remember  of  a  sportsman,  whose  zeal 
for  the  increase  of  his  game  being  greater  than  his  humanity, 
after  pairing-time  he  always  shot  the  cock-bird  of  every 
couple  of  partridges  upon  his  grounds  ;  supposing  that  the 
rivalry  of  many  males  interrupted  the  breed :  he  used  to 
say,  that,  though  he  had  widowed  the  same  hen  several 
times,  yet  he  found  she  was  still  provided  with  a  fresh 
paramour,  that  did  not  take  her  away  from  her  usual 
haunt. 

Again ;  I  knew  a  lover  of  setting,  an  old  sportsman, 
who  has  often  told  me  that  soon  after  harvest  he  has 
frequently  taken  small  coveys  of  partridges,  consisting  of 
cock-birds  alone ;  these  he  pleasantly  used  to  call  old 
bachelors. 

There  is  a  propensity  belonging  to  common  house-cats 
that  is  very  remarkable  ;  I  mean  their  violent  fondness  for 
fish,  which  appears  to  be  their  most  favourite  food  :  and  yet 
nature  in  this  instance  seems  to  have  planted  in  them  an 
appetite  that,  unassisted,  they  know  not  how  to  gratify :  for 
of  all  quadrupeds  cats  are  the  least  disposed  towards  water ; 
and  will  not,  when  they  can  avoid  it,  deign  to  wet  a  foot, 
much  less  to  plunge  into  that  element. 

Quadrupeds  that  prey  on  fish  are  amphibious :  such  is 
the  otter,  which  by  nature  is  so  well  formed  for  diving  that 

1  Sir  William  Jardine  adds  the  following  note  (ed.  "  Selborne,"  1853,  p.  84 
note):  "This  takes  place  generally,  and  in  the  case  of  carrion  crows  we  have 
known  it  occur  more  than  once  in  the  same  spring.  Birds  of  prey  immediately 
find  another  mate  when  any  accident  happens  to  one  of  the  pair.  The  grey- 
backed  or  hooded  crow,  Corvus  cornix,  Linn.,  is  a  migratory  species  in  many  parts, 
and  when  any  accidental  circumstances  cause  one  or  two  birds  to  remain,  they 
mate  in  spring  with  the  carrion  crow.  This  instinctive  desire  for  procreation  is  not 
however  confined  to  birds  ;  when  the  male  salmon  has  been  killed  from  his  mate 
on  the  spawning-bed,  his  place  is  immediately  supplied  by  another." — [R.  B.  S.] 


124    NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

it  makes  great  havock  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  waters. 
Not  supposing  that  we  had  any  of  those  beasts  in  our 
shallow  brooks,  I  was  much  pleased  to  see  a  male  otter 
brought  to  me,  weighing  twenty-one  pounds,  that  had 
been  shot  on  the  bank  of  our  stream  below  the  Priory, 
where  the  rivulet  divides  the  parish  of  Selborne  from 
Harteley-wood, 


T  £*s\  ^yelbcY 

ffflSK 


[LETTER    XXIXa1 

TO   THE   SAME 

SELBORNE,y«/y  12tA,  I77O. 

DEAR  SIR, — A  journey  to  London,  &  an  other  since, 
from  whence  I  am  but  just  returned,  have  prevented  my 
paying  that  attention  to  your  last  letter,  that  I  could  have 
wished. 

If  you  knew  how  little  I  had  to  communicate  to  you 
with  respect  to  specimens  from  Gibraltar  'til  I  went  last  to 
town,  you  would  not  think  I  had  neglected  you  :  for  'til 
that  time  I  had  only  received  two  muscicaptz,  &  three 
insects.2  One  of  the  birds  proves,  I  find,  to  be  Edwards's 
grey  redstart 3  the  other,  which  has  a  white  forehead,  a 
tawny  occiput  &  scapulars,  black  wings,  a  white  rump,  & 
black  &  white  tail,  black  throat  &  cheeks,  a  tawny  breast 
&  whitish  belly  ...  I  cannot  at  present  ascertain.4 

When  I  came  to  town  1  found  a  box  containing  several 
birds  ;  the  most  curious  of  which  are — 

Merops  apiaster,  Stays  all  the  summer. 

Loxia  coccothraust,  Stays  autumn  and  winter. 

Motacilla  stapazina,  Comes  in  autumn. 


1  I  have  reproduced  in  the  present  edition  the  letters  addressed  to  Pennant 
by  Gilbert  White  on  the  subject  of  the  Gibraltar  birds  sent  by  his  brother  John. 
— [R.  B.  S.] 

2  The  three  insects  were  a  panorpa  eoa;  rare  and  peculiar  in  it's  hind  wings  ! 
a  large  fine  vespa,  the  crabroni  congener  in  Italia  capta  Raij :  vid.  Hist.  Insect,  p. 
250  ;  and  a  large  ichneumon. — [G.  W.] 

3  The  Black  Redstart  (Rutidlla  titys)  of  modern  authors.— [R.  B.  S.] 

4  This  certainly  must  be  Saxicola  stapazina>  but  what  can  be  the  Motacilla 

stapazina  of  the  succeeding  list  ? — [R.  B.  S.] 

125 


126     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

?uffin'  .,  I  Stay  all  the  winter. 

Razor-bill,  ) 

Lanius  excubitor^  Common  in  Spain. 

Charadrius  calidris,  Winter  and  summer. 

Hirundo  hyberna,  Seen  only  in  winter. 

Scolopax glottis,  Common  in  winter. 

Tetrao  coturnici  similis,  pedi-  (Smaller    than    the    quail,   & 

bus  tridactylis,  \      called  trail,  or  terraile.2 

Edwards's  grey  redstart,  1  Fre<luents  J6  same  solitary 

(     parts  as  the  redstart. 

The  hirundo  hyberna  (for  so  I  have  named  it)  will  prove, 
I  trust,  a  curiosity  :  for  I  cannot  find  it  among  Brisson's  17 
species,  nor  among  the  12  species  of  the  Syst :  Nat:  It 
has  the  aspect  of  an  hirundo  riparia  ;  but  seems  (for  I  have 
had  no  opportunity  of  comparing  it  yet  with  our  bank- 
martin)  to  be  much  larger,  &  to  have  a  redder  cast  on  the 
throat,  breast  &  belly.  Every  feather  of  the  tail,  except  the 
two  midmost  &  the  two  outmost,  has  a  remarkable  white 
spot  about  midway. 

If  the  quail  should  prove  to  be  a  tridactyl  species,  & 
not  a  variety,  it  will  be  curious.  My  Bror  speaks  of  them 
as  common  ;  &  mentions  the  name  by  which  sportsmen 
distinguish  them.  For  my  part  I  think  my  specimen  is  in 
colour  much  like  a  common  hen-quail.  Brisson  mentions 
quails  in  Madagascar  that  have  no  back  toe  ; 3  but  the 
cocks  at  least  of  his  sort  have  a  black  throat,  which  mine 
has  not. 

The  most  curious  Insects  in  my  bottles  were — 

Scorpio  Europceus,  Onisci, 

A  large  cicade,  Several  Labri, 

Blatta  Americana,  Amoglossus,  solea  Icevis  Raij, 

Some  Caterpillars,  Coryphtznapsittacus, 

Some  Scarabaei,  Cancer  arctus, 

Scolopendra  coleoptrata,  Several    curious    cancri    not 

Mantis  religiosa,  ascertained, 

Spiders,  Cancer  Diogenes,  &c. 

Asilus  barbarus, 

1  The  Spanish  Grey-Shrike  (Lanius  meridionalis). — [R.  B.  S.] 
8  The  Andalusian  Bush -Quail  ( Turnix  sylvatica\  Spanish  "  Torillo  "  (Irby). — 
[R.  B.  S.] 

3  Turnix  nigricollis  (Gm.).— [R.  B.  S.] 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     127 

Some  of  the  fishes  were  : — 

Syngnathus  acus,  Several  spari, 

Syngnathus  hippocampus ;  Perca  marina, 

Salmo  eperlanus,  Septa  sepiola,  &c. 
Mullus  barbatuS) 

But  I  refer  you  to  Mr  Barrington  with  respect  to  the  fishes, 
who,  with  a  person  he  is  to  procure,  &  my  Bror  in  Thames- 
street,  is  to  look  them  over  more  narrowly  at  his  chambers. 
The  specimens  of  fishes  are  in  general  too  small ;  in 
order  that  they  might  be  crowded  into  little  room.  In  the 
autumn  I  expect  another  box  with  many  more  specimens. 

My  acknowledgements  are  due  for  yr  list  of  South 
European  animals,  which  I  have  sent,  not  doubting  but 
that  it  will  be  of  service  ;  &  also  for  ye  wing  of  the 
chatterer.  On  yr  recommendation  I  have  desired  my 
Brother  to  get  Brunnick  &  Gouan  on  fishes.  Returning 
You  many  thanks  for  yr  offers  of  assistance  in  our  re- 
searches into  the  natural  knowledge  of  Andalusia,  which  I 
am  conscious  will  be  very  useful  &  necessary, 

I  conclude 

Your  obliged,  & 

Humble  Servant, 

GIL.  WHITE. 

P.S. — Please  to  ascertain  my  second  musdcapa. 

When  I  have  the  pleasure  of  meeting  you  I  shall  be  glad 
to  communicate  my  papers.  Since  I  wrote  the  above  I 
have  been  this  evening  in  the  forest,  &  have  procured  two 
bank-martins,  which  are  every  way  different  from  my 
Hirundo  hyberna^\ 


LETTER    XXX 

TO   THE   SAME 

SELBORNE,  Aug.  ist,  1770. 

DEAR  SIR, — [Your  obliging  letter  of  July  24th  arrived 
last  night :  &  I  sit  down  this  morning  to  answer  it.  I 
shall  send  you  my  little  cargo  of  curiosities  with  a  great 
deal  of  satisfaction.  The  birds  are  here  at  my  house ; 
but  I  will  send  them  up  to  town  to  my  Brother  in  Thames- 
street  who  has  got  the  fishes ;  &  will  desire  him  to  send 
them  all  together  down  to  Chester.  If  you  should  think 
proper  to  order  your  artist  to  take  any  of  my  animals, 
I  should  be  glad  to  see  the  drawings. 

When  you  have  ascertained  the  fishes,  you  will  be 
pleased  to  give  me  an  exact  account  of  them.  The  birds 
will  be  labeled  numerically  i  :  2  :  3  :  &c  :  so  that  you  will 
be  able  to  speak  of  them  with  precision.  In  particular 
I  desire  you  would  take  good  notice.] 

The  French,  I  think,  in  general  are  strangely  prolix  in 
their  natural  history.  What  Linnaeus  says  with  respect 
to  insects  holds  good  in  every  other  branch  :  "  Verbositas 
prasentis  sceculi,  calamitas  artis" 

Pray  how  do  you  approve  of  Scopoli's  new  work  ?  As  I 
admire  his  "  Entomologia,"  I  long  to  see  it  [&  yet  Mr. 
Barrington  gave  me  but  an  indifferent  account  of  it. 

Neither  puffins  nor  razor-bills  breed,  that  I  can  find,  in 
Andalucia  :  they  only  winter  there.] 

I  forgot  to  mention  in  my  last  letter  (and  had  not  room 
to  insert  in  the  former)  that  the  male  moose,  in  rutting 
time,  swims  from  island  to  island,  in  the  lakes  and  rivers  of 

North- America,  in  pursuit  of  the  females.     My  friend,  the 

128 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     129 

chaplain,  saw  one  killed  in  the  water  as  it  was  on  that 
errand  in  the  river  St.  Lawrence :  it  was  a  monstrous  beast, 
he  told  me ;  but  he  did  not  take  the  dimensions. 

When  I  was  last  in  town  our  friend  Mr.  Barrington 
most  obligingly  carried  me  to  see  many  curious  sights.  As 
you  were  then  writing  to  him  about  horns,  he  carried  me 
to  see  many  strange  and  wonderful  specimens.  There  is, 
I  remember,  at  Lord  Pembroke's,  at  Wilton,  an  horn  room 
furnished  with  more  than  thirty  different  pairs ;  but  I  have 
not  seen  that  house  lately. 

Mr.  Barrington  showed  me  many  astonishing  collections 
of  stuffed  and  living  birds  from  all  quarters  of  the  world. 
After  I  had  studied  over  the  latter  for  a  time,  I  remarked 
that  every  species  almost  that  came  from  distant  regions, 
such  as  South  America,  the  coast  of  Guinea,  &c.,  were 
thick-billed  birds  of  the  loxia  and  fringilla  genera  ;  and  no 
motacillce,  or  muscicapcz,  were  to  be  met  with.  When  I  came 
to  consider,  the  reason  was  obvious  enough ;  for  the  hard- 
billed  birds  subsist  on  seeds  which  are  easily  carried  on 
board ;  while  the  soft-billed  birds,  which  are  supported  by 
worms  and  insects,  or,  what  is  a  succedaneum  for  them,  fresh 
raw  meat,  can  meet  with  neither  in  long  and  tedious 
voyages.  It  is  from  this  defect  of  food  that  our  collections 
(curious  as  they  are)  are  defective,  and  we  are  deprived  of 
some  of  the  most  delicate  and  lively  genera. 

[From  repeated  observation  I  find  that  the  bank-martin 
is  the  first  of  the  swallow-genus  in  bringing  out  its  young. 
Young  bank-martins  were  flyers  this  year  (and  very  late  are 
all  productions  this  year,  both  vegetable  &  animal)  on 
July  13  :  but  no  young  swallows  appeared  at  all  this  year 
'til  July  17.  Bank-martins  build  their  nests  with  the  crested- 
dog-tail,  &  other  fine  grasses ;  &  line  them  with  goose- 
feathers.  Their  nests  are  strangely  annoyed  with  fleas,  the 
pulex  irritans.  It  is  wonderful  that  these  birds  with  their 
very  soft  &  feeble  bills  &  claws  should  be  able  to  terebrate 
such  deep  holes  in  the  stubborn  sand-banks  :  &  yet  there  is 
no  doubt  but  that  these  latebrce  are  bored  in  the  manner 
above  mentioned.  For  on  May  26  last  I  saw  a  pair  of  these 

R 


130     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

sirds  at  work  in  a  shallow  hole  :  &  I  saw  the  crumbling 
band  run  down  the  side  of  the  bank ;  &  could  distinguish 
what  was  fresh-worked  by  its  colour  from  what  had  been 
bleached  by  lying  in  the  sun. 

Hoping  for  a  continuance  of  yr  favours,  &  that  you  will 
indulge  me  with  a  long  letter  next  time, 

I  remain,  with  great  esteem 
Your  obliged,  & 

humble  servant 

GIL  :  WHITE. 


P.S. — I  have  no  quilla  lata. 

Sweet  weather  :   but  there 

towards  the  end  of  the  month. 


will   be  no   harvesting   'til 
Hops  promise  well.] 


LETTER   XXXI 

TO   THE  SAME 

SELBORNE,  Sept.  itfA,  1770. 

DEAR  SIR, — [A  set  of  company  which  stayed  with  me 
five  weeks,  &  from  whom  I  parted  but  yesterday,  unavoid- 
ably took  up  my  time ;  &  prevented  my  paying  such  atten- 
tion to  You  &  some  other  correspondents,  as  yr  engaging 
letters  might  reasonably  demand. 

In  the  first  place  I  am  to  return  you  thanks  for  your 
epistle  of  Septr  2.  From  what  I  may  gather  from  yr 
frequent  visits  to  the  mountains,  &  from  yr  nice  topo- 
graphical examination  of  those  wild  scenes,  I  begin  to 
suspect  &  hope  that  you  intend  to  favour  ye  world  with 
a  nat :  history  of  some  of  ye  counties  of  N  :  Wales.] 

You  saw,  I  find,  the  ring-ousels  again  among  their 
native  crags ;  and  are  farther  assured  that  they  con- 
tinue resident  in  those  cold  regions  the  whole  year. 
From  whence  then  do  our  ring-ousels  migrate  so  regu- 
larly every  September,  and  make  their  appearance  again, 
as  if  in  their  return,  every  April?  They  are  more  early 
this  year  than  common,  for  some  were  seen  at  the  usual 
hill  on  the  fourth  of  this  month. 

An  observing  Devonshire  gentleman  tells  me  that  they 
frequent  some  parts  of  Dartmoor,  and  breed  there  ;  but 
leave  those  haunts  about  the  end  of  September  or  begin- 
ning of  October,  and  return  again  about  the  end  of  March. 

Another  intelligent  person  assures  me  that  they  breed 
in  great  abundance  all  over  the  Peak  of  Derby,  and  are 
called  there  Tor-ousels;  withdraw  in  October  and  November, 


131 


132     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

and  return  in  spring.  This  information  seems  to  throw  some 
light  on  my  new  migration. 

[If  you  do  not  receive  a  letter  from  my  Brother  in 
Thames-street  in  due  time,  you  must  not  be  surprized, 
because  I  know  he  is  from  home.  He  wrote  me  word 
some  time  ago  that  he  had  sent  the  birds  by  the  Chester 
waggon.] 

Scopoli's1  new  work  (which  I  have  just  procured)  has 
it's  merit  in  ascertaining  many  of  the  birds  of  the  Tirol 
and  Carniola.  Monographers,  come  from  whence  they 
may,  have,  I  think,  fair  pretence  to  challenge  some  regard 
and  approbation  from  the  lovers  of  natural  history  ;  for,  as 
no  man  can  alone  investigate  the  works  of  nature,  these 
partial  writers  may,  each  in  their  department,  be  more 
accurate  in  their  discoveries,  and  freer  from  errors,  than 
more  general  writers  ;  and  so  by  degrees  may  pave  the  way 
to  an  universal  correct  natural  history.  Not  that  Scopoli  is 
so  circumstantial  and  attentive  to  the  life  and  conversation 
of  his  birds  as  I  could  wish  :  he  advances  some  false  facts ; 
as  when  he  says  of  the  hirundo  urbica  that  " pullos  extra 
nidum  non  nutrit."  This  assertion  I  know  to  be  wrong  from 
repeated  observation  this  summer ;  for  house-martins  do 
feed  their  young  flying,  though  it  must  be  acknowledged 
not  so  commonly  as  the  house-swallow ;  and  the  feat  is 
done  in  so  quick  a  manner  as  not  to  be  perceptible  to  in- 
different observers.  He  also  advances  some  (I  was  going 
to  say)  improbable  facts ;  as  when  he  says  of  the  woodcock 
that  "pullos  rostro  portat  fugiens  ab  hostel'  But  candour 
forbids  me  to  say  absolutely  that  any  fact  is  false,  because 
I  have  never  been  witness  to  such  a  fact.  I  have  only  to 
remark  that  the  long  unwieldy  bill  of  the  woodcock  is  per- 

1  "  Annus  I.  Historico  Naturalis, — descriptiones  avium  musei  proprii  earumque 
rariorum,  quos  vidit  in  vivaria  augustiss.  imperatoris,  et  in  museo  excell.  comitis 
Francisci  Annib.  Turriani."  Lipsiae,  MDCCLXVIII.  In  the  preface  to  the  above 
work  Scopoli  states,  "  Observationes  meas  ad  scientiam  naturalem  et  agriculturam 
pertinentes  singulis  annis  erudito  orbi  in  posterum  communicabo,"  and  the  Anni 
were  continued  for  five  years,  and  contain  some  very  valuable  papers  and  observa- 
tions ;  the  first  is  devoted  entirely  to  ornithology.  The  last  (Annus  V.)  bears  the 
date  of  MDCCLXXII." — fjardine's  ed.,  p.  87,  notes.] 


Life  size. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     133 

haps  the  worst  adapted  of  any  among  the  winged  creation 
for  such  a  feat  of  natural  affection.1 

[I  return  you  thanks  for  yr  proof-sheet  respecting  the 
elks :  &  am  pleased  to  see  that  my  description  of  the 
moose  corresponds  so  well  with  your's.  Last  night  as  I 
rode  home  thro'  Alton  I  found  at  the  post-house,  con- 
tained in  three  franks,  Mar:  Th :  Brunnichii  Icthyologia 
Massilien sis :  my  best  acknowledgements  are  due  for  so 
curious  &  rare  a  present. 

With  the  greatest  esteem, 
I  conclude  yr  most  obliged 

&  humble  Servant, 

GIL  :  WHITE.] 

1  Scopoli's  assertion  has  been  verified  by  the  subsequent  observation  of 
naturalists.  Professor  Newton  writes  to  Bell  (ed.  "  Selborne,"  vol.  i.  p.  86, 
note),  "  That  the  bill  assists  materially  in  carrying  off  and  particularly  in  steadying 
the  young  bird  while  being  carried,  seems  to  be  established  ;  but  the  most 
efficient  instruments  are  the  parent's  thighs,  between  which  the  chick  is  grasped, 
while  the  head  and  bill  are  recurved  beneath." — [R.  B.  S.] 


LETTER    XXXII 

TO  THE  SAME 

SELBORNE,  October  29^/4,  1770. 

DEAR  SIR, — [Your  engaging  letter  of  Septemr  29th  came 
safe  to  this  place  :  but  not  finding  me  at  home,  it  pursued 
me  down  to  a  village  near  Lewes  in  Sussex,  where  I  stayed 
three  weeks,  &  from  whence  I  wrote  a  long  letter  to  Mr- 
Barrington. 

Tho'  I  had  little  or  no  doubt  concerning  my  Hirundo 
hyberna,  but  that  it  must  be  the  Hir:  rupestris  of  Scopoli  : 
yet  I  was  pleased  to  have  the  sanction  of  yr  Judgement,  & 
to  find  that  we  so  readily  concurred. 

Notwithstanding  the  Quail  appears  to  be  a  nondescript 
&  a  new  species ;  yet  I  think  it  merits  farther  enquiry  : 
&  I  shall  accordingly  desire  my  Brother  to  procure 
more  specimens,  &  to  satisfy  himself  thoro'ly  that  the 
back  toe  is  always  wanting ;  &  also  to  get  an  old  bird  of 
each  sex. 

No  :  5  :  as  you  say  seems  also  to  be  a  nondescript.  It 
is  by  no  means  a  cold-finch  as  I  once  also  thought :  for  I 
have  several  cold-finches  by  me,  which  differ  widely  from 
this  little  bird  both  by  having  a  white  spot  in  their  fore- 
heads, &  a  white  speculum  in  their  wings.  The  male  bird, 
had  it  not  some  white  in  its  tail,  resembled  most  (as  far  as 
I  can  remember)  the  black-cap. 

In  the  firstplace  Mr-  Ray  classes  hisjunco  as  improperly 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     135 

as  he  does  his  sedge-bird  ;  for  with  all  deference  neither 
of  them  have  any  relation  to  the  chapter  where  they  are 
put :  &  in  the  next  place  he  does  not  describe  it  well,  for  it 
has  not  a  stiff,  wood-pecker-like  tail ;  neither  are  the  thighs 
remarkably  strong,  &  muscular. 

You  tender  me  Kramer  in  so  obliging  a  manner,  &  give 
so  tempting  a  description  of  his  Fauna,  that  I  don't  know 
how  to  waive  so  pleasing  an  offer  :  &  yet  I  should  be  sorry 
to  give  you  any  trouble  on  that  account. 

I  will  desire  my  Bror  to  take  the  height  of  the  rock 
of  Gibraltar :  was  it  not  stupendous,  there  could  not 
be  such  a  resort  &  rendezvous  of  so  many  sorts  of 
wild  &  shy  birds  amidst  such  a  concourse  of  people.  In 
an  E  :  wind  or  levant  the  top  is  usually  capped  with 
a  fog. 

On  Saturday  night  last  I  was  gratifyed  with  yr  pleasing 
letter  of  Octob :  21.  I  mention  this  circumstance  to 
shew  you  that  I  lose  no  time  in  returning  yr  fine  draw- 
ings, as  you  desired  they  might  not  be  detained.  Your 
Artist  has  done  my  birds  a  great  deal  of  credit,  as  well 
as  himself;  &  I  hope  they  will  get  safe  back  without 
any  injury.  The  Junco  is  finely  expressed  ;  &  the  Quail 
is,  I  think,  as  lovely  a  drawing  as  ever  I  saw.  If  I  might 
object  at  all  to  any  part  of  the  performance  it  should 
be  to  the  right  wing  of  the  Hirnndo,  which  perhaps  is 
rather  stiff,  &  to  the  middle  of  the  tail  which  seems  too 
round.  For  the  tail,  tho'  not  forked,  is  some  what  emargi- 
nated,  as  Scopoli  observes.  The  oval  spots  of  the  tail, 
which  are  characteristic  of  this  species,  are  well  hit  off. 
The  secondary  wing-feathers  are,  you  must  observe,  deeply 
knotched. 

I  rejoice  in  yr  acquisition  of  N  :  American  animals  :  & 
am  pleased  to  find  that  you  persist  in  additions  to  yr  Brit : 
zoology  illustrated.  Such  hints  as  occur  on  any  of  those 
subjects  shall  be  much  at  yr  service. 

It  gives  me  real  pleasure  to  hear  that  the  report  concern- 
ing Mr-  Banks  is  groundless.  If  there  should  be  a  rupture 
with  Spain  my  Bror  will  be  much  circumscribed  in  his 


136     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

excursions ;  as  he  has  been  already  this  summer  by  the 
death  of  his  horse.] 

1  After  an  ineffectual  search  in  Linnceus,  Brisson,  &c., 
I  begin  to  suspect  that  I  discern  my  brother's2  hirundo 
hyberna  in  Scopoli's  new  discovered  hirundo  rupestris,  p. 
167.  His  description  of  "  Supra  murina,  subtus  albida ; 
rectrices  maculd  ovali  albd  in  latere  interno  ;  pedes  nudi}  nigri ; 
rostrum  nigrum ;  remiges  obscuriores  quant  pluma  dorsales  ; 
rectrices  remigibus  concolores ;  caudd  emarginatd,  nee  forci- 
patd  ..."  agrees  very  well  with  the  bird  in  question.  But 
when  he  comes  to  advance  that  it  is  "  statura  hirundinis 
urbictz:"  &  that  "  definitio  hirundinis  riparice  Linncet  huic 
quoque  convenit"  he  in  some  measure  invalidates  all  he 
has  said  :  at  least  he  shews  at  once  that  he  compares  them 
[if  they  are  really  the  same  with  my  Brother's]  to  these 
species  merely  from  memory  :  for  I  have  compared  them 
with  the  birds  themselves,  and  find  they  differ  widely  in 

1  In  the  original  MS.  this  and  the  next  two  paragraphs  formed  part  of  the 
preceding  letter  of  September  14,  1770. — [R.  B.  S.] 

2  The  Swallow  which  John  White  noticed  at  Gibraltar  has  always  been  con- 
sidered to  be  identical  with  Scopoli's  Hirundo  rupestris,  as  is  here  first  suggested 
by  Gilbert  White.     The  identification  has  received  the  imprimatur  of  Professor 
Newton  (cf.  Bell's  ed.,  ii.  pp.  5,  6).     Writing  to  his  brother  Gilbert  in  November 
1769,  John  says  that  "the  winter  martins  begin  to  appear  in  a  different  dress; 
they  are  blacker  on  the  back,  and  whiter  under  the  belly  than  last  winter."     He 
suspects  also  that  they  "are  the  real  summer  martins  now  undergoing  a  change 
of  colour,  and  possibly  intending  to  winter  here  in  a  browner  habit."     Gilbert 
quotes  these  sentences  from  John's  letter  of  November,  and  then  aptly  observes  : 
"  And  yet  in  your  letter  of  April  14  you  only  say  in  general,  that  you  saw  (March 
23)  swallows,  martins,  and  your  brown  winter  martins  all  flying  together.     This 
most  curious  article  of  all  your  intelligence  will  not,  I  hope,  remain  dubious,  and 
unsettled  "  \cf.  Letter  I  to  John  White  (Bell's  ed.,  vol.  ii.  p.  i)  dated  May  26,  1770]. 
In  a  second  letter  to  his  brother,  written  on  the  25th  of  January  1771.  Gilbert 
says  :   "  Your  winter  swallow  is  undoubtedly  the  Hirundo  rupestris  of  Scopoli ; 
you,  however,  will  have  the  credit  of  discovering  its  winter  quarters"  (Bell's  ed., 
vol.  ii.  p.  6).     On  June  30,   1771,  John  White  writes  direct  to  Linnaeus   from 
Gibraltar,  and  says  :   "  The  Hirundo  rupestris  caudd  cmarginata  non  fordpatd 
of  Scopoli  breeds  in  the  inland  mountains  of  Andalucia  and  Grenada,  and  in  the 
winter,  when  those  mountains  are  covered  with  snow,  resides  regularly  on  those 
coasts,  and  migrates  for  a  short  time  only  into  Barbary."      In  August   1772 
Linnaeus  acknowledges  the  receipt  of  some  specimens  of  birds  from  John  White, 
promising  to  work  at  them  more  fully.     He  remarks  concerning  the  Hirundo 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     137 

every  circumstance  of  shape,  size,  and  colour.  However 
as  you  will  have  a  specimen,  I  shall  be  glad  to  hear  your 
judgment  in  this  matter. 

Whether  my  brother  is  forestalled  in  his  non-descript  or 
not,  he  will  still  have  the  credit  of  first  discovering  that 
they  spend  their  winters  under  the  warm  and  sheltry 
shores  of  Spain  and  Barbary. 

Scopolts  characters  of  his  ordines  and  genera  are  clean, 
just,  and  expressive,  &  much  in  the  spirit  of  Ltnnceus. 
These  few  remarks  are  the  result  of  my  first  hasty  perusal 
of  Scopoli's  Annus  Primus. 

The  bane  of  our  science  is  the  comparing  one  animal 
to  the  other  by  memory :  for  want  of  caution  in  this 
particular  Scopoli  falls  into  errors  :  he  is  not  so  full  with 
regard  to  the  manners  of  his  indigenous  birds  as  might 
be  wished,  as  you  justly  observe  :  his  Latin  is  easy,  elegant, 
and  expressive,  and  very  superior  to  Kramer's.1 

rupestris :  "  mihi  antea  ignota,  vere  distincta,"  but  in  January  1774  he  says  of  it 
(Letter  VI,  Bell's  ed.,  vol.  ii.  p.  80):  "Nescio  an  varietas  apus"  Again  in 
Letter  IX  (l.c.  p.  89)  he  writes  :  "  Hirundo  rupestris  nigricans,  rectricibus  subse- 
qualibus :  2,  3.  macula  alba."  The  letters  of  Linnaeus  were  forwarded  by  John 
to  Gilbert,  who  comments  on  them:  "Linnaeus's  letter  is  polite  and  entertain- 
ing and  instructive.  But  pray  what  does  he  mean  by  saying  that  your  Hirundo 
hyemalis  (for  so  I  shall  still  call  it)  is  ...  varietas  apus?  for  the  apus  and  melba 
only  perhaps  have  omnibus  quatuor  digitis  anticis,  while  your  swallow  has  a  back 
toe  like  other  birds  ;  besides  the  bill  of  your  apus  and  melba  are  much  bent ;  but 
that  of  the  hirundo  hyemalis  is  straight."  (Letter  XIV,  Bell's  ed.,  vol.  ii.  p.  30.) 
In  forwarding  the  other  Linnaean  letter  to  Gilbert,  John  adds  the  remarks  :  "  He 
is  wrong  in  saying  only  2.  3.  maculis  albis  in  the  tail  of  Hirundo  rupest.  It  ought 
to  be  2.  3.  4.  5."  In  a  final  letter  to  Linnaeus,  dated  Oct.  8,  1774,  he  writes: 
"  Hirundo  rupestris,  Scop.,  mihi  potius  (pace  tua)  hyemalis  dicenda;  nam  ipsa, 
sola  forsan  inter  Hirundines,  hyemes  nobiscum  degit,  Hujus  rectrices  2.  3.  macula 
alba  dicis  ;  at  revera  2.  3.  4.  5.  albo  maculantur."  This  letter,  Professor  Bell 
with  reason  imagines,  would  not  have  been  read  by  Linnaeus,  who  at  that  time 
had  been  obliged  to  relinquish  work  owing  to  an  attack  of  apoplexy  (cf.  Bell's  ed., 
vol.  ii.  p.  94). 

I  have  very  little  doubt  that  John  White's  early  remarks  on  his  "winter 
martin,"  which  puzzled  Gilbert,  referred  to  the  adults  of  the  Common  House 
Martin  ( Chelidon  urbica\  the  young  birds  of  this  species  being  duller  in  colour 
than  the  old  ones,  especially  on  the  under  surface.  The  adult  birds  would  appear 
"blacker  on  the  back,  and  whiter  under  the  belly." — [R.  B.  S.] 

1  See  his  F.lenchus  vegetabilium  et  animalium  per  Austriam  inferiorem,  &c. 
-[G.  W.] 

S 


138     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

[I  have  more  to  say  but  my  servant  will  be  too  late  for 
the  post  which  I  would  not  lose. 

Regarding  yr  correspondence  as  a  very  pleasing  circum- 
stance of  my  life  &  hoping  for  a  continuance  of  it. 
I  remain  with  great  esteem 
Your  obliged,  & 

humble  Servant, 
GIL  :  WHITE.] 


LETTER    XXXIII1 

TO   THE   SAME 

SELBORNE,  Nov.  z6th,  1770. 

DEAR  SIR, — I  was  much  pleased  to  see,  among  the 
collection  of  birds  from  Gibraltar,  some  of  those  short- 
winged  English  summer  -  birds  of  passage,  concerning 
whose  departure  we  have  made  so  much  inquiry.  Now 
if  these  birds  are  found  in  Andalusia  to  migrate  to  and 
from  Barbary,  it  may  easily  be  supposed  that  those  that 
come  to  us  may  migrate  back  to  the  continent,  and  spend 
their  winters  in  some  of  the  warmer  parts  of  Europe.  This 
is  certain,  that  many  soft-billed  birds  that  come  to  Gibraltar 
appear  there  only  in  spring  and  autumn,  seeming  to 
advance  in  pairs  towards  the  northward,  for  the  sake  of 
breeding  during  the  summer  months ;  and  retiring  in 
parties  and  broods  towards  the  south  at  the  decline  of 
the  year :  so  that  the  rock  of  Gibraltar  is  the  great 
rendezvous,  and  place  of  observation,  from  whence  they 
take  their  departure  each  way  towards  Europe  or  Africa? 

1  This  seems  to  have  been  a  letter  introduced  by  Gilbert  White  into  his 
book,  as  there  is  no   letter  of  this   date   in  the   MS.  correspondence  in  the 
British  Museum.— [R.  B.  S.] 

2  The  course  of  migration  of  many  species  from  Western  Europe  to  Africa 
and  the  return  journey  in  spring  takes  place  by  the  Gibraltar  route  (cf.   Irby 
Ornithology  of  Gibraltar),  though  Gilbert  White  had  no  idea  that  the  migrations  of 
some  of  our  small  Warblers  were  continued  far  beyond  the  Mediterranean  basin, 
even  to  Senegambia,  the  Gold  Coast,  and  Nigeria.     Some  of  them  doubtless  cross 
the   Sahara,   which   they  reach   by  some  of  the  migration   routes  of   Western 
Europe : — through  the  Pyrenees  and  across  Spain  and  Portugal  to  Gibraltar,  and 
thence  by  way  of  Morocco  to  West  Africa,  either  directly  south  or  by  following 
the  coast-line  ;  or  along  the  Rhine  Valley  through  Switzerland,  reaching  Algeria 
by  way  of  Corsica  and  Sardinia ;  or  by  way  of  Italy,  Sicily,  and  Malta  to  the 

139 


140     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

It  is  therefore  no  mean  discovery,  I  think,  to  find  that 
our  small  short-winged  summer  birds  of  passage  are  to 
be  seen  spring  and  autumn  on  the  very  skirts  of  Europe; 
it  is  a  presumptive  proof  of  their  emigrations. 

Scopoli  seems  to  me  to  have  found  the  hirundo  melba, 
the  great  Gibraltar  swift,  in  Tirol,  without  knowing  it. 
For  what  is  his  hirundo  alpina  but  the  afore-mentioned 
bird  in  other  words  ?  Says  he  "  Omnia  prioris  "  (meaning 
the  swift);  " sed pectus  album ;  paulo  major  priore."  I  do 
not  suppose  this  to  be  a  new  species.  It  is  true  also  of 
the  melba,  that  "  nidificat  in  excelsis  Alpium  rupibus"  Vid. 
Annum  Primum.1 

My  Sussex  friend,  a  man  of  observation  and  good  sense, 
but  no  naturalist,  to  whom  I  applied  on  account  of  the 
stone-curlew,  oedicnemus,  sends  me  the  following  account : 
"  In  looking  over  my  Naturalist's  Journal  for  the  month 
of  April,  I  find  the  stone-curlews  are  first  mentioned  on  the 
seventeenth  and  eighteenth,  which  date  seems  to  me  rather 
late.  They  live  with  us  all  the  spring  and  summer,  and 
at  the  beginning  of  autumn  prepare  to  take  leave  by 
getting  together  in  flocks.  They  seem  to  me  a  bird  of 
passage  that  may  travel  into  some  dry  hilly  country  south 
of  us,  probably  Spain,  because  of  the  abundance  of  sheep- 
walks  in  that  country ;  for  they  spend  their  summers  with 
us  in  such  districts.  This  conjecture  I  hazard,  as  I  have 

North  African  coast.  The  principal  route  of  migration  to  South  Africa,  how- 
ever, is  undoubtedly  by  way  of  the  Nile  Valley  and  the  Great  Lakes.  Our 
knowledge  of  the  phenomenon  of  Bird-migration,  though  increasing  year  by  year, 
is  still  but  small.  The  following  pertinent  remarks  by  Sir  William  Jardine  occur 
in  his  note  to  the  above  letter  (ed.  "  Selborne,"  p.  91,  note) :  "  The  letters  from 
his  brother  while  at  Gibraltar  would  be  exceedingly  interesting  to  White  while  his 
attention  was  turned  to  migration,  and  there  is  little  doubt  that  the  great  bulk  of 
our  migratory  species  follow  the  line  as  suggested  in  the  text ;  at  the  same  time, 
however,  some  of  the  species,  the  common  swallow,  for  instance,  has  a  very 
extensive  range,  and  I  believe  is  permanently  resident  nowhere.  The  more 
distant  cannot  be  expected  to  reach  Northern  Europe  or  Great  Britain,  which 
in  all  probability  are  supplied  from  North  or  North-Eastern  Africa." — [R.  B.  S.] 
1  The  bird  here  referred  to  is  the  Alpine  Swift  (Apus  melba),  and  Gilbert 
White  is  quite  right  in  his  identification.  The  species  has  occurred  some  twenty 
times  in  Great  Britain  (ef.  Howard  Saunders,  Man.  Brit.  B.,  2nd  ed.,  p.  263, 
1899).— [R.  B.  S.] 


^/TI^C^  -/few^e . 


Life  size. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     141 

never  met  with  any  one  that  has  seen  them  in  England  in 
the  winter.  I  believe  they  are  not  fond  of  going  near  the 
water,  but  feed  on  earth-worms,  that  are  common  on 
sheep-walks  and  downs.  They  breed  on  fallows  and  lay- 
fields  abounding  with  grey  mossy  flints,  which  much  re- 
semble their  young  in  colour  ;  among  which  they  skulk 
and  conceal  themselves.  They  make  no  nest,  but  lay 
their  eggs  on  the  bare  ground,  producing  in  common  but 
two  at  a  time.  There  is  reason  to  think  their  young  run 
soon  after  they  are  hatched ;  and  that  the  old  ones  do 
not  feed  them,  but  only  lead  them  about  at  the  time  of 
feeding,  which,  for  the  most  part,  is  in  the  night."  Thus 
far  my  friend. 

In  the  manners  of  this  bird  you  see  there  is  something 
very  analogous  to  the  bustard,  whom  it  also  somewhat  re- 
sembles in  aspect  and  make,  and  in  the  structure  of  its  feet. 

For  a  long  time  I  have  desired  my  relation  to  look  out 
for  these  birds  in  Andalusia ;  and  now  he  writes  me  word 
that,  for  the  first  time,  he  saw  one  dead  in  the  market  on 
the  third  of  September. 

When  the  oedicnemus  flies  it  stretches  out  it's  legs  straight 
behind,  like  an  heron.  I  am,  &c. 


[LETTER   XXXIIIa 

SELBORNE  :  Jan :  12,  1771. 

DEAR  SIR, — This  day  my  box  with  the  whole  of  my 
curiosities  sets  out  by  the  waggon  on  its  way  to  London  ; 
from  whence  it  will  be  forwarded  by  my  Bror  to  Chester. 

You  will  be  so  kind  as  to  examine  the  contents,  & 
to  order  yr  artist  to  draw  such  as  are  worthy  of  yr  notice  ; 
&  to  favour  me  with  your  opinion  concerning  the  most 
rare,  &  particularly  the  fishes,  which  need  not  be  re- 
turned. 

The  reason  that  my  Bror  sent  only  the  head  &  the 
feet  of  the  vulture  was,  because  he  never  had  any  other 
part.  The  bird  was  found  dead  &  floating  in  the  sea ; 
an  accident  it  seems  not  very  uncommon  :  some  fisher- 
men picked  it  up,  &  flayed  it ;  eat  the  carcase,  &  threw 
away  the  skin,  &  gave  him  the  head  &  feet.  But  as  the 
Governor  has  got  a  live  bird  of  this  sort,  my  Bror  will 
take  care  to  describe  that  minutely. 

Please  to  be  particular  about  the  partridges.  My 
last  cargo  of  birds  returned  very  safe  from  yr  house. 

I  thank  you  for  the  Portugal  apiaster,  which  differs 
somewhat  from  the  Andalusian. 

It  is  no  small  discovery,  I  think,  to  find  that  our  small 
short-winged  summer  birds  of  passage  are  to  be  seen 
spring  &  autumn  on  the  very  skirts  of  Europe  :  it  is  a 
very  strong  presumptive  proof  of  their  migration. 

Your  proof-sheet  meets  with  my  approbation.  I 
always  was  of  opinion  that  the  stile  should  be  in  some 
measure  adapted  to  the  length  of  the  composition,  or 
the  subject  in  all  cases  :  &  therefore  long  flowing  sentences 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     143 

can't   be   suitable   to    short   descriptions   in    a   work  that 
professes  to  be  a  synopsis. 

If  you  should  think  it  proper  to  have  the  Hirundo 
melba  taken,  would  it  not  be  right  to  have  it  drawn  on 
its  back  ;  because  the  colour  of  the  belly  is,  size  excepted, 
the  chief  thing  that  distinguishes  it  from  the  Hir :  apus. 
It  is  a  swift  to  all  intents  &  purposes. 

You  pay  us  a  great  compliment  when  you  say  that 
our  account  of  Gibraltar  will  in  a  manner  comprehend 
the  animals  of  South  Europe.  It  is  a  work,  I  must 
acknowledge,  that  I  could  wish  to  see  reduced  to  some 
degree  of  correctness :  &  therefore  am  much  gratifyed 
whenever  you  tender  us  yr  best  assistance,  which  I  am 
perswaded  would  be  it's  best  support.  I  have  been  in  a 
pother  lately  about  writing  to  that  place,  fearing  lest 
this  misunderstanding  between  the  two  nations  may  inter- 
rupt the  correspondence  by  the  post ;  &  suspecting  my 
last  letter  never  reached  my  Bror-  Mn  Harrington  seems 
to  think  that  the  intercourse  is  still  subsisting. 

I  have  looked  over  Mr-  Forster's  catalogue  of  British 
insects,  &  have  somewhat  to  advance  on  that  subject : 
but  time  will  not  permit  me  at  present,  as  I  am  pretty 
much  hurryed.  We  have  had  vast  rains  for  these  ten 
weeks  past,  &  some  great  storms ;  especially  one  on 
ye  20th  of  Decr-  in  the  morning:  now  severe  frost. 

Hoping  yr  troublesome  cold  has  left  you,  &  desiring 
you  to  accept  of  the  good  wishes  of  the  season, 

I  conclude  with  great  esteem, 
Yr  obliged,  & 

humble  servant, 

GIL:  WHITE.] 


LETTER   XXXIV 

TO    THE   SAME 

SELBORNE,  March  ^otA,  1771. 

DEAR  SIR, — [Your  agreeable  letter  of  Feb  :  15th  arrived 
while  I  was  from  home :  &  since  my  return  some  what 
still  has  prevented  my  sitting  down  to  pay  it  that  regard 
which  it  deserved. 

You  may  probably  have  heard  by  means  of  Mr-  Bar- 
rington,  who  saw  the  contents  while  they  lay  in  town, 
that  I  have  received  another  small  cargo  of  birds  from 
Gibraltar,  with  a  curious  collection  of  insects.  The  birds 
were  as  follow  : 

Merops  apiaster,  3  specim*  Rallus  aquat  : 

Loxia  curvirostra :  Motacilla  flava  : 

Scolopax  (zgocephala,  M  :  &  F  :  (Enanthe  f 

-  -  -  -  ph&opus  :  Charadrius  hiaticula : 

Oriolus  galbula,  2  spec  :  Hematopus  ostralegus  : 

Alauda  cristata  :  Leg  &  wing  of  strix  bubo  : 

Alauda f  2  spec  :  Leg  of  ardea  nycticorax : 

Coturnix  tridact :  mas  :  Turdus  arundinaceus 
Mot.  cenanthe,  M  :  &  F  : 

Where  a  wing  or  a  leg  or  an  head  only  are  sent  you 
are  to  suppose  that  the  whole  specimen  was  too  stale 
&  too  far  gone  to  be  preserved  before  it  reached  my 
Bror's  hands.  The  alauda  unknown  answers  well  in  many 
respects  to  the  Spipoletta  Florentines  of  Ray.  But  as  that 
most  accurate  writer  says  that  the  rostrum  of  the  spipoletta 
is  nigerrimum,  &  pedes  etiam  nigri,  I  must  by  no  means 
pretend  to  say  that  my  birds  are  the  above-mentioned 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     145 

when  their  bills  &  legs  are  brown :  &  especially  since 
all  ornithologists  agree  that  ye  naked  parts  of  birds  are 
the  least  apt  to  vary  in  colour.  As  to  the  oenanthe  I 
don't  know  at  all  what  to  make  of  it :  it  appears  to  me 
more  like  a  variegated  accidental  specimen  than  a  new 
species :  but  I  shall  hear  what  you  have  to  say.  The 
outer  edge  of  the  first  quill-feather  of  the  wing  of  the 
strix  bubo  is  serrated  :  a  circumstance  which  Linn  :  seems 
not  to  be  aware  of  ;  for  if  he  had  he  would  never  have 
made  it  specific  to  his  strix  aluco :  since  what  is  common 
to  more  than  one  species  cannot  be  specific.  But  such 
slips  are  pardonable  nay  unavoidable  opere  in  longo. 

As  the  orioh  galb :  are  birds  of  last  year  their  colour  is 
by  no  means  come  to  its  full  splendor.  My  Bror>  has 
much  to  say  in  defence  of  his  supposition  that  his  Spanish 
&  Barbary  partridges  are  different  species.  In  one  of  his 
last  letters  his  words  are,  "  I  am  perfectly  clear  about 
the  difference  of  the  Span  :  &  Bar :  partridge.  I  have 
examined  multitudes  of  each,  &  never  found  the  least 
exception  to  my  remark.  .  .  that  the  Bar :  sort  has 
always  the  chestnut  collar,  cheeks,  &c.,  spotted  with 
white  ; *  the  Span :  sort  always  has  those  parts  black, 
&  the  collar  of  a  different  form.  The  distinction  is 
invariable ;  &  I  wonder  no  one  remarked  it.  The  Span  : 
is  rather  the  larger  bird.  Indeed  on  a  careful  comparison 
the  whole  disposition  even  of  those  colours  which  corre- 
spond in  each  bird  differs." 

Shaw's  travels  are  to  be  met  with  in  Gibraltar  ;  & 
my  Bror  had  discovered  himself  that  the  tridactyl  quail 
was  known  to  the  Dr-  in  Barbary :  however  we  are 
equally  obliged  to  you  for  yr  hint.  Gannets  are  never 
seen  about  Gibraltar  'til  Nov :  they  retire  again  about 
March.  My  Bror  shall  try  to  procure  the  bird  for  you 
from  the  Barbary  coast. 


1  This  is  the  Barbary  Partridge  (Caccabis  petrosd)  and  the  other  is  the 
Spanish  Red-legged  Partridge  (Caccabis  hispanica).  John  White  was  quite  right 
as  regards  the  distinctive  characters  of  the  two  species. — [R.  B.  S.] 

T 


146     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

I  shall  make  a  point  of  meeting  you  in  town.  It  is 
time  now  to  have  a  little  conversation  face  to  face  after 
we  have  corresponded  so  freely  for  several  years.]1 

There  is  an  insect2  with  us,  especially  on  chalky 
districts,  which  is  very  troublesome  and  teasing  all  the 
latter  end  of  the  summer,  getting  into  people's  skins, 
especially  those  of  women  and  children,  and  raising 
tumours  which  itch  intolerably.  This  animal  (which  we 
call  an  harvest  bug)  is  very  minute,  scarce  discernible  to 
the  naked  eye  ;  of  a  bright  scarlet  colour,  and  of  the  genus 
of  Acarus.  They  are  to  be  met  with  in  gardens  on  kidney- 
beans,  or  any  legumens  ;  but  prevail  only  in  the  hot  months 
of  summer.  Warreners,  as  some  have  assured  me,  are 
much  infested  by  them  on  chalky  downs ;  where  these 
insects  swarm  sometimes  to  so  infinite  a  degree  as  to  dis- 
colour their  nets,  and  to  give  them  a  reddish  cast,  while  the 
men  are  so  bitten  as  to  be  thrown  into  fevers. 

There  is  a  small  long  shining  fly  in  these  parts  very 
troublesome  to  the  housewife,  by  getting  into  the  chimneys, 
and  laying  its  eggs  in  the  bacon  while  it  is  drying  :  these 
eggs  produce  maggots  called  jumpers,  which,  harbouring 
in  the  gammons  and  best  parts  of  the  hogs,  eat  down  to 
the  bone,  and  make  great  waste.  This  fly  I  suspect  to  be 
a  variety  of  the  musca  putris  of  Linnceus :  it  is  to  be  seen  in 
the  summer  in  farm-kitchens  on  the  bacon-racks  and  about 
the  mantle-pieces,  and  on  the  ceilings. 

The  insect  that  infests  turnips  and  many  crops  in  the 
garden  (destroying  often  whole  fields  while  in  their  seedling 
leaves)  is  an  animal  that  wants  to  be  better  known.  The 
country  people  here  call  it  the  turnip-fly  and  black-dolphin  ; 
but  I  know  it  to  be  one  of  the  coleoptera ;  the  "  chrysomela 
oleracea,  saltatoria,  femoribus  posticis  crasstssimis."  In  very 
hot  summers  they  abound  to  an  amazing  degree,  and, 
as  you  walk  in  a  field  or  in  a  garden,  make  a  pattering 

1  From  this  it  would  seem  that  Gilbert  White  and  Pennant  had  not  yet  met. 

2  Some  interesting  notes  by  my  friend  Mr.  R.  J.  Pocock  on  the  insects  here 
mentioned  arrived  too  late  for  insertion  here,  and  will  be  found  in  an  appendix  to 
the  present  volume. — [R.  B.  S.] 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     147 

like   rain,  by  jumping   on   the   leaves   of  the  turnips   or 
cabbages. 

There  is  an  Oestrus,  known  in  these  parts  to  every 
ploughboy ;  which,  because  it  is  omitted  by  Linnaus,  is 
also  passed  over  by  late  writers  ;  and  that  is  the  curvicauda 
of  old  Mousetj  mentioned  by  Derham  in  his  "  Physico- 
Theology,"  p.  250  :  an  insect  worthy  of  remark  for  deposit- 
ing its  eggs  as  it  flies  in  so  dextrous  a  manner  on  the  single 
hairs  of  the  legs  and  flanks  of  grass-horses.  But  then 
Derham  is  mistaken  when  he  advances  that  this  Oestrus  is 
the  parent  of  that  wonderful  star-tailed  maggot  which  he 
mentions  afterwards  ;  for  more  modern  entomologists  have 
discovered  that  singular  production  to  be  derived  from  the 
egg,  of  the  musca  chamaleon :  see  Geoff roy,  t.  17  f.  4. 

A  full  history  of  noxious  insects  hurtful  in  the  field, 
garden,  and  house,  suggesting  all  the  known  and  likely 
means  of  destroying  them,  would  be  allowed  by  the  public 
to  be  a  most  useful  and  important  work.  What  knowledge 
there  is  of  this  sort  lies  scattered,  and  wants  to  be  collected; 
great  improvements  would  soon  follow  of  course.  A  know- 
ledge of  the  properties,  oeconomy,  propagation,  and  in  short 
of  the  life  and  conversation  of  these  animals,  is  a  neces- 
sary step  to  lead  us  to  some  method  of  preventing  their 
depredations. 

As  far  as  I  am  a  judge,  nothing  would  recommend 
entomology  more  than  some  neat  plates  that  should  well 
express  the  generic  distinctions  of  insects  according  to 
LinncEus ;  for  I  am  well  assured  that  many  people  would 
study  insects,  could  they  set  out  with  a  more  adequate 
notion  of  those  distinctions  than  can  be  conveyed  at  first 
by  words  alone. 

[If  you  have  a  desire  to  see  my  last  birds,  please  to 
intimate  as  much  ;  but  as  you  intend  soon  to  be  in  town, 
might  they  not  as  well  meet  you  there,  &  save  a  long 
carriage  ?  but  this  shall  be  as  you  please. 

I  had  written  thus  far  when  yr  letter  of  the  19  of  Mar  : 
arrived.  Many  thanks  are  due  for  yr  trouble  in  ascertaining 
so  many  of  my  Brors  fishes,  and  for  the  honour  you  have 


148     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

done  his  birds  in  ordering  so  many  of  them  to  be  taken. 
I  shall  transcribe  yr  list  and  send  it  off  for  Gibraltar  next 
week.  My  bror  will  be  pleased  to  see  how  you  have  named 
his  specimens. 

When  you  write  to  Gibr  :  crowd  yr  letter  with  hints  : 
mine  run  of  late  in  a  very  didactic  style.  You  have,  I 
find,  made  some  alteration  in  yr  time  of  coming :  may  I 
presume  to  ask  how  long  you  stay  in  town  ?  Hoping  to 
have  the  honour  of  seeing  you  soon, 

I  remain  with  great  esteem 
Your  obliged,  & 

humble  Servant, 

My  thanks  are  due  for  GlL  I  WHITE.] 

yr  second  part  of  the 
4th  vol :  which  is  just 
arrived. 


LETTER   XXXV 

TO   THE   SAME1 

SELBORNE,  1771 

DEAR  SIR, — [My  unusual  silence  has  not  been  owing 
to  any  disrespect,  but  to  the  roving,  unsettled  life  which 
I  have  lived  for  this  month  past. 

I  wish  you  had  happened  to  have  paid  a  little  more 
attention  to  the  pair  of  larks  which  came  over  in  my 
last  collection  ;  because  they  seemed  to  me  to  be  quite 
a  different  species  from  any  sent  before :  &  I  should 
not  have  hesitated  to  have  called  them  the  Spipoletta 
Florentinis  Rati,  had  they  had  black  feet  &  black  bills. 
The  variegated  cenanthe  also  deserved  your  regard.  But 
I  will  endeavour  to  send  both  sorts  again  when  I  have 
an  opportunity,  that  you  may  survey  them  both  at  your 
leisure.  My  thanks  are  due  for  yr  setting  us  right  where 
some  birds  were  misnamed. 

It  is  a  great  satisfaction  to  me  to  find  that  you  &  my 
Brother  at  Gibraltar  are  embarked  in  a  correspondence. 
You  are  capable  of  giving  each  other  mutual  entertain- 
ment :  &  my  Bror  (as  by  much  the  youngest  Naturalist) 
will  derive  from  you  much  information,  &  many  useful 
hints  &  queries.  What  from  his  natural  propensity,  & 
application,  from  the  assistance  of  ingenious  friends,  & 
from  the  copious  field  of  the  South  of  Spain,  which  he 
has  all  to  himself,  I  doubt  not  now  but  that  in  time  he 

1  The  letter  as  published  was  very  short,  but  forms  part  of  a  long  one  written 
to  Pennant,  and  dated  July  19,  1771. — [R.  B.  S.] 


150     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

will  be  able  to  produce  somewhat  worthy  the  attention 
of  men  who  love  these  studies.  As  to  any  publication 
in  this  way  of  my  own,  I  look  upon  it  with  great  diffidence, 
finding  that  I  ought  to  have  begun  it  twenty  years  ago. 
But  if  I  was  to  attempt  anything,  it  should  be  somewhat 
of  a  Nat :  history  of  my  native  parish  ;  an  annus-historico- 
naturalis,  comprizing  a  journal  for  one  whole  year,  & 
illustrated  with  large  notes,  &  observations.  Such  a 
beginning  might  induce  more  able  naturalists  to  write 
the  history  of  various  districts  ;  &  might  in  time  occasion 
the  production  of  a  work  so  much  to  be  wished  for,  a 
full  &  compleat  nat :  history  of  these  kingdoms. 

Your  engraver  at  Chester  acquits  himself  like  an  able 
artist :  &  I  should  be  glad  to  know  what  his  price  is  for 
a  plate  containing  two  or  three  animals.  You  have,  I 
see,  furnished  the  Gent :  Mag :  for  last  month  with  a 
plate  &  some  descriptions.  The  conduct1"  of  that  publica- 
tion will  no  doubt  rejoice  in  such  a  correspondent.] 

Happening  to  make  a  visit  to  my  neighbour's  peacocks, 
I  could  not  help  observing  that  the  trains  of  those  mag- 
nificent birds  appear  by  no  means  to  be  their  tails ;  those 
long  feathers  growing  not  from  their  uropygium,  but  all  up 
their  backs.  A  range  of  short  brown  stiff  feathers,  about 
six  inches  long,  fixed  in  the  uropygium,  is  the  real  tail,  and 
serves  as  the  fulcrum  to  prop  the  train,  which  is  long  and 
top-heavy,  when  set  an  end.  When  the  train  is  up,  nothing 
appears  of  the  bird  before  but  it's  head  and  neck  ;  but  this 
would  not  be  the  case  were  those  long  feathers  fixed  only 
in  the  rump,  as  may  be  seen  by  the  turkey-cock  when  in  a 
strutting  attitude.  By  a  strong  muscular  vibration  these 
birds  can  make  the  shafts  of  their  long  feathers  clatter  like 
the  swords  of  a  sword-dancer ;  they  then  trample  very 
quick  with  their  feet,  and  run  backwards  towards  the 
females. 

I  should  tell  you  that  I  have  got  an  uncommon  calculus 
cegogropila,  taken  out  of  the  stomach  of  a  fat  ox  ;  it  is 
perfectly  round,  and  about  the  size  of  a  large  Seville 
orange  ;  such  are,  I  think,  usually  flat. 


A  VISIT  TO  MY  NEIGHBOUR'S  PEACOCKS 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     151 

[I  have  just  read  with  satisfaction  &  improvement  Kalm's 
journey  thro'  N  :  America  :  but  as  he  is  continually  refer- 
ring to  an  other  work  he  cuts  us  very  short  often  times  both 
in  botany  and  zoology. 

Yesterday  I  had  a  letter  from  town  which  mentions 
the  safe  return  of  Mr  Banks ;  &  adds  that  he  looks  as  well 
as  ever  he  did  in  his  life.  So  agreeable  an  event  calls  for 
my  warmest  congratulations.  For  if  we  rejoice  at  the 
arrival  of  a  friend  who  has  been  absent  but  a  few  months 
perhaps  in  a  neighbouring  kingdom  :  how  shall  we  express 
ourselves  when  we  see  one  restored  as  it  were  from  the 
other  world,  after  having  undergone  the  astonishing 
hazards  &  dangers  that  must  attend  the  circumnavigation 
of  the  world  itself  !  1 ! 

I  have  great  reason  to  regret  my  disappointment  of  not 
meeting  you  in  town  :  but  as  we  live  by  hope  I  trust  that 
I  shall  be  more  fortunate  an  other  time. 

With  great  esteem  I  remain 
Your  obliged,  & 

most  humble  Servant, 

GIL  :  WHITE.] 


LETTER    XXXVI 

TO  THE  SAME 

Sept.  [25],  1771. 

DEAR  SIR, — The  summer  through  I  have  seen  but  two 
of  that  large  species  of  bat  which  I  call  vespertilio  altivolans, 
from  its  manner  of  feeding  high  in  the  air  :  I  procured  one 
of  them,  and  found  it  to  be  a  male ;  and  made  no  doubt, 
as  they  accompanied  together,  that  the  other  was  a  female  : 
but,  happening  in  an  evening  or  two  to  procure  the  other 
likewise,  I  was  somewhat  disappointed,  when  it  appeared 
to  be  also  of  the  same  sex.  This  circumstance,  and  the 
great  scarcity  of  this  sort,  at  least  in  these  parts,  occasions 
some  suspicions  in  my  mind  whether  it  is  really  a  species, 
or  whether  it  may  not  be  the  male  part  of  the  more  known 
species,  one  of  which  may  supply  many  females ;  as  is 
known  to  be  the  case  in  sheep,  and  some  other  quadrupeds. 
But  this  doubt  can  only  be  cleared  by  a  farther  examina- 
tion, and  some  attention  to  the  sex,  of  more  specimens  :  all 
that  I  know  at  present  is,  that  my  two  were  amply  furnished 
with  the  parts  of  generation,  much  resembling  those  of 
a  boar.1 

In  the  extent  of  their  wings  they  measured  fourteen 
inches  and  an  half ;  and  four  inches  and  an  half  from  the 

1  Jardine's  note  is  as  follows:  "See  Letters  XXII,  XXVI.  The  British 
auna  is  indebted  to  White  for  the  first  notice  of  this  species  ;  it  is  locally  dis- 
tributed, and  although  not  common  generally  is  found  in  numbers  together,  so 
many  as  185  having  been  taken  in  one  night  from  the  eaves  of  Queens'  College, 
Cambridge.  It  was  first  described  by  Daubenton,  under  the  name  of  La  noctule, 
which  name  Latinised  was  afterwards  continued,  and  is  prior  to  White's  name  of 
altivolans,  which  we  regret  has  not  been  retained,  as  it  is  so  characteristic  of  the 
habits  of  the  species." — (Ed.  "Selbome,"  p.  97.) 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     153 

nose  to  the  tip  of  the  tail :  their  heads  were  large,  their 
nostrils  bilobated,  their  shoulders  broad  and  muscular ; 
and  their  whole  bodies  fleshy  and  plump.  Nothing  could 
be  more  sleek  and  soft  than  their  fur,  which  was  of  a  bright 
chesnut  colour  ;  their  maws  were  full  of  food,  but  so  mace- 
rated that  the  quality  could  not  be  distinguished ;  their 
livers,  kidnies,  and  hearts,  were  large,  and  their  bowels 
covered  with  fat.  They  weighed  each,  when  entire,  full 
one  ounce  and  one  drachm.  Within  the  ear  there  was 
somewhat  of  a  peculiar  structure  that  I  did  not  understand 
perfectly ;  but  refer  it  to  the  observation  of  the  curious 
anatomist.  These  creatures  sent  forth  a  very  rancid  and 
offensive  smell. 


u 


LETTER   XXXVII1 

TO  THE  SAME 

SELBORNE,  1771.* 

DEAR  SIR, — On  the  twelfth  of  July  I  had  a  fair  oppor- 
tunity of  contemplating  the  motions  of  the  caprimulgus,  or 
fern-owl,  as  it  was  playing  round  a  large  oak  that  swarmed 
with  scarabcei  solstittales,  or  fern-chafers.  The  powers  of 
it's  wing  were  wonderful,  exceeding,  if  possible,  the  various 
evolutions  and  quick  turns  of  the  swallow  genus.  But  the 
circumstance  that  pleased  me  most  was,  that  I  saw  it 
distinctly,  more  than  once,  put  out  it's  short  leg  while  on 
the  wing,  and,  by  a  bend  of  the  head,  deliver  somewhat 
into  its  mouth.  If  it  takes  any  part  of  it's  prey  with  it's 
foot,  as  I  have  now  the  greatest  reason  to  suppose  it  does 
these  chafers,  I  no  longer  wonder  at  the  use  of  it's  middle 
toe,  which  is  curiously  furnished  with  a  serrated  claw.2 

Swallows  and  martins,  the  bulk  of  them  I  mean,  have 
forsaken  us  sooner  this  year  than  usual ;  for  on  September 
the  twenty-second,  they  rendezvoused  in  a  neighbour's 
walnut-tree,  where  it  seemed  probable  they  had  taken  up 
their  lodging  for  the  night.  At  the  dawn  of  the  day,  which 
was  foggy,  they  arose  all  together  in  infinite  numbers, 
occasioning  such  a  rushing  from  the  strokes  of  their  wings 
against  the  hazy  air,  as  might  be  heard  to  a  considerable 
distance  :  since  that  no  flock  has  appeared,  only  a  few 
stragglers. 

1  This  letter  forms  part  of  the  original  letter  of  Sept.  25,  1771. — [R.  B.  S.] 

2  The  use  of  the  serrated  claw  in  the  night-jar  has  been  discussed  by  many 
ornithologists.     It  is  not  likely  that  the  foot  has  any  seizing  power,  but  as  the 
bristles  which  beset  the  bird's  gape  may  become  clogged  with  the  wings  of  the 
insects  on  which  it  feeds,  it  is  possible  that  White  saw  the  bird  in  the  act  of 
clearing  its  rictal  bristles  by  means  of  the  comb  on  its  claw. — [R.  B.  S.] 

154 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     155 

Some  swifts  stayed  late,  till  the  twenty-second  of  August 
— a  rare  instance  !  for  they  usually  withdraw  within  the 
first  week.1 

On  September  the  twenty-forth  three  or  four  ring-ousels 
appeared  in  my  fields  for  the  first  time  this  season  :  how 
punctual  are  these  visitors  in  their  autumnal  and  spring 
migrations  ! 2 

[By  the  next  return  of  the^waggon  I  shall  send  up  a 
small  but  rare  collection  of  birds,  which  I  beg  that  You  & 
Mr-  Banks  would  please  to  examine,  that  I  may  hear  what 
two  such  curious  Naturalists  have  to  say  about  some  of 
them.  They  are  as  follow  : — 

Merula  passer  solitarius  :  M  :  &  F  : 3 

Merula    nigerrima     uropygio,  j      Ig  not  ^  a  nondescri  t  ?  3 

rectnabus  que  mvets  :  ) 

Fringilla  petronia  : 

Sturnus  collaris  Scopoli  :  An  elegant  bird  ! 

Emberiza  cirlus : 

Pratincola  Krameri  :  Well  engraved  in  Kramer. 

Anas  clypeata  pectore  rubro :  Differs  from  our  shoveler. 

Species  of  lark  :  What  ? 

Motacilla  boarula  Scopoli  : 
Species  of  perch  :  What  ? 

You  are  welcome  to  take  these  birds  into  the  country, 
as  you  say  London  affords  you  no  leisure  for  examination 
in  such  matters  :  &  if  you  shall  think  them  worthy  of  being 
drawn,  you  will  lay  us  under  great  obligations  by  communi- 
cating those  drawings  at  a  proper  season.  My  Brother 
makes  no  contemptible  progress  in  Nat :  history  :  &  will 
be  able,  I  trust,  by  the  assistance  of  good  friends  (to  whom 
he  will  be  ready  to  make  all  due  acknowledgements)  to 
produce  in  due  time  somewhat  not  unworthy  the  attention 
of  the  candid  Naturalist.  Please  to  return  the  birds  to  my 

1  See  Letter  LIII  to  Mr.  Barrington.— [G.  W.]    On  the  27th  of  August  in  the 
present  year  (1899)  I  saw  two  swifts  flying  beneath  the  cliffs  between  Bexhill 
and  St.  Leonard's.— [R.  B.  S.] 

2  This  and  the  two  preceding  paragraphs  formed  the  P.S.  to  the  original 
letter.— [R.  B.  S.] 

8  The   Blue  Rock-Thrush  (Monticola  solitaria)  and  the  White-tailed  Chat 
(Saxicola  leucusra,  Cm.). — [R.  B.  S.] 


156    NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Bro  :  in  Thames-street  as  usual.  It  will  not  be  in  my 
power  to  meet  you  in  London  at  present,  because  I  have  a 
call  that  obliges  me  to  go  an  other  way. 

Pray  present  my  humble  respects  to  Mr-  Banks,  &  tell 
him  I  heartily  congratulate  him  on  his  safe  return  from  his 
astonishing  voyage  !  The  world  expects  great  Information 
from  his  discoveries  during  his  circumnavigation.  My 
respects  also  wait  on  Mr-  Barrington,  &  thanks  for  his  letter 
from  Beaumaris. 

After  returning  you  my  acknowledgements  for  your 
present  of  the  curious  old  Rondeletius  de  fiscibus,  I  remain, 

with  great  esteem 

Your  much  obliged,  & 
Humble  Servant, 
GIL  :  WHITE.] 


[LETTER  XXXVII* 

TO   THE   SAME 

SELBORNE,ya«:  13,  1772. 

DEAR  SIR, — I  sent  you  by  the  return  of  the  Alton 
waggon  last  week  such  birds  of  my  last  cargoes  as  you  had 
not  seen  before  :  some  of  which,  I  think,  will  not  displease 
you  ;  &  of  others  I  shall  beg  your  friendly  information,  not 
being  able  to  ascertain  them,  especially  the  larks,  &  the 
motacillcs.  You  will,  I  hope,  also  give  me  your  opinion  of 
the  last  cargo  ;  &  especially  of  the  white  rumped  bird,  & 
the  duck;  the  former  of  which,  I  trust,  is  a  turdus,  &  a 
rare  bird,  &  perhaps  a  nondescript ;  &  as  to  the  latter  I 
should  be  pleased  to  know  whether  it  be  the  red-breasted 
shoveler  of  the  Brit :  zool  :  or  not.  My  present  cargo  is 
as  follows : — 

Ptuznicopterus  ruber  Mas : 
Larus  fidipes  alter  Willughbcei :  N  :  VI  ? 
Lanius  collurio,  pullus  ? 
Lanius  collurio,  wood-chat  from  Tetuan  : J 
Sturnus  niger  from  Tetuan  :  an  nova  species?* 
Oriolus  galbula  : 
Oriolus  ....  young  or  variety  : 
Alauda  cristata  : 

Alauda  N°  i.  2  specimens  :  bills  long  &  slender ;  breasts  tinged 
with  yellow : 3 


1  Lanius  pomer anus,  Scop. — [R.  B.  S.] 

2  Sturnus  unicolor,  Temm.— [R.  B.  S.] 

3  Probably  the  Spanish  Crested  Lark  (Galerita  theckla,   Brehm).      One  of 
the  Larks  was  identified  by  John  White  (see  his  Letter,  p.  164)  as  a  Skylark,  and 
therefore  must  be  the  Mediterranean  form  of  our  Skylark  (Alauda  cantarella). 
The  other  species  would  doubtless  be  the  Short-toed  Lark  (Calandrella  brachy- 

157 


158     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Alauda  N°  2.  2  spec  :  bills  short,  &  taper ;  back  claw  small  .  .  . 

&  short ;  tails  short,  &  dusky  ;  outside  feathers  tinged  with 

yellow : 
Alauda?  bill  slender;  back  claw  short,  &  rather  incurved  ;  breast 

a  little  spotted  ;  tail  long  &  dusky  ;  out  feathers  white  :  is  it  the 

same  with  N°  i  ? 
Motacilla  N°  I  :  what  ?  large  :  back  &  wings  ash-colour'd ;  head 

dusky ;   throat,   breast,   belly  white :    tail  lost :    an  Motacilla 

dumetorum  Linn  :  Kram  :  aust :  377:  n:  19  ?l 
Motacilla  N°  2.  what  ?   small :   head,  back  dusky-reddish  ;  wings 

dusky ;    outer  webs  chestnut-coloured ;    throat  white,  breast 

tinged  with  red  ;  feet  and  legs  palish  : 2 
Motacilla  N°  3  :  2  spec  :  minute  ;  head,  back,  wings,  black,  feathers 

edged  with  chestnut,  resembling  the  passer  torquatus;  throat 

white,  breast,  belly,  sides  tawny  ;  caudd  unicolore;  elegant  little 

birds  ? 

In  all  these  difficulties  your  obliging  disposition  will 
prompt  you  to  assist  me ;  &  you  will  besides,  I  hope,  refer 
so  to  numerical  marks  as  to  prevent  mistakes,  or  mis- 
apprehension. It  is  very  remarkable  that  of  all  the  larks 
my  Bro  :  has  procured,  he  has  never  yet  met  with  a  British 
species.  Has  Brisson  any  larks  unknown  to  Ray  ?  You 
will  find,  I  think,  in  the  box  two  or  three  distinct,  &  unusual 
species.  My  Bro  :  in  Thames-street  has  sent  you  the  last 
bottles  of  fishes.  Enclosed  with  the  birds  are  some  rough 
draughts  of  some  fishes  taken  by  my  Bro  :  at  Gibraltar  ; 
who  tho'  he  knows  nothing  of  the  rules  of  drawing,  yet, 
he  trusts,  such  rude  sketches  will  inform  an  Icthyologist 
better  than  mere  words. 

As  I  have  a  few  shells  &  fossils,  I  should  take  it  as  a 
favour  if  you  would  (when  you  return  the  box)  add  a  few 
ores,  &  fossils  to  my  collection,  such  as  yr  mines  &  neigh- 
bourhood afford  :  a  few  will  be  sufficient. 

dactyla).  If  Gilbert  White  had  but  given  the  measurements  of  the  specimens  we 
should  have  got  nearer  to  their  identification.  These  letters,  which  I  have  here 
inserted  in  chronological  order  from  the  original  MSS.  show  that  not  only  was 
John  White  an  indefatigable  collector,  but  that  Gilbert  White,  in  his  Selborne 
home,  was  capable  of  taking  a  deep  interest  in  Ornithology  beyond  that  of  the 
British  Islands  alone. — [R.  B.  S.] 

1  Probably  the  Orphean  Warbler  (Sylvia  orphea), 

8  Apparently  the  Sylvia  conspicillata,  Temm. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     159 

Pray  when  in  the  spring  do  you  intend  to  be  in  town  ? 
Still  I  hope  to  meet  you  there  some  time  or  other. 

I  am  much  hurried  at  present,  &  must  stop  here  ;  but 
propose  to  write  again  not  long  hence.  With  the  Compli- 
ments of  the  season, 

I  remain  with  great  esteem, 
Your  obliged,  & 
Humble  Servant, 

GIL:  WHITE. 

Pray  when  does  Mr-  Banks  sail  ?] 


[LETTER   XXXVI 16 

TO   THE   SAME 

SELBORNB  :  March  19  :  1772. 

DEAR  SIR, — Your  obliging  letter  of  Feb  :  2ist  came 
safe  to  this  place,  &  followed  me  up  to  town ;  where  I 
also  received  yr  favour  of  March  ist- 

While  I  was  in  London  came  from  Gibraltar  a  box 
containing  (besides  several  birds  which  you  have  seen 
before)  Ardea  alba  minor :  perhaps  the  6  of  Ray's  synopsis 
avium :  Charadrius  alexandrinus.1  These  are  all  the  new 
birds. 

In  a  bottle  Sparus  mcena  ?  Salmo  eperlanus  calpensis  : 
blennius  supercilios. :  cancer  arctos. 

In  a  phial  Squali  foetus  :  cancer  arctos :  labrus. 

These  are  all  left  with  my  Bro  :  Tho  :  who  will  add 
them  to  the  cargo  I  am  sending  up. 

I  also  looked-out  the  pratincola,  which  will  be  sent 
with  the  rest.  There  can  be  no  doubt  of  its  being  a  genus 
per  se.  When  I  came  home  I  found  by  the  Liverpool 
frigate  a  box  containing  : — 

PHIALS 

Mustella  lutra  :  N°  I.  Gasterost :  ovatu s?    Zeus  aper : 

Squallus  glaucus  :  Labrus  :  Perca  ? 

„        mustelus  „   2.  Esox  Saurus. 

Uranoscopus  scaber :  „    3.  Cancer  squilla  carinata :    Percce: 

1  rigid  volitans  :  &  Gobii. 

some  birds  seen  before:  „   4.  Cancer   squil :    carin:      Trigla 

all  dryed.  verticillata :    Perca. 

„   5.   Trigla  lucerna:    Track:   Draco. 


1  The  Kentish  Plover.— [R.  B.  S.] 
160 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     161 

You  will  also  receive  the  outlines  of  the  following 
fishes  : — 

Squalus  centrina :  Sticena  ?  Borrico  minor  :  Scomber  pelamis  : 
Sciana:  Corbo :  Esox  Saurus :  Gasterosteiis  saltatrix : 
Lepidopus  :  Perca,  vel  Zeus  f  novus,  capite  diaphano. 

Among  the  rest  I  send  you  the  short-eared  owl  of  Brit : 
zool :  omitted  before. 

My  thanks  are  due  for  yr  thoughts  on  the  former 
cargo. 

Your  tour  thro'  Scotland  appears  to  me  to  be  a  very 
engaging  work :  &  the  town,  it  is  plain,  is  of  the  same 
opinion  :  for  the  book  has  a  great  run. 

I  regret  that  I  was  obliged  to  leave  town  before  I  had 
seen  yr  genera  avium.  Your  synopsis  quadr :  gives  me 
satisfaction. 

When  I  came  to  London  I  found  a  long  letter  from 
Linnaeus  to  my  Bro  :  John  lying  in  Fleet-street,  occasioned 
by  an  epistle  &  some  phials  of  insects  sent  by  the  latter 
to  the  former.  The  old  arch-naturalist  writes  with  spirit 
still ;  &  is  very  open  &  communicative,  acknowledging 
that  several  of  the  Insects  were  new  to  him.  He  languishes 
to  see  a  pratincola,  being  conscious  that  it  belongs  not  to 
the  genus  of  hirundo. 

Please  to  order  the  fishes  that  are  ascertained  to  be 
thrown  away  ;  I  mean  those  in  spirits. 

I  am,  Sir, 

Your  most  obedient,  & 
Humble  servant, 
GIL  :  WHITE.] 


x 


LETTER   XXXVIII 

TO   THE   SAME 

SELBORNE,  March  \$tht  1773. 

DEAR  SIR, — By  my  journal  for  last  autumn  it  appears 
that  the  house-martins  bred  very  late,  and  stayed  very  late 
in  these  parts ;  for,  on  the  first  of  October,  I  saw  young 
martins  in  their  nest  nearly  fledged ;  and  again  on  the 
twenty-first  of  October,  we  had  at  the  next  house  a  nest 
full  of  young  martins  just  ready  to  fly ;  and  the  old  ones 
were  hawking  for  insects  with  great  alertness.  The  next 
morning  the  brood  forsook  their  nest,  and  were  flying 
round  the  village.  From  this  day  I  never  saw  one  of  the 
swallow  kind  till  November  the  third;  when  twenty,  or 
perhaps  thirty,  house-martins  were  playing  all  day  long  by 
the  side  of  the  hanging  wood,  and  over  my  field.  Did 
these  small  weak  birds,  some  of  which  were  nestlings  twelve 
days  ago,  shift  their  quarters  at  this  late  season  of  the  year 
to  the  other  side  of  the  northern  tropic  ?  Or  rather,  is 
it  not  more  probable  that  the  next  church,  ruin,  chalk-cliff, 
steep  covert,  or  perhaps  sandbank,  lake  or  pool  (as  a  more 
northern  naturalist  would  say),  may  become  their  hyber- 
naculum,  and  afford  them  a  ready  and  obvious  retreat  ? 1 

1  In  this  letter  we  have  the  strongest  evidence  that  Gilbert  White  could 
not  rid  himself  of  the  idea  that  it  was  possible  for  Swallows  to  hibernate  in 
this  country.  The  discovery,  if  possible,  could  not  have  escaped  the  Selborne 
naturalist,  for  either  he,  or  some  of  his  neighbours,  would  have  unearthed  a 
sleeping  swallow  in  the  course  of  his  long  life.  No  practical  evidence  of  hiber- 
nation ever  came  to  his  hand,  and  he  would  probably  have  cast  aside  the  theory 
once  and  for  all,  had  he  known  that  after  their  absence  from  England,  the 
swallows  moult,  a  function  not  likely  to  be  performed  with  a  chance  of  survival 
in  a  "hybernaculum,"  either  above  or  beneath  water. — [R.  B.  S.] 

162 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     163 

We  now  begin  to  expect  our  vernal  migration  of  ring- 
ousels  every  week.  Persons  worthy  of  credit  assure  me 
that  ring-ousels  were  seen  at  Christmas  1770  in  the  forest 
of  Bere,  on  the  southern  verge  of  this  county.  Hence  we 
may  conclude  that  their  migrations  are  only  internal,  and 
not  extended  to  the  continent  southward,  if  they  do  at  first 
come  at  all  from  the  northern  parts  of  this  island  only,  and 
not  from  the  north  of  Europe.  Come  from  whence  they 
will,  it  is  plain,  from  the  fearless  disregard  that  they  show 
for  men  or  guns,  that  they  have  been  little  accustomed  to 
places  of  much  resort.  Navigators  mention  that  in  the 
Isle  of  Ascension,  and  other  such  desolate  districts,  birds x 
are  so  little  acquainted  with  the  human  form  that  they 
settle  on  men's  shoulders ;  and  have  no  more  dread  of  a 
sailor  than  they  would  have  of  a  goat  that  was  grazing.  A 
young  man  at  Lewes,  in  Sussex,  assured  me  that  about 
seven  years  ago  ring-ousels  abounded  so  about  that  town 
in  the  autumn  that  he  killed  sixteen  himself  in  one  after- 
noon ;  he  added  further,  that  some  had  appeared  since  in 
every  autumn ;  but  he  could  not  find  that  any  had  been 
observed  before  the  season  in  which  he  shot  so  many.  I 
myself  have  found  these  birds  in  little  parties  in  the  autumn 
cantoned  all  along  the  Sussex  downs,  wherever  there  were 
shrubs  and  bushes,  from  Chichester  to  Lewes ;  particularly 
in  the  autumn  of  1770. 

[Please  to  present  my  humble  respects  to  Mr-  Barring- 
ton  ;  &  Mr-  Lightfoot  to  whom  I  return  thanks  for  his  last 
letter.  Hoping  to  hear  from  you  soon,  I  remain  with 

great  esteem, 
Your  most  humble  servant, 

GIL  :  WHITE.] 

1  The  Sooty  Tern  (Sterna  fultginosa).— [R.  B.  S.] 


ADDENDUM 

SELBORNE,  March  i6tA,  I773-1 

[DEAR  SIR, — I  am  sorry  our  affairs  do  not  coincide  a 
little  better,  so  as  to  give  us  an  opportunity  of  meeting 
in  London.  According  to  our  present  plan,  my  Brother 
&  I  propose  to  be  there  about  the  middle  of  April,  at 
wch  time  it  is  to  be  feared  you  will  be  return'd  into  the 
Country.  I  am  obliged  to  you  for  your  kind  offer  con- 
cerning the  Drawings,  but  cannot  yet  positively  say  which 
in  particular  I  would  wish  to  have  copied.  I  must  first 
consult  some  of  my  friends  on  that  head,  &  shd  be  glad 
of  your  opinion  in  the  choice  of  them.  Linnaeus  says 
the  fish  wch  I  am  doubtful  whether  to  call  Perca,  or  Zeus, 
is  actually  a  New  Genus!  I  have  a  good  specimen  wch 
you  shall  see ;  &  it  will  be  better  to  draw  from  that  than 
my  rude  Outline.  I  shall  now  be  glad  to  collect  all  my 
scatter'd  remarks  on  the  Nat :  Hist :  of  Gibraltar,  &  shall 
beg  the  favour  of  seeing,  once  more,  those  Anecdotes  wch 
I  have  sent  you  from  time  to  time,  especially  those  that 
relate  to  the  fishes,  &  birds.  I  beg  your  thoughts  on  the 
Lepidopus.  It  certainly  is  what  Gouan  speaks  of,  tho'  very 
different  in  some  respects.  I  shall  have  a  great  variety  of 
new  Insects  ;  but  I  fear  many  more  are  lost  by  being  too 
hastily  handled  &  examined.  On  examining  the  biggest  of 
my  short-bilfd  Andalusian  Larks,  &  comparing  it  with  the 
British  Larks  here,  I  find  it  to  be  the  real  &  genuine  Sky 
lark,  Al.  arvensis.  However  I  hope  it's  past  all  doubt  that 
I  have  still  two  new  Larks. 

1  This    interesting    letter    of   John    White's    occurs    among    the    Pennant 
Letters  in  the  British  Museum,  and  does  not  appear  to  have  been  previously 

published.— [R.  B.  S.] 

164 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     165 

What  think  you  of  Gasterost.  Saltatrix,  as  I  have  ventur'd 
to  call  it  ?  Yet  I  fear  it  cannot  be  positively  pronounc'd 
that  species.  I  would  like  to  have  Cuts  of  all  my  new 
Subjects,  provided  they  were  well  executed.  But  I  observe 
that  all  the  Artists,  who  succeed  pretty  well  in  Quadrup. 
&  Fishes,  &  Insects,  are  still  very  defective  in  Birds.  Have 
you  &  M.  de  Buffon  adjusted  matters  concerning  the 
Scops  ?  I  have  a  pretty  specimen,  but  fear  the  Engravers 
will  murder  the  delicate  pencilling  of  that  Bird. 

I  should  be  happy  to  have  some  days'  conference  with 
you  on  the  more  rare  of  our  Subjects,  before  I  finish  my 
Fauna.  I  am  not  so  forward  as  I  cd  wish  for  want  of 
having  all  my  Specimens  &  Materials  about  me.  If  you 
have  any  Papers  or  Memorials  that  you  can  spare,  wch  may 
contribute  to  my  farther  information,  please  to  leave  them 
at  my  Brother's  in  Fleet-street.  I  hope  to  be  at  Blackburn 
the  beginning  of  May. 

I  am,  Dr  Sir,  with  much  esteem 
Your  most  obed1  serv1 

J.  WHITE. 

In  your  list  of  Animals  of  Southern  Europe  wch  you 
have  got  drawn,  I  cannot  precisely  distinguish  wch  of  them 
are  mine,  but  shall  be  glad  if  you  wd  put  a  mark  on  those 
wch  yOU  nacj  from  me.] 


LETTER   XXXIX1 

TO  THE   SAME 

SELBORNE,  Nov.  gth,  1773. 

DEAR  SIR, — As  you  desire  me  to  send  you  such  ob- 
servations as  may  occur,  I  take  the  liberty  of  making  the 
following  remarks,  that  you  may,  according  as  you  think 
me  right  or  wrong,  admit  or  reject  what  I  here  advance, 
in  your  intended  new  edition  of  the  British  Zoology? 

The  osprey  was  shot  about  a  year  ago  at  Frinskam* 
Pond,  a  great  lake,  at  about  six  miles  from  hence,  while 
it  was  sitting  on  the  handle  of  a  plough  and  devouring  a 
fish  :  it  used  to  precipitate  itself  into  the  water,  and  so  take 
its  prey  by  surprise. 

A  great  ash-coloured  butcher-bird  4  was  shot  last  winter 
in  Tisted-park,  and  a  red-backed  butcher-bird  at  Selborne : 
they  are  rara  aves  in  this  county. 

Crows  6  go  in  pairs  all  the  year  round. 

Cornish  choughs6  abound,  and  breed  on  Beachy-head, 
and  on  all  the  cliffs  of  the  Sussex  coast. 

The  common  wild-pigeon,  or  stock-dove,7  is  a  bird  of 
passage  in  the  south  of  England,  seldom  appearing  till 
towards  the  end  of  November;  is  usually  the  latest 
winter-bird  of  passage.  Before  our  beechen  woods  were 
so  much  destroyed  we  had  myriads  of  them,  reaching 

1  Although  Pennant  occasionally  mentions  Gilbert  White's  name  as  that  of 
one  of  his  correspondents,  he  does  not  give  the  latter  the  credit  for  many  of  his 
field-notes,  though  be  often  adopts  them,  and  uses  White's  own  words  without  a 
word  of  acknowledgment. — [R.  B.  S.] 

2  British  Zoology,  vol.  i.  p.  128.— [G.  W.]  *  Frensham.— [R.  B.  S.] 
4  British  Zoology,  vol.  i.  p.  161.— [G.  W.]             8  Ibid.,  p.  167.— [G.  W.] 
«  Ibid.,  p.  198.— [G.  W.]  7  Ibid.,  p.  216.— [G.  W.] 

1 66 


'/•+    L  i  fe    size. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     167 

in  strings  for  a  mile  together  as  they  went  out  in  a 
morning  to  feed.  They  leave  us  early  in  spring :  where 
do  they  breed  ? 

The  people  of  Hampshire  and  Sussex  call  the  missel- 
bird  l  the  storm-cock,  because  it  sings  early  in  the  spring 
in  blowing  showery  weather  ;  its  song  often  commences 
with  the  year  :  with  us  it  builds  much  in  orchards. 

A  gentleman  assures  me  he  has  taken  the  nests  of 
ring-ousels 2  on  Dartmoor  l  they  build  in  banks  on  the 
sides  of  streams. 

Titlarks 3  not  only  sing  sweetly  as  they  sit  on  trees, 
but  also  as  they  play  and  toy  about  on  the  wing  ;  and 
particularly  while  they  are  descending,  and  sometimes 
when  they  stand  on  the  ground.4 

Adansoris  testimony5  seems  to  me  to  be  a  very  poor 
evidence  that  European  swallows  migrate  during  our 
winter  to  Senegal',  he  does  not  talk  at  all  like  an  orni- 
thologist ;  and  probably  saw  only  the  swallows  of  that 
country,  which  I  know  build  within  Governor  O 'Haras 
hall  against  the  roof.6  Had  he  known  European  swallows 
would  he  not  have  mentioned  the  species  ? 

The  house-swallow  washes  by  dropping  into  the  water 
as  it  flies :  this  species  appears  commonly  about  a  week 
before  the  house  -  martin,  and  about  ten  or  twelve  days 
before  the  swift. 

In  1772  there  were  young  house-martins7  in  their 
nest  till  October  the  twenty-third. 

The  swift 8  appears  about  ten  or  twelve  days  later  than 
the  house  -  swallow :  viz.,  about  the  twenty  -  fourth  or 
twenty-sixth  of  April. 

1  British  Zoology,  vol.  i.  p.  224.— [G.  W.]          2  Ibid.,  p.  229.— [G.  W.] 
8  Ibid.,  p.  207.— [G.  W.] 

4  Gilbert  White  must  here  be  partly  alluding  to  the  Tree-Pipit  (Anthus 
trivialis).— [R.  B.  S.] 

5  British  Zoology,  vol.  i.  p.  242.— [G.  W.] 

6  This  would  be  the  swallow  of  Senegambia  {Hirundo  hicida),  which  is  resi- 
dent there.     Our  Swallow  (ff.  rustica)  only  occurs  in  West  Africa  during  our 
winter  months. — [R.  B.  S.] 

7  British  Zoology,  vol.  i.  p.  244.— [G.  W.]  8  Ibid.,  p.  245.— [G.  W.] 


168     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Whin-chats  and  stone-chatters^  stay  with  us  the  whole 
year. 

Some  wheat-ears  continue  with  us  the  winter  through.2 
Wagtails,  all  sorts,  remain  with  us  all  the  winter.3 
Bullfinches,4  when    fed   on  hempseed,   often   become 
wholly  black. 

We    have    vast    flocks    of  female   chaffinches5    all    the 
winter,  with  hardly  any  males  among  them. 

When  you  say  that  in  breeding-time  the  cock-snipes  & 
make  a  bleating  noise,  and  I  a  drumming  (perhaps  I 
should  have  rather  said  an  humming),  I  suspect  we  mean 
the  same  thing.  However,  while  they  are  playing  about 
on  the  wing  they  certainly  make  a  loud  piping  with 
their  mouths  :  but  whether  that  bleating  or  humming  is 
ventriloquous,  or  proceeds  from  the  motion  of  their  wings, 
I  cannot  say ;  but  this  I  know,  that  when  this  noise 
happens  the  bird  is  always  descending,  and  his  wings  are 
violently  agitated. 

Soon  after   the   lapwings7  have   done   breeding  they 

1  British  Zoology,  vol.  i.  pp.  270,  271. — [G.  W.]    The  Whin-chat  (Pratincola 
rubetra)  is  never  found  in  England  in  winter,  being  a  thorough  migrant.     The 
Stone-chat  (P.  mbicola)  is  a  partial  migrant.     Many  remain  during  the  winter 
in  the  southern  counties,  and  I  saw  several  on  the  hedges  in  the  Alton  Road  in 
November  1899,  during  my  visits  to  Selborne  in  that  year. — [R.  B.  S.] 

2  British  Zoology,  p.  269.— [G.  W.]     See  Letter  XIII  and  note.— [R.  B.  S.] 

3  British  Zoology,  vol.  i.  p.  299.— [G.  W.]    See  (antea)  note,  p.  52.— [R.  B.  S.] 

4  British  Zoology,  vol.  i.  p.  300.— [G.  W.] 

5  British  Zoology,  p.  306. — [G.  W.]     See  (antea)  note,  p.  51.     Mr.  Harting  is 
quite  right.     In  order  to  settle  this  question,  which  I  fancied  I  had  solved  in  the 
"  Catalogue  of  Birds,"  I  have  had  numbers  of  Chaffinches  sent  to  me  by  Mr. 
Brazenor  of  Brighton  during  the  present  winter  of  1899-1900.     The  instructions 
given  by  me  to  the  bird-catchers  on  the  Downs  were  to   send   the  results  of 
various  catches  in  the  nets.     I  have  received  in  every  case  numbers  of  male 
and   female  chaffinches  caught  at   the  same   "pull"  of  the  net,  the  females 
perhaps  slightly  predominating.     On  every  occasion  the  sexual  organs  have  been 
examined  at  the  Natural  History  Museum  by  Mr.  Pycraft,  Mr.  Ogilvie  Grant, 
and  myself,  and  among  the  females  there  has  never  been  one  instance  of  a  young 
male  in  the  plumage  of  the  hen.     My  previous  statement  (p.  51,  note),  that  the 
male  assumes  the  full  plumage  at  its  first  autumn  moult,  has  been  fully  confirmed 
by  these  recent  observations. — [R.  B.  S.] 

•  British  Zoology,  voL  i.  p.  358.— [G.  W.]          »  Ibid.,  p.  360.— [G.  W.] 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     169 

congregate,  and,  leaving  the  moors  and  marshes,  betake 
themselves  to  downs  and  sheep-walks. 

Two  years  ago l  last  spring  the  little  auk  was  found 
alive  and  unhurt,  but  fluttering  and  unable  to  rise,  in 
a  lane  a  few  miles  from  Alresford,  where  there  is  a  great 
lake :  it  was  kept  a  while,  but  died.2 

I  saw  young  teals 3  taken  alive  in  the  ponds  of  Wolmer- 
forest  in  the  beginning  of  July  last,  along  with  flappers, 
or  young  wild-ducks. 

Speaking  of  the  swiftf  that  page  says  "it's  drink  the 
dew  ; "  whereas  it  should  be  "  it  drinks  on  the  wing  ; " 
for  all  the  swallow  kind  sip  their  water  as  they  sweep 
over  the  face  of  pools  or  rivers :  like  Virgil's  bees,  they 
drink  flying ;  " flumina  summa  libant"  In  this  method  of 
drinking  perhaps  this  genus  may  be  peculiar. 

Of  the  sedge-bird5  be  pleased  to  say  it  sings  most 
part  of  the  night ;  its  notes  are  hurrying,  but  not  un- 
pleasing,  and  imitative  of  several  birds  ;  as  the  sparrow, 
swallow,  skylark.  When  it  happens  to  be  silent  in  the 
night,  by  throwing  a  stone  or  clod  into  the  bushes  where 
it  sits  you  immediately  set  it  a-singing ;  or  in  other  words, 
though  it  slumbers  sometimes,  yet  as  soon  as  it  is 
awakened  it  reassumes  its  song. 

1  British.  Zoology,  vol.  i.  p.  409. — [G.  W.] 

2  The  Little  Auk  (Alle  alle  of  modern  writers).— [R.  B.  S.] 

3  British  Zoology,  vol.  i.  p.  475.— [G.  W.]     See  Letter  XV  to  Barrington. 
— [R.  B.  S.] 

4  British  Zoology,  vol.  ii.  p.  15.— [G.  W.]  5  Ibid.,  p.  16.— [G.  W.] 


LETTER    XL 

TO   THE   SAME 

SELBORNE,  Sept.  z>id,  1774. 

DEAR  SIR, — Before  your  letter  arrived,  and  of  my  own 
accord,  I  had  been  remarking  and  comparing  the  tails  of 
the  male  and  female  swallow,  and  this  ere  any  young  broods 
appeared ;  so  that  there  was  no  danger  of  confounding  the 
dams  with  their  pulli :  and  besides,  as  they  were  then 
always  in  pairs,  and  busied  in  the  employ  of  nidification, 
there  could  be  no  room  for  mistaking  the  sexes,  nor  the 
individuals  of  different  chimneys  the  one  for  the  other. 
From  all  my  observations,  it  constantly  appeared  that  each 
sex  has  the  long  feathers  in  its  tail  that  give  it  that  forked 
shape ;  with  this  difference,  that  they  are  longer  in  the  tail 
of  the  male  than  in  that  of  the  female. 

Nightingales,  when  their  young  first  come  abroad,  and 
are  helpless,  make  a  plaintive  and  a  jarring  noise  ;  and  also 
a  snapping  or  cracking,  pursuing  people  along  the  hedges 
as  they  walk  :  these  last  sounds  seem  intended  for  menace 
and  defiance.1 

The  grasshopper-lark  chirps  all  night  in  the  height  of 
summer.2 

Swans  turn  white  the  second  year,  and  breed  the  third. 

Weasels  prey  on  moles,  as  appears  by  their  being  some- 
times caught  in  mole-traps. 

Sparrow-hawks  sometimes  breed  in  old  crows'  nests,3 
and  the  kestril  in  churches  and  ruins. 

1  This  is  the  alarm-note  of  most  of  the  Warblers.  — [R-  B.  S.] 
*  Salicaria  locustclla,  see  Letter  XVI  (antea,  p.  63).— [R.  B.  S.] 
3  So  do  Kestrels,  which,  more  often  than  not,  appropriate  the  old  nest  of  some 
other  bird,  whereas  Sparrow-hawks  as  a  rule  build  their  own  nest. — [R.  B.  S.] 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     171 

There  are  supposed  to  be  two  sorts  of  eels  in  the  island 
of  Ely.  The  threads  sometimes  discovered  in  eels  are 
perhaps  their  young  :  the  generation  of  eels  is  very  dark 
and  mysterious.1 

Hen-harriers  breed  on  the  ground,  and  seem  never  to 
settle  on  trees. 

When  redstarts  shake  their  tails  they  move  them  hori- 
zontally, as  dogs  do  when  they  fawn  :  the  tail  of  a  wagtail, 
when  in  motion,  bobs  up  and  down  like  that  of  a  jaded 
horse. 

Hedge-sparrows  have  a  remarkable  flirt  with  their 
wings  in  breeding-time  ;  as  soon  as  frosty  mornings  come 
they  make  a  very  piping  plaintive  noise. 

Many  birds  which  become  silent  about  Midsummer 
reassume  their  notes  again  in  September  ;  as  the  thrush, 
blackbird,  woodlark,  willow-wren,  &c. ;  hence  August  is 
by  much  the  most  mute  month,  the  spring,  summer,  and 
autumn  through.  Are  birds  induced  to  sing  again  because 
the  temperament  of  autumn  resembles  that  of  spring  ? 

LinncBus  ranges  plants  geographically ;  palms  inhabit 
the  tropics,  grasses  the  temperate  zones,  and  mosses  and 
lichens  the  polar  circles  ;  no  doubt  animals  may  be  classed 
in  the  same  manner  with  propriety.2 

House-sparrows  build  under  eaves  in  the  spring ;  as  the 
weather  becomes  hotter  they  get  out  for  coolness,  and 
nest  in  plum-trees  and  apple-trees.  These  birds  have  been 
known  sometimes  to  build  in  rooks'  nests,  and  sometimes 
in  the  forks  of  boughs  under  rooks'  nests. 

As  my  neighbour  was  housing  a  rick  he  observed  that 

1  Three  species  of  British  eels  have  now  been  clearly  made  out  :  two  very 
distinct  by  the  form  of  the  head,  in  the  one  narrow,  in  the  other  broad,  and  conse- 
quently have  been  named  sharp  and  broad-nosed  eels.    The  third  is  of  intermediate 
form,  and  called  the  snig.    Ely  was  famous  for  its  eels,  and  is  said  to  have  derived 
its  name  from  the  circumstance  of  its  rents  being  formerly  paid  in  eels.     The 
"  threads  "  would  be  intestinal  worms,  perhaps  Filaria. — Eels  are  oviparous  and 
generate  like  most  other  fishes,  having  bony  skeletons. — [W.  J.] 

2  Nothing  in  the  record  of  Gilbert  White's   observations  is  more  striking 
than  his  insight  into  Biological  problems,  worked  out  by  his  successors  when 
the  material  for  study  became  more  plentiful.     The  above  sentence  was  prophetic. 
— [R.  B.  S.] 


172     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

his  dogs  devoured  all  the  little  red  mice  that  they  could 
catch,  but  rejected  the  common  mice ;  and  that  his  cats 
ate  the  common  mice,  refusing  the  red. 

Red-breasts  sing  all  through  the  spring,  summer,  and 
autumn.  The  reason  that  they  are  called  autumn  songsters 
is,  because  in  the  two  first  seasons  their  voices  are  drowned 
and  lost  in  the  general  chorus ;  in  the  latter  their  song 
becomes  distinguishable.  Many  songsters  of  the  autumn 
seem  to  be  the  young  cock  red-breasts  of  that  year  :  not- 
withstanding the  prejudices  in  their  favour,  they  do  much 
mischief  in  gardens  to  the  summer-fruits. 

The  titmouse,  which  early  in  February  begins  to  make 
two  quaint  notes,  like  the  whetting  of  a  saw,  is  the  marsh 
titmouse  :  the  great  titmouse  sings  with  three  cheerful 
joyous  notes,  and  begins  about  the  same  time. 

Wrens  sing  all  the  winter  through,  frost  excepted. 

House-martins  came  remarkably  late  this  year  both  in 
Hampshire  and  Devonshire:  is  this  circumstance  for  or 
against  either  hiding  or  migration  ? 

Most  birds  drink  sipping  at  intervals ;  but  pigeons  take 
a  long  continued  draught,  like  quadrupeds. 

Notwithstanding  what  I  have  said  in  a  former  letter, 
no  grey  crows  were  ever  known  to  breed  on  Dartmoor ; 
it  was  my  mistake. 

The  appearance  and  flying  of  the  Scarabceus  solstitialis, 
or  fern-chafer,  commence  with  the  month  of  July,  and 
cease  about  the  end  of  it.  These  scarabs  are  the  constant 
food  of  caprimulgi,  or  fern-owls,  through  that  period.  They 
abound  on  the  chalky  downs  and  in  some  sandy  districts, 
but  not  in  the  clays. 

In  the  garden  of  the  Black-bear  inn  in  the  town  of 
Reading  is  a  stream  or  canal  running  under  the  stables 
and  out  into  the  fields  on  the  other  side  of  the  road  : 
in  this  water  are  many  carps,  which  lie  rolling  about  in 
sight,  being  fed  by  travellers,  who  amuse  themselves  by 
tossing  them  bread ;  but  as  soon  as  the  weather  grows 
at  all  severe  these  fishes  are  no  longer  seen,  because  they 
retire  under  the  stables,  where  they  remain  till  the  return 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     173 

of  spring.  Do  they  lie  in  a  torpid  state  ?  if  they  do  not, 
how  are  they  supported  ? 

The  note  of  the  white-throat,  which  is  continually 
repeated,  and  often  attended  with  odd  gesticulations  on 
the  wing,  is  harsh  and  displeasing.  These  birds  seem  of 
a  pugnacious  disposition  ;  for  they  sing  with  an  erected 
crest  and  attitudes  of  rivalry  and  defiance ;  are  shy  and 
wild  in  breeding-time,  avoiding  neighbourhoods,  and  haunt- 
ing lonely  lanes  and  commons  ;  nay  even  the  very  tops  of 
the  Sussex-downs,  where  there  are  bushes  and  covert ; 
but  in  July  and  August  they  bring  their  broods  into  gardens 
and  orchards,  and  make  great  havoc  among  the  summer- 
fruits.1 

The  black-cap  has  in  common  a  full,  sweet,  deep,  loud, 
and  wild  pipe ;  yet  that  strain  is  of  short  continuance,  and 
his  motions  are  desultory ;  but  when  that  bird  sits  calmly 
and  engages  in  song  in  earnest,  he  pours  forth  very  sweet, 
but  inward  melody,  and  expresses  great  variety  of  soft  and 
gentle  modulations,  superior  perhaps  to  those  of  any  of 
our  warblers,  the  nightingale  excepted. 

Black-caps  mostly  haunt  orchards  and  gardens ;  while 
they  warble  their  throats  are  wonderfully  distended. 

The  song  of  the  redstart  is  superior,  though  somewhat 
like  that  of  the  white-throat ;  some  birds  have  a  few  more 
notes  than  others.  Sitting  very  placidly  on  the  top  of  a 
tall  tree  in  a  village,  the  cock  sings  from  morning  to  night  : 
he  affects  neighbourhoods,  and  avoids  solitude,  and  loves 
to  build  in  orchards  and  about  houses  ;  with  us  he  perches 
on  the  vane  of  a  tall  maypole. 

The  fly-catcher  is  of  all  our  summer  birds  the  most 
mute  and  the  most  familiar  ;  it  also  appears  the  last  of  any. 
It  builds  in  a  vine,  or  a  sweetbriar,  against  the  wall  of  a 

1  The  whole  of  this  letter  appears  to  have  been  composed  for  the  published 
work,  as  the  only  portion  of  it  which  was  ever  addressed  to  Pennant  is  the  above 
account  of  the  White-throat.  This  is  to  be  found  in  White's  original  letter  to 
Pennant,  dated  July  8,  1773,  the  remainder  of  which  deals  with  the  Barn  and 
Brown  Owls,  and  appears  as  the  sixteenth  Letter  to  Barrington  in  the  completed 
work. 


174    NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

house,  or  in  the  hole  of  a  wall,  or  on  the  end  of  a  beam  or 
plate,  and  often  close  to  the  post  of  a  door  where  people  are 
going  in  and  out  all  day  long.  This  bird  does  not  make 
the  least  pretension  to  song,  but  uses  a  little  inward  wail- 
ing note  when  it  thinks  its  young  in  danger  from  cats  or 
other  annoyances ;  it  breeds  but  once,  and  retires  early.1 

Selborne  parish  alone  can  and  has  exhibited  at  times 
more  than  half  the  birds  that  are  ever  seen  in  all  Sweden  ; 
the  former  has  produced  more  than  one  hundred  and 
twenty  species,  the  latter  only  two  hundred  and  twenty-one. 
Let  me  add  also  that  it  has  shown  near  half  the  species 
that  were  ever  known  in  Great-Britain? 

On  a  retrospect,  I  observe  that  my  long  letter  carries 
with  it  a  quaint  and  magisterial  air,  and  is  very  sententious  ; 
but  when  I  recollect  that  you  requested  stricture  and 
anecdote,  I  hope  you  will  pardon  the  didactic  manner  for 
the  sake  of  the  information  it  may  happen  to  contain. 

1  Professor  Bell  gives  an  instance  (ed.  "Selborne,"  vol.  i.  p.  103  note}  of  the 
extreme  lameness  of  a  pair  of  Flycatchers  at  the  "  Wakes,"  when  some  young 
birds  were  blown  out  of  the  nest,  placed  in  a  cage  "  outside  the  kitchen-window," 
and  brought  up  by  the  parents  till  they  were  able  to  fly.     He  also  comments  on 
the  constant  return  of  the  Flycatchers  to  their  breeding-place,  and  quotes  a  letter 
written  to  him,  by  my  great-aunt,  the  Baroness  de  Sternberg,  from  her  house  at 
Windermere,  recording  the  nesting  of  Flycatchers  in  a  corner  of  her  greenhouse 
for  five  years  in  succession. — [R.  B.  S.] 

2  Sweden  221,  Great  Britain  252  species. — [G.  W.] 

The  latest  edition  of  Mr.  Howard  Saunders's  "Manual"  gives  the  number 
of  species  in  the  British  List  as  384. — [R.  B.  S.] 


L'C'GLL.  < 


*'s   Lift 


LETTER    XLI1 

TO    THE    SAME 

It  is  matter  of  curious  inquiry  to  trace  out  how  those 
species  of  soft-billed  birds  that  continue  with  us  the  winter 
through,  subsist  during  the  dead  months.  The  imbecility 
of  birds  seems  not  to  be  the  only  reason  why  they  shun 
the  rigour  of  our  winters  ;  for  the  robust  wry-neck  (so 
much  resembling  the  hardy  race  of  wood-peckers)  migrates, 
while  the  feeble  little  golden-crowned  wren,  that  shadow  of 
a  bird,  braves  our  severest  frosts  without  availing  him- 
self of  houses  or  villages,  to  which  most  of  our  winter 
birds  crowd  in  distressful  seasons,  while  this  keeps  aloof 
in  fields  and  woods  ;  but  perhaps  this  may  be  the  reason 
why  they  may  often  perish,  and  why  they  are  almost  as 
rare  as  any  bird  we  know. 

I  have  no  reason  to  doubt  but  that  the  soft-billed 
birds,  which  winter  with  us,  subsist  chiefly  on  insects  in 
their  aurelia  state.  All  the  species  of  wagtails  in  severe 
weather  haunt  shallow  streams  near  their  spring-heads, 
where  they  never  freeze  ;  and,  by  wading,  pick  out  the 
aurelias  of  the  genus  of  Phryganece,2  &c. 

Hedge-sparrows  frequent  sinks  and  gutters  in  hard 
weather,  where  they  pick  up  crumbs  and  other  sweepings  : 
and  in  mild  weather  they  procure  worms,  which  are 
stirring  every  month  in  the  year,  as  any  one  may  see 

1  This  and  the  following  letters  are  mostly  undated,  and  never  really  formed 
part  of  the  Pennant  correspondence ;   they  were  added  to  complete  the  work 
when  Gilbert  White  had  decided  on  publication. — [R.  B.  S.] 

2  See  Derham's  "  Physico-theology,"  p.  235  [G.  W.],  and  note,  Letter  XIII, 
antea,  p.  39.— [R.  B.  S.] 

175 


176     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

that  will  only  be  at  the  trouble  of  taking  a  candle  to  a 
grass-plot  on  any  mild  winter's  night.  Red-breasts  and 
wrens  in  the  winter  haunt  out-houses,  stables,  and  barns, 
where  they  find  spiders  and  flies  that  have  laid  themselves 
up  during  the  cold  season.  But  the  grand  support  of 
the  soft-billed  birds  in  winter  is  that  infinite  profusion  of 
aurelice  of  the  Lepidoptera  ordo,  which  is  fastened  to  the 
twigs  of  trees  and  their  trunks ;  to  the  pales  and  walls 
of  gardens  and  buildings ;  and  is  found  in  every  cranny 
and  cleft  of  rock  or  rubbish,  and  even  in  the  ground 
itself. 

Every  species  of  titmouse  winters  with  us  ;  they  have 
what  I  call  a  kind  of  intermediate  bill  between  the  hard 
and  the  soft,  between  the  Linncean  genera  of  Fringilla  and 
Motadlla.  One  species  alone  spends  its  whole  time  in 
the  woods  and  fields,  never  retreating  for  succour  in  the 
severest  seasons  to  houses  and  neighbourhoods  ;  and  that 
is  the  delicate  long-tailed  titmouse,1  which  is  almost  as 
minute  as  the  golden-crowned  wren  ;  but  the  blue  tit- 
mouse or  nun  (parus  cceruleus),  the  cole-mouse  (parus 
ater),  the  great  black-headed  titmouse  (fringillago),  and  the 
marsh  titmouse  (parus  palustris),  all  resort  at  times  to 
buildings,  and  in  hard  weather  particularly.  The  great 
titmouse,  driven  by  stress  of  weather,  much  frequents 
houses ;  and,  in  deep  snows,  I  have  seen  this  bird,  while 
it  hung  with  its  back  downwards  (to  my  no  small  delight 
and  admiration),  draw  straws  lengthwise  from  out  the 
eaves  of  thatched  houses,  in  order  to  pull  out  the  flies 
that  were  concealed  between  them,  and  that  in  such 
numbers  that  they  quite  defaced  the  thatch,  and  gave  it 
a  ragged  appearance. 

The  blue  titmouse,  or  nun,  is  a  great  frequenter  of 
houses,  and  a  general  devourer.  Besides  insects,  it  is  very 
fond  of  flesh  ;  for  it  frequently  picks  bones  on  dunghills  : 
it  is  a  vast  admirer  of  suet,  and  haunts  butchers'  shops. 
When  a  boy,  I  have  known  twenty  in  a  morning  caught 

1  jEgithalus  vagans  (Leach).— [R.  B.  S.] 


'  IT  WILL  BE  ...   WELL  ENTERTAINED   WITH  THE  SEEDS  ON  THE 
HEAD  OF  A  SUNFLOWER  " 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     177 

with  snap  mouse-traps,  baited  with  tallow  or  suet.  It  will 
also  pick  holes  in  apples  left  on  the  ground,  and  be  well 
entertained  with  the  seeds  on  the  head  of  a  sunflower.  The 
blue,  marsh,  and  great  titmice  will,  in  very  severe  weather, 
carry  away  barley  and  oat-straws  from  the  sides  of  ricks. 

How  the  wheat-ear  and  whin-chat  support  themselves 
in  winter  cannot  be  so  easily  ascertained,  since  they  spend 
their  time  on  wild  heaths  and  warrens  ;  the  former  espe- 
cially, where  there  are  stone  quarries  :  most  probably  it  is 
that  their  maintenance  arises  from  the  aurelice  of  the  Lepi- 
doptera  ordo,  which  furnish  them  with  a  plentiful  table  in 
the  wilderness.1 

I  am,  &c. 

1  See  Letter  XIII,  and  note  (antea,  p.  52).— [R.  B.  S.] 


LETTER   XLII 

TO   THE   SAME 

SELBORNE,  March  gfA,  1774. 

DEAR  SIR, — Some  future  faunist,  a  man  of  fortune,  will, 
I  hope,  extend  his  visits  to  the  kingdom  of  Ireland ;  a  new 
field  and  a  country  little  known  to  the  naturalist.1  He 
will  not,  it  is  to  be  wished,  undertake  that  tour  unaccom- 
panied by  a  botanist,  because  the  mountains  have  scarcely 
been  sufficiently  examined ;  and  the  southerly  counties  of 
so  mild  an  island  may  possibly  afford  some  plants  little  to 
be  expected  within  the  British  dominions.  A  person  of  a 
thinking  turn  of  mind  will  draw  many  just  remarks  from 
the  modern  improvements  of  that  country,  both  in  arts 
and  agriculture,  where  premiums  obtained  long  before  they 
were  heard  of  with  us.  The  manners  of  the  wild  natives, 
their  superstitions,  their  prejudices,  their  sordid  way  of  life, 
will  extort  from  him  many  useful  reflections.  He  should 
also  take  with  him  an  able  draughtsman  ;  for  he  must  by 
no  means  pass  over  the  noble  castles  and  seats,  the  exten- 
sive and  picturesque  lakes  and  waterfalls,  and  the  lofty 
stupendous  mountains,  so  little  known,  and  so  engaging  to 
the  imagination  when  described  and  exhibited  in  a  lively 
manner  ;  such  a  work  would  be  well  received.2 

As  I  have  seen  no  modern  map  of  Scotland,  I  cannot 

1  Besides  the  four  volumes  on  the  "  Birds  of  Ireland,"  published  by  the  late 
Wm.  Thompson,   many  excellent  memoirs  have  been  lately  published  by  Mr. 
R.  J.  Ussher,  Mr.  Barrett- Hamilton,  and  other  good  observers  in  that  country. 
— [R.  B.  S.1 

2  The   above   sentence  is  modified  from   a   portion   of  a  letter  written   to 
Pennant  on  the  igth  of  March   1772.     See  also  note  to  Bell's  edition  (vol.  i. 
p.  106).— fR.  B.  S.] 

178 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     179 

pretend  to  say  how  accurate  or  particular  any  such  may 
be ;  but  this  I  know,  that  the  best  old  maps  of  that 
kingdom  are  very  defective. 

The  great  obvious  defect  that  I  have  remarked  in  all 
maps  of  Scotland  that  have  fallen  in  my  way  is,  a  want  of 
a  coloured  line,  or  stroke,  that  shall  exactly  define  the  just 
limits  of  that  district  called  The  Highlands.  Moreover,  all 
the  great  avenues  to  that  mountainous  and  romantic 
country  want  to  be  well  distinguished.  The  military  roads 
formed  by  General  Wade  are  so  great  and  Roman-like  an 
undertaking  that  they  well  merit  attention.  My  old  map, 
Molts  Map,  takes  notice  of  Fort  William,  but  could  not 
mention  the  other  forts  that  have  been  erected  long  since  ; 
therefore  a  good  representation  of  the  chain  of  forts  should 
not  be  omitted. 

The  celebrated  zigzag  up  the  Coryarich  must  not  be 
passed  over.  Moll  takes  notice  of  Hamilton  and  Drum- 
lanrig,  and  such  capital  houses  ;  but  a  new  survey,  no 
doubt,  should  represent  every  seat  and  castle  remarkable 
for  any  great  event,  or  celebrated  for  its  paintings,  &c. 
Lord  Breadalbane 's  seat  and  beautiful  policy  are  too  curious 
and  extraordinary  to  be  omitted. 

The  seat  of  the  Earl  of  Eglintoun,  near  Glasgow,  is 
worthy  of  notice.  The  pine  plantations  of  that  nobleman 
are  very  grand  and  extensive  indeed. 

I  am,  &c. 


LETTER    XLIII 

TO  THE  SAME 

A  pair  of  honey-buzzards,  buteo  apivorus,  sive  vespivorus 
Rail,  built  them  a  large  shallow  nest,  composed  of  twigs 
and  lined  with  dead  beechen  leaves,  upon  a  tall  slender 
beech  near  the  middle  of  Selborne-hanger,  in  the  summer 
of  I780.1  In  the  middle  of  the  month  of  June  a  bold  boy 
climbed  this  tree,  though  standing  on  so  steep  and  dizzy  a 
situation,  and  brought  down  an  egg,  the  only  one  in  the 
nest,  which  had  been  sat  on  for  some  time,  and  contained 
the  embryo  of  a  young  bird.  The  egg  was  smaller,  and 
not  so  round  as  those  of  the  common  buzzard  ;  was  dotted 
at  each  end  with  small  red  spots,  and  surrounded  in  the 
middle  with  a  broad  bloody  zone. 

The  hen-bird  was  shot,  and  answered  exactly  to  Mr. 
Ray's  description  of  that  species ;  had  a  black  cere,  short 
thick  legs,  and  a  long  tail.  When  on  the  wing  this  species 
may  be  easily  distinguished  from  the  common  buzzard 
by  its  hawk-like  appearance,  small  head,  wings  not  so 
blunt,  and  longer  tail.  This  specimen  contained  in  its 
craw  some  limbs  of  frogs  and  many  grey  snails  without 
shells.  The  irides  of  the  eyes  of  this  bird  were  of  a 
beautiful  bright  yellow  colour. 

About  the  tenth  of  July  in  the  same  summer  a  pair 
of  sparrow-hawks  bred  in  an  old  crow's  negt  on  a  low 
beech  in  the  same  hanger ;  and  as  their  brood,  which 
was  numerous,  began  to  grow  up,  became  so  daring  and 

1  The  "  Honey-Buzzard "  (Pemis  apivorus)  no  longer  breeds  regularly  in 
England,  but  it  is  not  so  many  years  ago  that  nests  used  to  be  taken  in  the  New 
Forest.— {R.  B.  S.] 


180 


'/e  Life  size. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     181 

ravenous,  that  they  were  a  terror  to  all  the  dames  in  the 
village  that  had  chickens  or  ducklings  under  their  care. 
A  boy  climbed  the  tree,  and  found  the  young  so  fledged 
that  they  all  escaped  from  him ;  but  discovered  that  a 
good  house  had  been  kept  :  the  larder  was  well  stored 
with  provisions ;  for  he  brought  down  a  young  blackbird, 
jay,  and  house-martin,  all  clean  picked,  and  some  half 
devoured.  The  old  birds  had  been  observed  to  make  sad 
havoc  for  some  days  among  the  new-flown  swallows  and 
martins,  which,  being  but  lately  out  of  their  nests,  had  not 
acquired  those  powers  and  command  of  wing  that  enable 
them,  when  more  mature,  to  set  such  enemies  at  defiance. 


LETTER   XLIV 

TO   THE   SAME 

SKLBORNE,  Nov.  y*th,  1780. 

DEAR  SIR, — Every  incident  that  occasions  a  renewal 
of  our  correspondence  will  ever  be  pleasing  and  agreeable 
to  me. 

As  to  the  wild  wood-pigeon,  the  cenas,  or  vinago,  of 
Ray,  I  am  much  of  your  mind  ;  and  see  no  reason  for 
making  it  the  origin  of  the  common  house-dove:  but 
suppose  those  that  have  advanced  that  opinion  may  have 
been  misled  by  another  appellation,  often  given  to  the 
cenas,  which  is  that  of  stock-dove. 

Unless  the  stock-dove  in  the  winter  varies  greatly  in 
manners  from  itself  in  summer,  no  species  seems  more 
unlikely  to  be  domesticated,  and  to  make  an  house-dove. 
We  very  rarely  see  the  latter  settle  on  trees  at  all,  nor  does 
it  ever  haunt  the  woods  :  but  the  former  as  long  as  it  stays 
with  us,  from  November  perhaps  to  February,  lives  the 
same  wild  life  with  the  ring-dove,  palumbus  torquatus ; 
frequents  coppices  and  groves,  supports  itself  chiefly  by 
mast,  and  delights  to  roost  in  the  tallest  beeches.  Could  it 
be  known  in  what  manner  stock-doves  build,  the  doubt 
would  be  settled  with  me  at  once,  provided  they  construct 
their  nests  on  trees,  like  the  ring-dove,  as  I  much  suspect 
they  do.1 

You  received,  you  say,  last  spring  a  stock-dove  from 
Sussex ;  and  are  informed  that  they  sometimes  breed  in 
that  country.  But  why  did  not  your  correspondent  deter- 
mine the  place  of  its  nidification,  whether  on  rocks,  cliffs, 

1  See  Letter  XXXIX  (antea,  p.  166).— [R.  B.  S.] 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     183 

or  trees  ?  If  he  was  not  an  adroit  ornithologist  I  should 
doubt  the  fact,  because  people  with  us  perpetually  confound 
the  stock-dove  with  the  ring-dove?- 

For  my  own  part,  I  readily  concur  with  you  in  sup- 
posing that  house-doves  are  derived  from  the  small  blue 
rock-pigeon,  for  many  reasons.  In  the  first  place  the 
wild  stock-dove  is  manifestly  larger  than  the  common 
house-dove,  against  the  usual  rule  of  domestication,  which 
generally  enlarges  the  breed.  Again,  those  two  remarkable 
black  spots  on  the  remiges  of  each  wing  of  the  stock-dove, 
which  are  so  characteristic  of  the  species,  would  not,  one 
should  think,  be  totally  lost  by  its  being  reclaimed ;  but 
would  often  break  out  among  its  descendants.  But  what 
is  worth  an  hundred  arguments  is,  the  instance  you  give 
in  Sir  Roger  Mostyrfs  house-doves  in  Carnarvonshire ; 
which,  though  tempted  by  plenty  of  food  and  gentle  treat- 
ment, can  never  be  prevailed  on  to  inhabit  their  cote  for 
any  time ;  but,  as  soon  as  they  begin  to  breed,  betake 
themselves  to  the  fastnesses  of  Ormshead,  and  deposit  their 
young  in  safety  amidst  the  inaccessible  caverns  and  precipices 
of  that  stupendous  promontory.2 

"  Naturam  expellas  furca  .  .  .  tamen  usque  recurret." 

I  have  consulted  a  sportsman,  now  in  his  seventy-eighth 
year,  who  tells  me  that  fifty  or  sixty  years  back,  when  the 
beechen  woods  were  much  more  extensive  than  at  present, 
the  number  of  wood-pigeons  was  astonishing ;  that  he  has 
often  killed  near  twenty  in  a  day  :  and  that  with  a  long 
wild-fowl  piece  he  has  shot  seven  or  eight  at  a  time  on  the 
wing  as  they  came  wheeling  over  his  head  :  he  moreover 

1  I  saw  plenty  of  Stock-doves  (Columba  anas)  in  the  beeches  of  the  Long 
Lythe  at  Selborne  in  October  and  November  of  this  year  (1899).  They  seemed 
to  be  more  numerous  than  the  Wood-pigeon. — [R.  B.  S.] 

1  It  is  the  white-rumped  pigeon,  or  rock-dove,  Columba  livia,  which  is  the 
original  stock  of  our  dove-cots,  and  the  natural  abode  of  this  species  is  in  caves  and 
rocky  precipices  on  the  sea-coast.  Although  White  remarks  that  the  domestic 
pigeon  never  settles  on  trees,  such  is  sometimes  the  case  ;  Mr.  Eyton  has  observed 
this,  and  we  have  frequently  seen  it ;  at  the  same  time  it  is  by  no  means  the 
general  habit. — [W.  J.] 


184     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

adds,  which  I  was  not  aware  of,  that  often  there  were 
among  them  little  parties  of  small  blue  doves,  which  he 
calls  rockiers.  The  food  of  these  numberless  emigrants 
was  beech-mast  and  some  acorns  ;  and  particularly  barley, 
which  they  collected  in  the  stubbles.  But  of  late  years, 
since  the  vast  increase  of  turnips,  that  vegetable  has  fur- 
nished a  great  part  of  their  support  in  hard  weather  ;  and 
the  holes  they  pick  in  these  roots  greatly  damage  the  crop. 
From  this  food  their  flesh  has  contracted  a  rancidness 
which  occasions  them  to  be  rejected  by  nicer  judges  of 
eating,  who  thought  them  before  a  delicate  dish.  They 
were  shot  not  only  as  they  were  feeding  in  the  fields,  and 
especially  in  snowy  weather,  but  also  at  the  close  of  the 
evening,  by  men  who  lay  in  ambush  among  the  woods  and 
groves  to  kill  them  as  they  came  in  to  roost.1  These  are 
the  principal  circumstances  relating  to  this  wonderful 
internal  migration,  which  with  us  takes  place  towards  the 
end  of  November,  and  ceases  early  in  the  spring.  Last 
winter  we  had  in  Selborne  high  wood  about  an  hundred 
of  these  doves ;  but  in  former  times  the  flocks  were  so  vast, 
not  only  with  us  but  all  the  district  round,  that  on  mornings 
and  evenings  they  traversed  the  air,  like  rooks,  in  strings, 
reaching  for  a  mile  together.  When  they  thus  rendezvoused 
here  by  thousands,  if  they  happened  to  be  suddenly  roused 
from  their  roost-trees  on  an  evening, 

"  Their  rising  all  at  once  was  like  the  sound 
Of  thunder  heard  remote." 

It  will  by  no  means  be  foreign  to  the  present  purpose 
to  add,  that  I  had  a  relation  in  this  neighbourhood  who 
made  it  a  practice,  for  a  time,  whenever  he  could  procure 
the  eggs  of  a  ring-dove,  to  place  them  under  a  pair  of 
doves  that  were  sitting  in  his  own  pigeon-house  ;  hoping 
thereby,  if  he  could  bring  about  a  coalition,  to  enlarge 
his  breed,  and  teach  his  own  doves  to  beat  out  into  the 

1  Some  old  sportsmen  say  that  the  main  part  of  these  flocks  used  to  with- 
draw as  soon  as  the  heavy  Christmas  frosts  were  over. — [G.  W.] 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE     185 

woods  and  to  support  themselves  by  mast ;  the  plan  was 
plausible,  but  something  always  interrupted  the  success  ; 
for  though  the  birds  were  usually  hatched,  and  sometimes 
grew  to  half  their  size,  yet  none  ever  arrived  at  maturity. 
I  myself  have  seen  these  foundlings  in  their  nest  displaying 
a  strange  ferocity  of  nature,  so  as  scarcely  to  bear  to  be 
looked  at,  and  snapping  with  their  bills  by  way  of  menace. 
In  short,  they  always  died,  perhaps  for  want  of  proper 
sustenance :  but  the  owner  thought  that  by  their  fierce 
and  wild  demeanour  they  frighted  their  foster-mothers, 
and  so  were  starved. 

Virgil,  as  a  familiar  occurrence,  by  way  of  simile, 
describes  a  dove  haunting  the  cavern  of  a  rock  in  such 
engaging  numbers,  that  I  cannot  refrain  from  quoting  the 
passage  :  and  John  Dryden  has  rendered  it  so  happily  in 
our  language,  that  without  further  excuse  I  shall  add  his 
translation  also  : — 

"  Qualis  spelunca  subitb  commota  Columba, 
Cui  domus,  et  dulces  latebroso  in  pumice  nidi, 
Fertur  in  arva  volans,  plausumque  exterrita  pennis 
Dat  tecto  ingentem — mox  acre  lapsa  quieto, 
Radit  iter  liquidum,  celeres  neque  commovet  alas." 

"  As  when  a  dove  her  rocky  hold  forsakes, 
Rous'd,  in  a  fright  her  sounding  wings  she  shakes  ; 
The  cavern  rings  with  clattering  : — out  she  flies, 
And  leaves  her  callow  care,  and  cleaves  the  skies  ; 
At  first  she  flutters  : — but  at  length  she  springs 
To  smoother  flight,  and  shoots  upon  her  wings." 

I  am,  &c. 


2  A 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR 

EDITED  BY 

R.  BOWDLER  SHARPE,  LL.D.,  F.L.S. 

WITH  AN  INTRODUCTION  BY 

THE  VERY  REV.  S.  REYNOLDS  HOLE,  D.D. 

DEAN   OF   ROCHESTER 


INTRODUCTION 


WE  visit  the  homes  and  wander  amid  the  haunts  of  famous 
men  with  whom  it  has. been  our  privilege  to  associate  as 
friends,  "whom  we  have  loved  long  since,  and  lost  awhile," 
with  pathetic  alternations  of  joy  and  grief,  of  sweet  re- 
membrance and  of  sad  regret.  As  the  old  surroundings 
suggest  to  the  imagination  the  living  presence,  the  tone 
of  the  voice,  and  the  happy  hours  which  we  have  spent 
together,  they  constrain  us  at  the  same  time  to  mourn 
for  the  tender  grace  of  a  day  that  is  dead,  and  we  pass 
and  return,  as  in  the  streets  of  an  Italian  city,  from  the 
chill  shadow  to  the  hot  glare  of  sunshine,  from  gloom 
to  mirth.  I  go  to  the  house  of  Charles  Dickens  at  Gads- 
hill  (the  present  owner  being  always  my  kind  host)  and 
in  the  rooms  in  which  he  lived,  and  on  the  spot  where 
he  suddenly  sank  to  die,  in  the  rose  garden  designed  by 
his  friend  Sir  Joseph  Paxton,  or  in  the  chalet  which 
was  given  to  him  by  Fechter,  in  which  he  wrote  many 
of  his  wonderful  books,  and  which  was  bought  by  the 
late  Lord  Darnley,  and  is  now  in  the  grounds  at  Cobham, 
I  have  a  vision  of  bright  smiles  on  his  handsome  face, 
and  words  which  he  spoke  to  me,  wise  and  witty,  seem  to 
echo  in  mine  ears. 

I  stand  by  the  graves  of  Thackeray,  Leech,  and  Millais, 

"  And  a  flood  of  thoughts  comes  gushing, 
And  fills  mine  eyes  with  tears." 

I  go  to  the  tomb  of  Archbishop  Benson  in  the  cathedral 
at  Canterbury,  and  no  pilgrim  approaches  a  shrine  with  a 


190  A    GARDEN    KALENDAR 

more  reverent  love ;  or  I  gaze  on  the  marble  effigy  of 
Bishop  Christopher  Wordsworth  at  Lincoln,  and  remember 
the  earnest  words  which  were  said  to  me  by  Bishop 
(afterwards  Archbishop)  Magee,  "  I  never  left  his  presence 
without  feeling  that  he  had  done  me  good." 

Less  vividly,  but  always  with  a  strong  emotion,  our 
sympathies  and  admirations  are  quickened  when  we  enter 
the  abodes  which  were  occupied  long  ago  by  men  of 
renown  and  honour.  We  remember  with  a  new  interest 
the  records  of  their  achievements,  the  benefits  which  they 
have  bestowed  as  churchmen,  statesmen,  soldiers,  sailors, 
lawyers,  philosophers,  physicians,  authors,  and  artists, 
upon  their  country  and  their  fellow-men.  To  illustrate 
from  my  own  experience,  I  recall  my  visits  to  the  little 
church  and  parsonage  at  Bemerton,  Pope's  villa  at 
Twickenham,  the  home  of  Horace  Walpole  at  Strawberry 
Hill,  of  Sir  Walter  Scott  at  Abbotsford,  of  Lord  Byron 
at  Newstead,  and,  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic,  of 
Washington  Irving,  Fenimore  Cooper,  Longfellow,  Lowell, 
Bryant,  and  Whittier.  On  all  these  happy  occasions  I  have 
experienced  a  return  of  first  love,  redintegratio  amoris,  a 
"time  of  refreshing,"  a  kindling  of  the  fire  that  smouldered, 
an  awaking  of  the  zeal  which  slept.  The  intense  feelings 
of  pleasure  and  of  pain,  of  terror  and  of  mirth,  of  tender 
pity  and  of  righteous  wrath,  which  first  absorbed  our 
thoughts  in  day-time  and  our  dreams  at  night ;  the  rever- 
ence which  was  so  solemn  and  sincere  ;  the  aspirations 
which  were  so  high  and  so  pure ;  all  the  impressions 
made  upon  us,  real  or  romantic,  false  or  true,  brief  or 
steadfast,  by  the  books  of  our  boyhood  and  youth,  are 
in  the  mind  and  in  the  heart  once  more  ;  the  fears  we 
felt,  alone  in  the  darkness,  of  ghosts  and  robbers  after 
perusal  of  Irving's  "Tales  of  a  Traveller,"  the  tears  we 
shed  for  the  faithful  hound  in  the  "  Talisman,"  our  breath- 
less delight  in  "  Ivanhoe,"  and  in  the  musical  rhythm  of 
"  Marmion "  and  "  The  Lady  of  the  Lake,"  our  secret 
intention  when  we  read  the  "  Corsair "  to  follow  the 


INTRODUCTION  191 

vocation  of  a  pirate,  until  it  was  shamed  and  suppressed 
by  Longfellow's  "  Excelsior,"  or  we  learned  from  Herbert 
or  from  Keble  the  supreme  ambition. 

In  some  places  we  are  reminded  not  only  of  the 
standard  works  of  great  writers,  but  of  other  associations 
which  seem  to  bring  us  into  closer  communion  with  them. 
We  gardeners,  for  example,  rejoice  at  Twickenham  and 
at  Strawberry  Hill  in  the  thought  that  Pope  and  Walpole 
were  enthusiastic  brethren  of  our  craft ;  and  while  we 
admire  the  "  Essay  on  Gardening  "  more  than  the  "  Essay 
on  Man,"  we  extol  the  author  of  the  latter  as  the  more 
practical  artist  of  the  two.  They  were  united  as  champions 
and  pioneers  of  the  natural  or  English  style.  They  were 
alike  earnest  in  denouncing  the  monotonous  formalities  and 
repetitions,  the  ponderous  walls,  balustrades,  and  stairs, 
the  feeble  waterspouts,  the  mutilated  shrubs,  which  still 
disfigure  too  many  of  our  modern  gardens. 

I  am  approaching  my  main  object  by  a  circuitous 
route,  resembling  "the  Drive"  at  some  pretentious  villa, 
which  meanders,  like  a  river  flowing  to  the  sea,  through 
small  clumps  of  shrubberies  to  the  door  of  the  house, 
and  is  designed  to  impress  the  visitor,  "to  astonish  the 
Browns,"  with  erroneous  ideas  of  space,  because  that  same 
sense  of  a  fresh  interest  and  a  new  proximity,  to  which  I 
have  referred  in  their  connection  with  personal  friendships 
and  local  associations,  has  come  to  me  in  my  perusal 
of  "  A  Garden  Kalendar  "  of  Gilbert  White  of  Selborne.  I 
seem  to  follow  him  among  his  flowers  and  fruits,  to  listen 
to  his  words,  to  rejoice  in  his  success,  and  to  lament  his 
disappointments ;  and  I  know  that  this  sympathy  will  be 
enjoyed  by  an  innumerable  company  of  gardeners,  who 
have  hitherto  shared  in  the  great  disappointment  that  this 
enthusiastic  expert,  concerning  all  that  is  most  beautiful 
and  wonderful  in  the  world  around  us,  should  have  pub- 
lished so  little  about  his  garden.  I  suppose  that  no  book  on 
Natural  History  has  gone  through  so  many  editions,  but 
this  is  the  first  to  include  the  horticultural  diary  com- 


192  A    GARDEN    KALENDAR 

menced  in  1751 — a  year  to  be  shamefully  remembered  in 
England  for  the  drowning  of  two  old  women  as  witches  in 
a  horse-pond  at  Tring,  in  Hertfordshire. 

We  have  known  him  long,  and  loved  him  much,  as  a 
devoted  student  and  impressive  teacher  of  geology,  botany, 
ornithology,  entomology,  and  other  branches  of  natural 
science ;  we  have  admired  him  as  a  genial  gentleman, 
philosopher,  philanthropist,  and  something  more  than 
these.  As  a  Fellow  of  his  College  (Oriel,  Oxford)  he 
was  compelled  by  the  statutes  to  take  Holy  Orders,  but 
this  did  not  imply  immediate  ministerial  work,  and  he 
betook  himself  to  his  dear  old  home  at  Selborne,  and  to 
his  old  happy  life  of  observation,  for  he  seems  to  have 
always  retained  that  delight  in  the  beautiful  which  is  innate 
in  all  of  us  amid  the  marvellous  works  of  God.  Valuable 
College  livings  were  offered  to  him,  but  he  could  not  leave 
the  fair  ground  in  which  his  lot  was  cast ;  yet  he  did  not 
forget  the  commission  nor  the  power  which  had  been 
entrusted  to  him.  He  held  the  office  of  Curate,  first  in 
the  adjoining  parish  of  Faringdon,  and  then  at  Selborne ; 
there  is  frequent  testimony  in  his  writings  to  his  compas- 
sion for  suffering,  and  to  his  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the 
poor.  He  has  been  always  familiar  to  our  imagination  in 
his  academical  and  ecclesiastical  costume,  "in  customary 
suit  of  solemn  black,"  for  the  clergy  of  that  date  did  not 
array  themselves  in  straw  hats  and  jackets ;  we  have  met 
him  in  the  woods  and  in  the  fields,  in  the  village,  in  his 
study  with  a  book  or  a  pen  in  his  hand.  At  last  we 
find  him  in  his  garden  !  We  make  obeisance,  and,  as 
brethren  in  the  most  ancient  and  honourable  of  all  the 
crafts,  receive  the  welcome,  which  we  never  fail  to  give 
to  one  another. 

Gilbert  White  was  a  true  gardener.  The  "  Kalendar " 
would  by  itself  be  ample  evidence,  because  no  one  makes 
regularly  a  record  of  events  in  which  they  are  not  deeply 
interested — even  the  schoolboy  constructs  a  clumsy  almanac 


INTRODUCTION  193 

of  the  time  to  intervene  before  the  holidays  begin,  that 
he  may  have  the  daily  delight  of  erasure  —  but  in  its 
perusal  we  shall  find  proofs,  many  and  definite,  of  this 
reality.  He  was  his  own  gardener.  He  believed  that  the 
golden  rule,  which  prevailed  in  his  day  as  a  condition  of 
success  in  agriculture,  that 

"He  who  by  his  plough  would  thrive, 
Himself  must  either  hold  or  drive," 

was  to  be  observed  in  horticulture,  and  that  no  man  will 
work  quite  so  well  for  another  as  he  can  work  for  himself. 
He  knew  when,  where,  and  how  to  perform  all  garden- 
work,  and  when  the  process  was  important,  he  did  it,  or 
saw  it  done.  His  nephew  "  John  "  and  "  Tull  "  were  his 
subordinates.  He  employs  labourers  two  and  three  at  a 
time  to  do  rough  work  ;  "  Dame  Turner  and  her  girls  "  come 
in  to  weed  the  walks ;  but  he  sows  his  own  choice  seed, 
strikes  his  own  cuttings,  prunes  his  vines,  transplants  a 
mulberry  tree  which  he  had  raised  from  a  layer,  makes  a 
bed  of  aromatic  herbs,  superintends  the  grubbing,  burning, 
and  planting  in  new  ground  added  to  his  garden,  the  cutting 
of  the  alleys,  the  levelling  of  his  terrace.  So  he  wins  for 
himself  the  chief  joy  of  a  gardener's  life  as  he  watches  the 
development  from  small  beginnings  and  the  sure  success  of 
his  labour.  He  who  grows  a  conifer  from  a  cone  has  a 
delight  in  his  tree  which  no  imported  specimen,  cost  what 
it  may,  can  bring.  Not  long  ago  I  was  admiring  in  one 
of  the  Midland  counties  the  most  beautiful  private  collec- 
tion of  trees  and  shrubs  which  I  have  ever  seen,  and  when 
I  had  repeated  to  the  owner  again  and  again  all  the  lauda- 
tory epithets  which  I  could  remember,  and  had  continually 
insisted  on  his  notice  of  special  attractions,  as  though  he 
had  never  been  there  before,  or  had  failed  hitherto  to 
discern  their  merits,  he  said  quietly,  "No  one  can  appre- 
ciate this  quite  so  dearly  as  I  do,  because,  beginning  fifty 
years  ago,  I  planted  them  all." 

He  exercised  the  same  supervision  over  all  things  great 

2  B 


194  A    GARDEN    KALENDAR 

and  small,  in  the  vintage  of  his  grapes,  in  the  brewing  of 
his  beer,  strong,  medium,  and  small  (not  being  one  of 
those  who  think  that,  because  they  are  virtuous,  there  shall 
be  no  more  cakes  and  ale),  and  in  the  curing  and  smoking 
of  his  hams. 

He  shared  with  the  wise  farmer  another  grand  quality, 
which  has  Divine  approbation — like  the  husbandman  he 
had  long  patience.  The  adversaries  of  the  gardener  are 
legion,  but  he  fought  them  bravely.  Sometimes  we  hear 
complaints  that  never  before  has  there  been  such  untoward 
weather,  such  a  congregation  of  all  manner  of  flies,  such 
a  great  army  of  caterpillars,  but  we  find  in  the  "  Kalendar  " 
a  record  of  the  same  plagues  and  visitations,  so  that  even 

he  who  was 

"  ever  pleased 

With  sight  of  animals  enjoying  life, 
And  felt  their  happiness  augment  his  own," 

was  constrained  to  apply  "  more  quicklime  wherewith 
to  kill  the  small  snails  and  grubs  which  continue  to  annoy 
the  beds  "  ;  to  save  his  grapes  by  bottles  and  bird-lime  from 
innumerable  swarms  of  wasps ;  to  propitiate  the  bugs  by 
sowing  radishes  with  his  "  holy-oaks "  ;  to  denounce  the 
fleas  which  ate  his  savoys ;  and  to  trap  the  mice  which  de- 
voured the  seed  of  his  Succado  Melons.  We  find  him 
weeping,  like  Marius  over  the  ruins  of  Carthage,  when  his 
honeysuckles,  which  but  a  week  ago  were  the  most  sweet 
and  lovely  object  which  eye  could  behold,  were  defiled 
and  disfigured  by  the  Smother-fly. 

No  man  ever  loved  birds  more  dearly  or  knew  -more 
about  them  than  Gilbert  White.  Selborne  parish  produced 
one  hundred  and  twenty  species,  nearly  half  of  those 
known  in  Great  Britain  at  that  day,  and  he  was  familiar 
with  their  habitats  and  their  habits ;  he  knew  them  by  their 
flight  as  well  as  by  their  colour  and  shape,  and  could  tell 
when  and  where  they  would  come  and  go  (the  thatched 
roofs  of  the  houses  at  Selborne  sheltered  many  martins' 
nests) ;  when  they  would  begin  and  when  they  would 


INTRODUCTION  195 

cease  to  sing  ;  whether  they  were  strict  vegetarians  or 
preferred  animal  food ;  when  the  mistle-thrushes  came 
to  the  yew-trees ;  but  his  admirations  were  exhausted, 
and  indignation  took  their  place,  when  the  turkeys  were 
mauling  his  young  laurels,  when  the  bullfinches  were 
destroying  his  fruit-buds,  so  that  he  shot  a  score  in  one 
day,  and  when  he  "paid  Will  Dewey  for  eight  dozen  of 
young  sparrows." 

He  suffered  from  animal  implume  as  well  as  from 
the  feathered  tribe.  John,  a  young  nephew,  scorches  and 
suffocates  his  cucumbers.  The  nursery  man,  Murdoch 
Middleton,  is  negligent  in  executing  his  orders,  supplies 
him  with  plants  which  are  wrongly  named,  pear-trees 
which  are  cankered  and  distempered.  The  Cantaleupe 
melon  sent  to  him  by  the  famous  Philip  Miller,  author  of 
the  "  Gardeners'  Dictionary,"  "  though  it  promised  well, 
was  very  abominable.  The  rind  was  an  inch  thick  and 
finely  embossed,  but  there  was  little  flesh  and  less 
flavour."  This  fruit,  originally  imported  from  Cantaleupe, 
ten  leagues  from  Rome,  was  a  speciality  with  Gilbert 
White,  not  so  much  as  being  of  all  the  melons  the 
most  palatable,  but  chiefly  because  its  successful  culture 
was  a  chief  ambition  among  gardeners,  and  required  all 
their  care  and  skill.  On  his  return  from  Oxford  or 
from  visits  to  friends,  he  hastens  to  inspect  his  beds 
of  Cantaleupes,  as  a  young  mother  rushes  to  the  nursery 
after  absence,  or  a  schoolboy  home  for  the  holidays  to 
his  pony  in  the  stable.  His  anxious  interest  in  the 
culture  of  this  beautiful  and  refreshing  fruit  is  con- 
tinually expressed  in  his  "  Kalendar,"  and  here  is  a  quaint 
illustration  of  his  manifold  methods  to  ensure  success 
in  an  entry  on  March  15,  1755:  "Carried  Mr.  Garnier's 
Cantaleupe  seed  (being  but  two  years  old)  in  my  breeches 
pocket  for  six  or  eight  weeks." 

As  for  the  hallucination  that  in  the  merrie  old  times 
of  our  ancestors  the  sun  shone  always  by  day  and  the 
moon  by  night,  and  that  storms  and  tempests  were 


196  A    GARDEN    KALENDAR 

relegated  to  the  ocean,  we  learn  from  the  "  Kalendar  "  that 
1757  was  one  of  the  wettest  years  in  the  memory  of 
man,  so  that  nothing  in  gardens  or  a  clayey  soil  grew 
to  any  size,  and  nothing  came  to  bear  until  five  or  six 
weeks  later  than  usual.  In  1753  the  winter  was  so 
severe  that  most  things  in  the  gardens  were  destroyed ; 
*755  was  a  terrible  winter  for  earthquakes,  inunda- 
tions, and  "  vast "  rains  with  thunder  ;  and  in  the  year 
following,  a  violent  storm  broke  down  and  displaced 
peas,  beans,  and  flowers,  tore  the  hedges,  trees,  and 
shrubs,  lashed,  banged,  and  whipped  all  the  green  things 
upon  the  earth.  In  after  years  he  writes  of  furious 
storms,  which  battered  the  vines,  of  a  universal  blight, 
of  many  people  frozen  to  death  in  1762,  and  of  the 
summer  of  1783  as  being  amazing  and  portentous,  full 
of  horrible  phenomena,  alarming  meteors  and  tremendous 
thunderstorms,  which  affrighted  and  distressed  the  diffe- 
rent countries  of  this  kingdom  with  a  smoky  fog, 
which  prevailed  for  many  weeks,  unlike  anything  known 
within  the  memory  of  man. 

Amor  omnia  vincit,  and  despite  these  obstacles,  he 
surrounded  himself  with  things  pleasant  to  the  eye  and 
good  for  food,  with  those  fair  flowers  which  are  still  to 
most  of  us  the  sweetest  and  dearest  of  all.  In  the  middle 
of  February  1762  he  writes:  "The  hepaticas,  crocus,  and 
double  daisies  begin  now  to  make  a  very  agreeable  ap- 
pearance of  the  first  promise  of  spring,"  and  these  were 
followed,  as  with  us  now,  by  hyacinths,  tulips,  and  daffodils, 
until  it  was  the  "time  of  roses,"  and  of  all  the  summer 
flowers.  He  grew  all  the  vegetables  and  fruits  which 
are  our  favourites  still ;  and  though  in  some  cases  im- 
provements have  been  made,  I  should  doubt  whether 
we  have  anything  more  delicious  in  peaches  than  the 
Noblesse  on  his  sunny  wall,  or  anything  jn  pears  more 
resembling  that  which  the  rustic  described  as  "  a  kind 
o'  pear  that  eats  itsen,"  than  his  Beurr^s,  Bergamots, 
Swan-eggs,  and  Chaumontels. 


INTRODUCTION  197 

He  took  special  pains  with  his  outdoor  vines  ;  glass 
in  those  days  was  for  Dives  only  ;  and  we  read  of  con- 
stant tacking  and  trimming,  training,  thinning,  and  dis- 
budding. On  the  22nd  of  October  1760  we  note  with 
hopeless  bewilderment  that  he  transplanted  a  Muscadine 
vine,  which  John  had  anointed  with  Dr.  Hill's  Mummy, 
and  had  planted  as  a  cutting  in  the  preceding  March. 

He  was  large-hearted,  as  gardeners  generally  are.  He 
was  not  jealous  of  "  Mrs.  Snook's  Black  Cluster,"  three 
weeks  earlier  than  his  own ;  and  he  was  glad  when 
Abraham  Low  had  "  fifty  bunches  of  grapes  on  a  vine  from 
a  cutting  planted  only  three  years  ago."  He  rejoiced  to  see 
that  at  Selborne  every  decent  labourer  had  his  garden, 
which  was  half  his  support  as  well  as  his  delight,  and  that 
the  common  farmers  provided  plenty  of  beans  and  peas 
and  greens  for  their  hinds  to  eat  with  their  bacon.  Had 
he  lived  in  our  days  he  would  have  gratefully  applauded 
the  efforts  which  are  being  made  by  some  of  our  County 
Councils  and  of  our  benevolent  landlords  to  promote 
horticulture  among  the  working-classes  by  the  enlargement 
and  improvement  of  their  cottage  gardens  in  the  country, 
and  by  allotments  of  lands  by  the  towns. 

He  was  generous  to  his  flowers,  his  fruits,  and  his 
friends — not  one  of  those  who  exhaust  the  soil,  take  all 
they  can  get,  and  make  no  return  ;  disciples  of  the  Gampean 
creed,  "we  gives  no  trust  ourselves,  but  puts  a  deal  else- 
vere ;  these  is  our  religious  feelings,  and  we  finds  'em 
answer."  We  read  of  him,  on  the  contrary,  in  a  constant 
and  happy  exchange  of  those  reciprocities  which  should 
always  exist  between  the  gardener  and  his  garden,  and  by 
which  the  liberal  soul  is  made  fat.  We  have  long  lists 
of  farmers  from  whom  he  obtained  farm-yard  manure,  as 
many  as  twenty  cart-loads  at  a  time,  and  he  imparted  in 
addition  "  lime,  ashes,  marl  and  peat,  blacksmith's  cinders, 
and  soot  from  the  malt-house."  Barrels  of  soft  water  stood 
here  and  there  for  the  refreshment  of  his  plants  in  time 
of  drought. 


198  A    GARDEN    KALENDAR 

He  was  glad  to  distribute,  willing  to  communicate.  He  re- 
joices to  send  specimens  of  his  best  fruit  to  the  Lord-keeper, 
to  his  brother  Benjamin  in  London,  and  a  portmanteau  of 
perennials  to  his  brother  Harry  at  Fyfield.  These  recipients, 
we  may  be  sure,  were  all  as  grateful  as  Brother  Tom,  who 
sent  him  in  acknowledgment  a  ten-gallon  cask  of  raisin 
wine ;  and  such  souvenirs  and  reciprocities  are  specially 
appreciated  by  us  gardeners  in  our  interchange  of  flowers 
and  fruits. 

Let  us  listen  now  to  this  great  teacher  of  natural 
theology.  We  shall  not  learn  much  about  horticulture, 
and  it  would  be  a  vain  conceit  to  criticise  his  simple 
methods  and  frequent  failures  after  a  progress  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  years  and  all  our  acquisitions  of  practical 
experience,  cheap  glass,  heating  apparatus,  imports,  and 
hybridisation  ;  but  we  may  acquire  from  these  records  and 
from  his  example  far  more  precious  instructions — how  to 
prevail  by  a  brave  perseverance,  overcoming  evil  with  good, 
and  above  all,  not  to  restrict  our  thoughts  and  admirations, 
when  we  are  in  our  gardens,  to  the  culture  or  the  beauty 
of  our  plants,  but  to  study  with  reverent  inquiry  all  the 
wonderful  surroundings,  all  that  reveals  to  us  through  the 
eye  and  ear  God's  infinite  power  and  love. 


S.  REYNOLDS  HOLE. 


THE  DEANERY,  ROCHESTER, 
November  1899. 


Garden-Kalendar  for  the  Year  1 7  5 1 l 


Jan1?-  7. — Two  rows  of  early  Spanish- Beans  in  Turner's 
plot.  The  four  other  rows  were  set  in  ye  middle  of 
November. 

14. — Earthed-up  a  row  of  Celery. 

23. — Planted  250  loaf-Cabbage  plants  in  Turner's  plot. 

24. — Sowed  first  Crop  of  Radishes  turnip,  &  common  ; 
lettuce  ;  &  onions  under  the  pales  in  the  little  Garden. 

24. — Planted-out  five  bulbs  of  the  Crown  Imperial 
(which  I  had  from  a  Seedsman  in  London)  in  the  middle 
plot  of  the  little  Garden. 

24. — Planted  three  slips  of  the  Passion-flower,  sent  me 
by  Mr-  Newlin,  in  the  little  Garden. 

Feb.  23. — Planted  14  Cuttings  of  the  large,  white, 
Dutch-Currants  (which  I  brought  from  Godalming)  in  the 
little  Garden. 

27. — New  staked  the  Espaliers. 

i  I  am  very  much  indebted  to  Mr.  Henry  Maxwell  of  Selborne  for  reading 
through  this  Kalendar,  and  giving  me  notes  thereon.  As  a  practical  gardener 
himself,  Mr.  Maxwell  has  made  some  very  interesting  notes,  which  I  have 
distinguished  by  his  initials  "[H.  M.]."— [R.  B.  S.] 


200     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

March  7. — Planted  five  young  passion-flower  plants, 
which  I  had  from  Oxon.  Gave  my  U  :  White  four.1 

March  8. — Sowed  a  Crop  of  Asparagus  seed  :  &  seven 
rows  of  pease  in  the  new  Garden  for  the  first  Crop. 

9. — Set  a  Layer  of  Persian-Jessamin,  which  came  from 
Mr-  Budd's. 

15. — Earthed  up  the  two  last  rows  of  Celery. 

D° — Layed  down  three  twigs  of  the  mulberry-tree. 

21. — Made  first  Hot-bed  :  cleared  the  strawberry,  & 
raspberry-beds. 

22. — Sowed  in  the  Hot-bed 2  Cucumber,  Melon, 
Squashes,  &  Mays-seed.  Planted-out  Holy-oaks,  down  the 
field,  &  in  the  Garden-border,  &  before  the  House  :  the 
seed  from  the  Grange.  Sowed  a  Crop  of  Carrots,  Par- 
sneps,  Beets,  Radishes,  Lettuce,  Leeks,  Onions ;  a  small 
crop  of  Salsafy ;  red  Cabbage-seed,  Dutch  parsley,  & 
Chardoons.  There  had  been  a  glut  of  wet  for  five  weeks, 
&  the  Ground  was  rather  too  moist,  but  worked  pretty 
well. 

23. — In  the  Hot-bed,  two  rows  of  African,  &  French 
Marigold  seed. 

27. — Planted  four  rows  of  Winsor-beans  in  the  field- 
Garden  in  ground  just  turned  in  from  Grass. 

April  i. — Sowed  in  the  field-garden  four  rows  of 
marrow-fat  pease. 

April  2,  3. — Planted  four  Asparagus-beds  with  plants 
of  my  own  raising  in  the  new  Garden  :  sowed  a  thin  Crop 
of  Onions  upon  them.  The  Ground  was  well  sanded, 
&  trenched  deep  with  good  rotten  Dung,  but  wet  when 
planted. 

2. — Earthed-up  the  two  last  rows  of  Celeri  the  last  time. 

4. — Sowed  a  crop  of  common,  &  curled  parsley  :  & 
planted  13  Holy-oaks  in  the  orchard,  &  yard. 

1  This  would  be  his  Uncle  Charles,  to  whom  Gilbert  was  indebted  for  "The 
Wakes."     He  was  Rector  of  Bradley  and  Vicar  of  Swarraton,  where  Gilbert 
was  his  Curate. — [R.  B.  S.] 

2  This  bed  by  means  of  the  great  rains  lost  its  heat ;  so  that  the  Cucumbers, 
Melons,  &  Squashes  never  came  up. — [G.  W.] 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  201 

6. — Sowed  a  full  crop  of  Carrots,  Salsafy,  Skirret,  Scor- 
zonera,  Lettuce,  Radishes,  Beet.  Sowed  the  seed  of  a 
remarkable  large  leek.  Sowed  a  large  bed  of  sea-cale,1 
which  I  brought  from  the  South-hams  of  Devon.  Sliped, 
&  dressed  the  artichoke-beds.  A  small  crop  of  Onions 
under  Kelsey's  Hedge  for  picklers.  The  Ground  still  wet. 

13. — Made  a  second  Hot-bed  :  sowed  within  the  frame, 
common  Cucumbers,  Horn  D°-,  Squashes,  Melons,  Bal- 
sams, French  Marygolds,  purslain  :  without  the  frame ; 
Common  Celeri,  Celeriac  or  turnip-rooted  Celeri,  Nastur- 
tium, Sun-flowers,  &  purslain.  Made  a  cover  of  oiled 
paper  for  the  first  bed. 

1 8. — Sowed  nine  rows  of  marrowfat-pease  in  the  plot 
just  without  the  field  Garden. 

April  23. — Planted  300  of  Cabbages  in  the  field-Garden. 
Sowed  Holy-oak,  Oriental-Mallow,  Nasturtium,  &  Lark- 
spur-seed in  the  common  Ground.  Let  an  old  Barrel  with 
the  Head  beat-out  into  the  Ground  to  hold  water  for  the 
Hot-beds,  &c. 

26. — Cut  Asparagus  for  the  first  time. 

27. — Made  a  new  Hot  bed :  transplanted  the  melon- 
plants  into  it  :  sowed  some  Cucumber-seed  in  it :  &  sowed 
common  Celeri  &  Sunflowers  without  the  frame.  Trans- 
planted the  Mays  into  the  border  next  Lassams  :  trans- 
planted the  African  Marry  golds  in  the  beds,  &  some  of  the 
Cucumbers  :  sowed  2  rows  of  Garden  Cress,  &  two  of  Wh  : 
Mustard  on  an  old  bed.  Dug-up  the  last  parcel  of  blanched 
Celeri. 

May  3. — Pulled  the  first  Radishes. 

7. — Sowed  a  Crop  of  Parsneps,  (the  first  failed)  with 
Radishes,  &  Lettuce.  The  first  Crop  of  curled  Endive, 
green,  &  white.  The  first  Crop  of  French-Beans,  two  rows 
in  the  new-garden. 

9. — Second  Crop  of  Skirret ; 2  the  first  failing. 

14. — Crop  of  Common  Beans  in  the  field-Garden. 

1  The  Sea  cale  lay  a  long  while  in  the  ground  before  it  appeared  ;  six  weeks 
at  least.— [G.  W.] 

2  The  Skiret  all  run  to  seed.— [G.  W.] 

2  C 


202     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

May  23.1 — Pricked-out  the  red  Cabbages.  Sowed  flower- 
ing Lupines  of  several  Sorts,  &  Lady-pease  in  the  basons 
in  the  Field,  &  the  border  in  the  Garden. 

24. — Pricked-out  the  Chardons  :  sowed  five  basons  with 
Cucumber-seed  in  the  natural  Ground.  Transplanted  one 
Holy-oak  into  the  border  in  the  field. 

25. — Planted-out  the  Melons  for  the  last  time,  &  covered 
them  with  oiled  papers.  Sowed  a  plot  of  Roman,  and  a 
plot  of  white  Broccoli-seed ; 2  &  shaded  them  well  with 
boughs.  Sowed  some  Common,  &  curled  parsley  ;  &  some 
purslane. 

27. — Planted-out  three  squashes. 

28. — Crop  of  Common  Celeri. 

June  n,  13. — Row  &  half  of  Marrowfats;  &  D°-  of 
French-beans. 

20. — Gathered  first  pease. 

21. — Planted-out  Nasturtiums,  Sunflowers,  Balsams,  & 
French  &  African  Marrigolds  in  the  field  &  New  Garden. 

June  24. — Pricked-out  a  large  Quantity  of  white,  & 
Roman  Broccoli. 

25. — Planted-out  curled  white,  &  green  Endive  in  rows  : 
pricked  out  three  plots  of  Celeri :  planted-out  red  Cabbages ; 
&  a  plot  of  Leeks  from  the  Giant  Leek.  Sowed  a  crop  of 
Endive  (second  crop)  both  sorts. 

26. — Planted  out  the  Holy-oaks  sown  in  ye  Spring. 

27. — Gathered  first  beans,  little  Spanish,  set  in 
November.3 

August  27. — Earthed-up  the  first  planted  Chardons ; 
planted  out  more  :  trenched  6  rows  of  Celeri.  Sowed  a 
small  plot  of  turnip-radishes.  Planted  out  several  rows  of 
Broccoli. 

Septemr-  9. — Earthed-up  the  first  row  of  Chardons  for 
the  last  time  in  pots  with  the  bottoms  out. 

1  No  fine  weather,  but  constant  wind,  wet,  &  frost  till  the  18  of  May.     Then 
very  dry,  &  hot.— [G.  W.] 

2  A  prodigious  Crop  of  Broccoli  by  shading  &  watering. — [G.  W.  ] 

3  Latter  end  of  July  sowed  a  large  bed  of  Spinage,  and  Radishes.     Came  up 
very  well.— [G.  W.] 


.->m 
r^/Aea 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  203 

12. — Basketed-up  the  second  row  of  Chardons:  sowed 
a  large  bed  of  Spinage. 

Octobr-  5. — Planted  Stock-gilliflowers  from  Bradley  down 
the  Field.  Dug  up  the  two  first  Chardons. 

Octobr-  ii. — Trenched-out  a  row  of  Celery  in  the  field 
Garden  :  earthed-up  the  last  Chardons  the  first  time. 

Octr-  14. — Sow'd  three  rows  of  early  Spanish  Beans  in 
the  field  garden. 

23. — Added  one  row  more  of  small  beans  from  Oxon, 
never  sowed  but  once  in  England. 

26. — Planted  seven  spruce  firs  from  North-warnboro' l  in 
Baker's-Hill :  some  flowering  shrubs  in  the  lower  part  next 
the  walk  :  a  Quince-tree  in  the  old  orchard.  Earthed-up 
the  new  asparagus-beds  in  the  new  Garden. 

Novemr-  2. — Finished  the  Shrubbery.  A  severe  frost  for 
planting.  Earthed-up  the  old  asparagus-beds. 

6. — Planted  in  a  border  in  the  old  Orchard  several 
cuttings  of  Gooseberries,  Currants,  Honey-suckles,  &  Scor- 
pion Sennas.  Earthed-up  the  Celery  in  the  new  Garden. 

Decemr-  2,  3. — Trenched  some  Ground  against  spring. 
Earthed-up  Artichoke-beds  for  the  winter.  Earthed-up 
the  last  Chardon  ;  &  the  Celery. 

The  Year  1751,  was  one  of  the  wettest  Years  in  the 
memory  of  Man.  There  were  constant  Storms,  &  Gluts 
of  rain  from  the  20th  of  Feb.  :  to  the  20th  of  May.  Part 
of  May,  &  all  June  were  very  dry,  &  burning.  But  all 
July,  &  great  part  of  August  were  as  wet  as  ever :  so  that 
nothing  in  Gardens  in  a  clayey  soil  grew  to  any  size  :  & 
nothing  came  to  bear  'till  five  or  six  weeks  later  than 
usual.2 

1  Near  Odiham.— [R.  B.  S.] 

•  Gilbert  White  says  nothing  about   his  grapes  and   peaches,  which  were 
probably  all  a  failure  this  year. — [H.  M.] 


Garden-Kalendar  for  the  Year  1752 

Middle  of  February  :  two  rows  of  Beans,  &  nine  of 
early  pease  in  the  field-Garden. 

March  4th. — Hot- bed  in  the  field-Garden  :  the  dung  had 
been  cast  a  fortnight,  &  mixed  with  Coal-cynders,  3  hun- 
dred of  Cabbage-plants  in  the  new,  &  Turner's  Garden. 

5. — Mulched,  &  banked-up  the  Quincunx  of  firs  on 
Baker's  Hill.  Dressed  the  Rasberry-beds,  &  planted  a  new 
one  in  the  new  Garden.  Sowed  a  Crop  of  Celeri  on  the 
outside  of  the  Cucumber-frame.  Sowed  a  Crop  of  Carrots, 
Parsneps,  Leeks,  Onions,  Skirrets,  Beets,  Radishes,  Lettuce, 
fine  Coss  sort.  A  large  Plot  of  fine  Asparagus-seed  from 
Chalgrave  in  the  new  Garden.  Sowed  in  the  new  Garden. 
French  honeysuckles,  Columbines,  &  Everlasting-pease. 

6. — Weeded  Sea-Cale-bed.  Sowed  Holy-oak  seed,  & 
Oriental-Mallow,  a  good  large  bed  in  the  new  Garden. 
Sowed  two  rows  of  forward  pease  in  the  Garden  in  the 
field. 

March  7. — Sowed  in  the  Hot-bed  Cucumbers,  French 
Marrigolds,  African  D°- ;  Indian  wheat ;  &  Nasturtiums  on 
the  outside.1  Dressed  strawberry-beds.  Planted  a  row  of 
Eschallots.  Planted  Holy-oaks  down  the  field.  New-dug 
the  border  at  the  bench  in  the  Field.  Made  a  screen  for 
the  Hot-bed  with  pease-haulm. 

10. — Plashed,  &  banked-up  the  Quick-set  hedge  be- 
tween Turner's,  &  the  Orchard.  Planted  Holy-oaks  in  the 
New-garden.  Sowed  poppy-seed,  &  Larkspur-seed  in  the 
Borders  of  the  new  Garden.  Dressed  asparagus-beds  : 

1  Appeared  all  above  ground  on  the  nth.  The  bed  heats  well,  without  being 
too  fierce.— [G.  W.] 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  205 

earthed-up  the  late  row  of  Celeri  in  the  field-Garden. 
Mended  the  Sea-Cale  with  seed,  where  it  was  wanting. 

11. — Dunged,  &  dug -up  some  Ground  in  the  new 
Garden.  Dug  the  flower-basons  in  the  field.  Sowed  the 
ground  on  the  little  mead  (lately  cleared  from  nettles)  with 
Grass-seeds.  Prepared  two  basons,  one  on  each  side  the 
street-door,  for  passion-flowers.  Thinned  the  young  bed 
of  Spinage. 

March  n. — Sowed  seven  rows  of  broad  beans  in  the 
Quincunx  on  the  top  of  Baker's  Hill.  Planted  in  the  new 
Garden  three  of  the  large  Dutch-Currant-trees,  which  I 
brought  in  cuttings  from  Godalming  last  Year. 

March  12,  Mem. — Left  the  three  new  Cucumber-frames, 
taken  to  pieces,  in  the  old  barn,  in  the  straw-bey,  leaning 
against  the  boards  of  the  new  stable.  Put  the  glass- 
frames  belonging  to  them  (but  with  no  Glass  in  them)  in 
the  lumber-garret,  &  the  oaken-pins  in  a  deal-box  in  the 
lumber-garret. 

Mem. — Seven  very  full  cart  loads  of  dung  make  an 
exact  suitable  hot-bed  for  my  great  two-light  frame  :  & 
five  D°-  for  my  four  Hand-glasses. 

April  8. — Planted  water'd  &  shaded  the  Laurustinus1 
near  the  Bench  in  the  Field  &  the  Passion  flower  on  each 
side  the  Street  Door.  Sowed  a  row  of  Laburnum  seed 
from  Ringmer. 

10. — Put  sixteen  Cowcumber  plants  under  the  Hand 
Glasses. 

ii. — Plantd  six  Cowcumb.  plants  from  W.  Wells  in  the 
Old  Hot  Bed. 

13. — Transplanted  the  Indian  Corn  in  the  Cups  in  the 
field  by  the  Brickwalk  in  Baker's  Hill  &  in  the  Oats  to- 
wards Willis's.  Planted  each  Corner  of  Baker's  Hill 
within  the  Rod  Hedge  with  Beans. 

1  On  the  2Oth  of  March  Gilbert  White  started  for  Oxford  to  fulfil  his  year 
of  Proctorship,  and  on  the  8th  of  April,  as  is  shown  by  his  Account-book,  he 
paid  £$  for  "  an  100  pd-  weight  of  biscuit  to  treat  the  Masters  of  Art  in  Oriel 
Hall."  (See  Bell's  edition,  vol.  ii.  p.  317.)  The  entries  from  this  date  to  May  14 
are  in  another  hand. — [R.  B.  S.] 


206    NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

15. — Sow'd  three  Rows  of  French  Beans  in  the  field 
Garden,  first  Row  from  the  Tub  in  the  Barn,  second  from 
the  paper  Bag  in  the  Kitchen,  third  from  the  Chaise. 
Mem.  made  a  Bed  of  Sand  for  the  Seed. 

15. — Planted  some  yellow  Indian  Corn  in  the  New 
hot  Bed  without  the  Glasses  to  supply  those  that  fail  in 
the  Cups. 

16. — Sowed  a  row  of  purple  double  Stocks  from  London 
and  half  a  Row  of  Brampton  Stocks  from  Ringmer.  Sowed 
in  the  New  Garden  on  the  Border  by  the  Brick-Walk 
Love  lies  a  Bleeding,  Painted  Lady  Peas,  Larkspurs,  Yellow 
Lupines,  &  Double  Poppies. 

Mem. — Sow'd  Radishes  with  the  Stocks  as  Miller  directs. 

May  14. — Planted  some  Indian  Corn,  &  French  & 
African  Marrigolds  down  the  basons  in  the  field.  Some 
D°-  Marrigolds  in  the  new  Garden. 

16. — Made  a  new  hot-bed  in  the  field-Garden  :  made  a 
ridge  with  10  Cups  in  the  new  Garden  for  Cucumbers  in 
the  natural  Ground,  &  sowed  them  with  seed. 

18. — Sowed  a  Crop  of  Broccoli,  parsley,  &  Finochia  in 
the  new-Garden. 

19. — Removed  four  plants,  with  fruit  set  on  them,  into 
the  new  hot-bed. 

20. — Planted-out  Sunflowers,  &  Nasturtiums  down  the 
field  :  sowed  a  row  of  dwarf  white  french-beans  in  the 
field-Garden ;  mended  the  early  rows  of  french-beans 
in  D°- 

July  23.* — Planted  200  white,  &  Roman  Broccoli-plants 
(which  I  brought  from  Oxon)  in  the  new,  &  field  Garden. 
Planted  200  Savoys  in  the  field  Garden. 

27. — Sowed  a  crop  of  winter-spinage,  with  some  turnep- 
radishes,  in  the  new  Garden. 

29. — Sowed  a  Crop  of  turneps  for  spring-Greens,  in  the 
field-Garden. 

1  Gilbert  White  was  back  in  Selborne  from  Oxford  on  the  22nd  of  July  and 
stayed  till  the  4th  of  August,  when  he  again  went  to  Oxford,  but  he  was  back 
at  his  house  on  the  i8th  of  September,  the  journey  occupying  him  two  days 
(I7th  and  i8th),  a  "portmanteau-horse"  costing  him  ten  shillings.  (See  his 
Account-book  in  Professor  Bell's  edition,  vol.  ii.  p.  322.) — [R.  B.  S.] 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  207 

A  Crop  of  D°-  among  the  firs  on  Baker's  Hill. 

August  3. — Trenched  six  row  of  Celeri  in  the  field- 
Garden.  Sowed  a  Crop  of  Coss  Lettuce  &  Endive. 

Septemr-  15,  N  :  S  : — Tyed-up  several  large  Endive. 

16. — Sowed  a  plot  of  Rhubarb  ;  &  two  late  Crops  of 
Spinage. 

29. — Tyed-up  the  remaining  Endive. 

Octobr-  19. — Six  rows  of  early,  African  Beans,  in  the 
field-Garden. 

24. — Trenched  two  rows  of  Celery  in  the  field-Garden.1 

3  On  the  25th  of  October  he  started  for  Oxford  again,  and  did  not  return 
to  Selborne  till  the  i8th  of  December.— [R.  B.  S.] 


Garden-Kalendar  for  the  Year  1753 

January  Ist. — Planted  three  rows  of  small  African  Beans 
in  the  Quincunx-garden. 

2. — Sowed  a  crop  of  Asparagus-seed,  of  our  own  saving, 
in  the  new  Garden. 

16. — Two  rows  of  broad  beans  in  the  fir-quincunx,  & 
two  in  Turner's  Garden. 

19. — Five  rows  of  forward  pease  in  Turner's  Garden. 

23. — Planted  five  Bushels  of  turneps  for  greens. 

24. — Thinned  out  the  raspberry-beds. 

26. — Sowed  a  long  drill  of  parsley  in  New-Garden  &  a 
Crop  of  Asparagus  seed  in  D°- l 

Octobr-  25,  1753. — Seven  rows  of  early  African-Beans  in 
the  field-Garden.  Three  rows  of  early  pease  in  Turner's 
Garden.  Laid-down  several  Branches  of  the  Laurustinus 
in  ye  little  Garden  :  &  some  boughs  of  the  Mulberry-tree. 
Pease  destroyed  &  most  of  the  beans. 

1  On  the  2gth  Gilbert  White  started  for  Oxford,  and  thopgh  he  was  back 
at  Selborne  in  April  for  a  week,  he  does  not  seem  to  have  made  any  entries 
concerning  his  garden  in  the  "  Kalendar."  After  completing  his  term  of  Proctor- 
ship he  went  to  London  and  Sunbury,  and  he  was  travelling  about  for  nearly 
the  whole  of  the  year. — [R.  B.  S.] 


•08 


Garden-Kalendar  for  the  Year  1754 

An  uncommon  severe  winter :  most  things  in  the  Garden 
destroyed. 

Feb.,  latter  end. — A  crop  of  early  pease  in  Turner's  : 
&  crop  of  broad  beans  in  the  field-Garden. 

March  5. — Made  a  very  deep  hot-bed  :  half  the  dung 
cast  before  hand,  &  half  from  dunghill  at  once.  The 
season  uncommonly  dry  and  fine.  Sowed  a  large  Crop 
of  spinage  in  the  field-Garden  to  supply  the  general  de- 
struction made  by  the  severe  winter.  A  wonderful  large, 
useful  Crop. 

6. — Sowed  larkspurs,  painted  ladies,  &  Columbines  in 
the  borders  in  the  new  Garden  :  &  a  Crop  of  Parsley. 

12. — Sowed  two  pots  of  melons  in  the  Hot-bed,  &  one 
pot  of  Cockscombs  :  backed  up  the  bed  to  the  top  of  the 
frame,  the  frost  being  very  extreme. 

March  19. — Sowed  two  pots  of  Mr-  Missen's  melon- 
seeds  ;  one  pot  of  early  Cucumber-seeds ;  one  pot  of 
Gibson's  Capsicums.  The  bed  in  fine  order,  but  the  frost 
very  severe.  One  pot  more  of  Cockscombs.  The  first- 
sown  Cockscombs  appear'd  about  the  21,  came  up  very 
thick  :  the  first-sown  melons  about  23,  very  strong.  Raised 
the  pots  as  soon  as  they  appeared. 

26. — Sowed  a  row  of  Bosworth's  early  melons  in  the 
hot  bed  without  pots  :  a  row  of  my  own  Cucum :  seed  : 
&  two  rows  of  Bosworth's  white-Dutch  Cucum  :  seed,1 
I  never  sowed  before  in  England. 

29. — Cast  eleven  cart-loads  of  Hot  dung  in  the  field- 
garden,  for  melon-beds,  &  cucumr.  ridges. 

1  In  the  MS.  the  Kalendar  is  here  interlined  "never  came  up." — [R.  B.  S.] 

*°9  2  D 


210     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

29. — Sowed  a  Crop  of  Carrots,  radishes,  white  Coss,  & 
green  Coss  lettuce,  Parsneps,  Beets,  leeks,  Holy  oaks,  & 
Onions.  Planted-out  some  Laburnums  raised  in  1752,  from 
seeds  in  Baker's  Hill. 

April  4. — Made  a  very  large  hot-bed  for  my  two-light 
melon-frame.  The  Dung  very  warm. 

5. — Made  four  rows  of  the  broken  rows  of  early  beans. 
Laid  fine  earth  6  inches  thick  between  the  Hot-bet  [sic] ; 
sowed  some  radishes,  &  a  crop  of  Celeri. 

8. — Laid -on  the  earth  on  the  great  melon-bed.  Bed 
heats  finely  :  wonderful  fine  weather. 

9. — Sowed  a  large  Crop  of  marrow-fats  in  Turner's. 

10. — Planted  three  large,  forward  Cucumber  -  plants, 
given  me  by  Mr.  Johnson,  in  my  first  Hot-bed. 

Planted  six  Laurels  near  the  pitching  in  the  old  orchard  ; 
two  Larches  on  the  bank  near  the  Ewel-gate ;  a  Scotch, 
&  silver  fir  in  the  upper  end  of  the  Ewel-close. 

u. — Made  a  melon-hot-bed  with  14  barrows  of  dung, 
for  my  smallest  frame  covered  with  a  paper-light.  Made 
my  ridge  for  three  hand-glasses. 

12. — Transplanted  three  of  my  forwardest  melon  plants 
(four  leaves  each)  into  each  of  the  lights  of  my  great  frame  : 
one  to  be  taken  away  from  each  hill,  when  they  are  settled. 
Mem:  the  earth  would  not  turn-out,  till  the  pots  were 
broken.1  The  bed  in  a  fine  heat.  The  plants  had  fill'd  the 
pots  with  their  fibres.  Made  a  slight  hot-bed  in  the  new 
garden  with  8  barrows  of  dung  for  hardy  annuals  :  put  on 
my  old  frame,  &  old  oil'd  paper.  Sowed  a  Crop  of  Carrots 
&  lettuce  in  the  shady  quarter  of  the  new  garden ;  5  pots 
of  sun-flowers,  &  Nasturtiums  in  the  borders  of  D°- ;  six 
rows  of  broad  beans  in  the  field  gardens. 

16. — Planted-out  some  cucumber-plants  (sadly  wire- 
drawn) under  two  of  the  Hand-glasses ;  &  sowed  six  of 
Mr-  Burrough's  melon-seeds  under  an  other  ;  the  ridge  in 
a  fine  heat.  The  early  melon-plants  from  Mr-  Burrough's 
seeds.  Those  to  be  put  in  the  paper-frame  from  Mr-  Missen's. 

1  He  evidently  forgot  to  wet  the  inside  of  the  pots  before  using  them. — 
[H.  M.] 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  211 

14. — Sowed  in  the  new-garden  hot-bed,  rows  of  African 
Marygolds,  &  Indian  Corn  :  planted  20  shallot-bulbs,  & 
12  Garlick  D°-  in  new  Card. 

17. — Planted  a  pot  of  Mr-  Missen's  melons  in  the  small 
frame  under  the  paper  light. 

15. — Brought  4  white  cucumber-plants  from  Waltham  ; l 
put  them  under  a  Hand-glass. 

19. — Very  thick  Ice,  &  the  Ground  froze  hard.  Fre- 
quent showers  of  snow,  &  hail.  The  Hot-beds  maintain 
their  Heat  well :  the  melon-beds  too  apt  to  steam  ;  &  the 
air  too  cold  to  be  admitted  in  any  great  degree. 

24. — Pinched  my  early  melons  for  the  first  time  :  & 
added  a  good  depth  of  fine  mould,  mixed  with  sand,  so  as 
to  fill  the  frames  half-way  up. 

The  paper-light  torn  by  a  storm,  &  the  melon  plants 
damag'd. 

25. — Planted-out  about  20  of  the  best  Cockscombs  on 
the  upper  side  of  the  Cucumber,  &  two-light  melon-frame. 

April  25. — Planted  a  pot  of  Missen's  melons  in  the 
small  frame ;  the  other  pot  being  damaged  by  a  storm 
which  tore  the  paper  light.  Planted  some  large  french 
Lupines  from  Mr-  Budd  in  the  new  Garden. 

May  2. — Sowed  some  Cucumber-seeds  under  an  Hand- 
glass in  the  natural  Ground,  for  a  natural  Crop.  Prick'd- 
out  a  small  bed  of  early  Celeri,  just  in  the  first  leaf,  for 
early  trenches. 

8. — Earth'd-up  the  melon-beds  a  good  depth  more  : 
took-off  a  joint  with  a  knife  that  had  been  omitted ; 
stopped  some  of  the  runners  :  the  plants  in  good  vigour, 
&  offering  for  fruit,  &  bloom. 

The  cucumber-plants  show  fruit ;  but  none  yet  set. 
The  Cockscombs  wonderful  forward,  &  stocky ;  &  have 
showed  bloom  ever  since  the  end  of  April. 

9,  10. — Dressed  the  Artichoke-beds  ;  &  sowed  three  long 
rows  of  large,  white  french-beans  in  the  field  Garden. 

21. — Made   a  good   strong    hot-bed   to   finish -off   the 

1  Bishop's  Waltham.— [H.  M.] 


212     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Cockscombs  with  :  plunged  10  large  pots  in  the  bed,  and 
half  fill'd  them  with  fine  earth.  Lined-out  and  earth'd  very 
deep  the  melon-beds  for  the  last  time;  &  rais'd  all  the 
frames  to  the  top  of  the  earth.  Planted  some  Capsicums, 
&  pendulous  Amaranths  from  Waltham  in  smaller  pots  : 
&  24  Cauliflowers  from  Soberton  in  new  Garden. 

May  22. — Made  a  wattle-hedge,  about  18  inches  high, 
round  the  melon-beds,  to  widen-out  the  beds. 

Moved  ten  of  the  best  Cockscombs  into  the  large  pots 
in  the  new  beds  :  the  plants  were  taken-up  with  a  sheet 
of  tin  with  a  deal  of  earth,  &  well  water'd.  The  plants 
very  fine,  &  forward,  &  in  good  bloom ;  &  22  inches  high. 
Two  old  frames  placed  one  on  the  other  :  &  the  bed 
beginning  to  heat  well. 

22. — The  forwardest  bason  of  Burrough's  melons  shew'd 
for  fruit.  The  weather  uncommonly  dry  &  sultry.  Planted 
some  forward  Celeri  from  Mr-  Beaver's.  A  large  parcel 
more  of  my  own  Celeri  in  new  Garden. 

22. — Sowed  a  Crop  of  turnep-seed  in  field-garden,  & 
New-Garden  after  a  soaking  shower. 

25. — Planted  300  of  backward  Cabbage  plants. 

June  5. — The  Cockscombs  full  28  Inches  high ;  the 
combs  very  broad,  &  the  stems  very  stocky. 

5. — Planted  100  of  fine  Savoys  in  the  place  of  the  two 
Asparagus-beds  grubb'd-up  in  the  new  Garden.  Sowed  a 
crop  of  Coss-lettuce,  &  Endive  green,  &  white. 

6. — Planted  out  a  Crop  of  Leeks  in  field-Garden. 

June  15, 1754. — Cut  first  Cucumber.  Cockscombs  3  feet 
high  the  tallest,  widest  Comb  3^  Inches. 

28. — Lin'd  the  Cockscomb-bed  which  began  to  grow 
cool,  with  9  barrows  of  very  hot  dung. 

28. — Only  five  melons  set ;  those  very  large,  &  in  the 
two-light  frame.  Missen's  plants  still  cast  their  fruit ;  not 
one  set. 

July  2. — The  best  Comb  five  inches  &  half  wide  :  the 
melons  swell  apace.  The  Cockscomb-bed  very  hot  with 
the  new  lining.  Shady,  showery  weather  for  these  last 
three  weeks,  &  not  kind  for  the  melons. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  213 

6. — Trench'd-out  four  rows  of  Celeri  in  ye  field-Garden  : 
planted  a  large  bed  of  late-sown  Coss-lettuce  in  ye  New- 
Garden. 

17. — Planted  a  large  Crop  of  Broccoli-plants  from 
Captain  Gwyn's  ;  with  Endive  between. 

23. — Cut  away  a  vast  deal  of  the  melon-vines,  which 
were  shot-out  beyond  all  bounds  :  None  of  Missen's  set 
yet ;  &  no  more  of  Burrough's.  Put  a  brick  under  some 
of  the  melons.  No  kind  melon-weather  since  the  beginning 
of  June ;  but  a  constant  cloudy,  windy  season,  but  not 
much  rain.  Missen's  melons  shew  plenty  of  fruit,  but  it 
all  drops-off.  The  melon's  earth  too  rich  ;  which  occa- 
sion'd  such  an  abundance  of  vine  :  besides  the  seed  was 
but  one  year  old. 

23. — Took  the  Cockscombs  out  of  their  frame  :  the  best 
comb  full  seven  Inches  wide ;  the  leaves  very  large,  & 
green ;  and  the  largest  stems  two  inches  &  a  quarter  round : 
the  combs  well  indented  :  That  Amaranth  that  was  suffer'd 
to  run  to  many  heads,  looks  very  fine,  &  makes  a  pleasing 
variety.  The  wind  is  very  apt  to  snap-off  the  leaves  when 
the  plants  are  first  set-out,  before  the  air  has  hardened 
them  :  heavy  rains  do  the  same.  The  tallest  plant  about 
three  feet  four  inches.  Mem. — The  constant  wet  weather 
rotted  several  of  the  Heads  of  those  that  stood  abroad. 

25. — Cut  first  natural  Cucumber. 

August  7. — Cut  first  melon  wl-  4!  flb.,  it  was  firm  &  thick 
fleshed  &  better  tasted  than  could  be  expected  after  such 
a  continuance  of  Shade  &  wonderful  wet  Weather. 

The  best  Combs  grow  mouldy. 

Aug.  14. — Missen's  plants  too  vigourous  to  let  any  fruit 
set.  Fine  weather  :  cut  away  the  vines  from  the  melons 
to  let  in  the  full  Sun. 

15. — Sowed  a  Crop  of  Spinage,  &  Radishes  in  the  field- 
Garden. 

Setenf-  13,  1754. — Collected  Mushroom-spawn,  &  laid 
it  up  to  dry. 

20. — Laid  down  Baker's-Hill  with  white-clover-seed  ;  & 
roll'd  it  well.  A  long  dry  fit  of  6  weeks. 


214     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

28. — Made  an  Horse-radish-bed  in  the  new-Garden  : 
planted  the  buds  10  inches  deep. 

Transplanted  a  Row  of  Mint,  one  of  Balm,  and  one  of 
Pennyroyal. 

30. — Parted  the  Lilly  Roots  in  the  Little  Garden  & 
planted  the  large  ones  in  Field  Basons,  &  the  offsets  in 
the  Orchard,  with  the  Tulips,  &c.  that  if  any  of  them  are 
worth  preserving  they  may  be  markt  when  in  bloom  & 
remov'd  into  the  Garden.  Transplanted  Sweet  Williams 
from  Waltham  into  the  Little  Garden  from  the  New  Garden 
with  a  few  Stocks. 

Octobr-  Ist- — Carryed  ten  loads  of  virgin-earth  from 
Dorton  into  the  little  mead  for  the  melon-frames. 

9. — A  thorough  soaking  rain,  after  an  uninterrupted  fit 
of  above  six  weeks  dry  weather. 

Oct.  15. — Planted  a  Bason  of  Double  Perr1-  Sunflower, 
No.  6. 

Planted  a  Bason  of  Single  D°-  No.  7. 

„  „          „  Double  Ragged  Robin,  No.  8. 

„        two  Roots  of  Campan  Pysam  in  pots. 
„        two  Peach  leav'd  D°-         „  „        No.  9. 

„        two  Canterbury  Bells,  No.  u. 
„        two  Roots  Double  .Scarlet  Lychnis        \  ^ 
„        one  in  little  Gardn-  the  other  in  the  field  / 
„       two  Yellow  Lillies  j 
„        two  fiery  D°-  J 

21. — Planted  some  Yellow  &  purple  Crocus'  for  Borders 
in  the  Little  Garden. 

Planted  Slips  of  Pinks  &  Cloves  in  the  Little  Garden 
&  in  some  of  the  field  Basons. 

22. — Planted  Fox-Gloves  Mulleins  Wood  laurel  &  Bears 
foot  from  the  Wood  &  soap  Wort  from  Gale's  Garden 
Hedge. 

Planted  three  Opulus'  from  Berrimans. 
Oct.    24. — Sow'd    three    New    Basons    with    Larkspur 
seed. 

Sow'd  a  Row  of  Laburnum  seed  in  the  Seedling  Bed  in 
New  Gard.  No.  i. 


/ 


•lOV      -'•          '' 
'    '"eC  *od 


;' 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  215 

Sow'd  a  Row  of  Fraxinilla  seed  in  D°-  No.  2. 
„  „        Persicaria          „  No.  3. 

Planted  Golden  Rod  and  Sl-  Peter's  Wort  from 
Dr-  Bristow's. 

Planted  some  Xyphiums  or  Bulbous  Iris'  in  the  Little 
Garden.  Mem. — Some  offsets  in  Seedling  Bed  No.  10. 

Planted  some  Tuberous  rooted  Iris'  in  the  field. 
Mem. — The  Xyphiums  were  sent  by  mistake. 

Planted  a  Spiraea  Frutex  from  Mr-  Budd. 

Nov.  5. — Transplanted  a  Row  of  Laurustines  into  the 
Gate  from  the  Little  Garden. 

6. — Moved  the  Layers  of  Laurustinus  into  the  Nursery 
Bed  in  the  Orchard. 

9. — Planted  four  Box  Trees  (which  came  from  behind 
the  old  Pales)  in  the  vista  at  the  upper  end  of  ye  field. 

Remov'd  four  Rose  Trees  into  one  Bason  in  the  Field. 
Very  wet  Weather,  but  not  very  cold. 

Novr-  20. — Planted  9  rows  of  Mazagon  beans  in  Turner's 
Garden.  Earth'd  Asparagus-beds. 

21. — Made,  earth'd,  &  thatch'd  a  musroom-bed  seven 
feet  long  according  to  Miller. 

21. — Altered  the  square-plot  behind  where  the  old 
pales  stood,  &  threw  it  into  a  grass  plot,  with  two  very 
wide  borders,  one  towards  the  street,  &  one  towards 
Kelsey's  Gate. 

Planted-out  3  doz.  of  Coss  lettuce  under  two  old 
frames  to  stand  the  winter  in  the  new  Garden  near  the 
melon-beds. 

Dec.  17. — Put  the  Spawn  into  the  Mushroom  Bed. 

31. — Earth'd-up  the  second  Crop  of  Celeri. 


Garden- Kalendar  for  the  Year  1755 

Jan.  6 — Sowed  a  row  of  Holly-berries  behind  the 
Filberts  against  Kelsey's  Yard. 

Feb.  7. — Made  an  Hot-bed  with  the  small  frame  for 
White-mustard,  &c.,  &  an  other  with  an  hand-glass  for 
Celeri.  Sowed  it  last  week  in  Feb. 

19. — Sowed  half  a  pound  of  spinage  in  the  field-Garden  : 
6  rows  of  forward  pease  in  Turner's  D°-  Planted  200  of 
Cabages  in  Field  D°- 

20. — Sowed  a  Gallon  &  half  of  broad  beans  in  ye  field- 
Garden.  Very  severe  frost. 

21. — Made  an  Hot-bed  for  early  radishes,  hoop'd  it 
over,  &  cover'd  it  with  a  large  mat. 

March  12. — Very  deep  snow,  7  inches  on  plain  ground. 

13 — Made  a  very  deep  &  large  Hot-bed  for  my  melon- 
seeds  ;  &c  :  with  seven  cart-loads  of  dung  :  thatch'd  the 
edges  of  the  bed  without  the  frame. 

14. — Made  slight  Hot-bed  for  the  Arbutus-seed. 

March  15. — Sowed  two  pots  of  Mr-  Garnier's  Cantaleup- 
Melons  1753  :  two  pots  of  Mr-  Hunter's  of  Waverly  D°- 
1752  :  two  pots  of  Cockscombs :  one  pot  of  pendulous 
Amaranths  :  one  pot  of  sensitive  plant-seed  :  one  pot  of 
Arbutus-seed :  two  pots  of  my  own  large  Andalusian- 
Melons.  Mem. — Carry'd  Mr-  Garnier's  Cantaleupe-seed 
(being  but  two  years  old)  in  my  Breeches-pocket  6  or  8 
weeks.1  Sad  snowy,  wet,  cold  weather. 

17. — Scattered  the  overplus  of  the  Arbutus-seed  among 

1  Gilbert  White  evidently  thought  that  old  seed  was  better  than  new,  and 
that  carrying  it  in  his  pocket  would  add  to  its  germinating  powers. — [H.  M.] 


216 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  217 

the  new-planted  Filberts  in  the  orchard.  Mem. — To  ob- 
serve if  any  grow. 

17. — Hot-bed  heats  well. 

19. — Sowed  five  rows  of  Marrow-fat-pease  in  field  G. 

20. — Planted  74  Laurels  from  Waverley l  down  Baker's- 
Hill  with  two  Ilex-acrons  between  each  two  :  one  portugal- 
laurel,  one  weeping-willow,  one  parsley,  one  black  moun- 
tain-Virginian-Elder, one  flowering- Rasp  :  two  stoneless 
barberies,  6  roses,  down  the  basons  in  the  field  :  2  Dutch 
Honey-suckles  against  the  Trellis  in  new  Garden  :  &  some 
Pine,  &  Chili-Strawberries  in  new  Garden. 

21. — Sowed  12  seeds  of  Cedar  of  Libanus,  a  Crop  of 
Larches,  Weymouth-Pines  &  Cluster-pines,  in  two  Boxes 
standing  to  the  morning  sun  in  the  field-garden  ;  &  hoop'd 
&  netted  ym-  Planted  Ivy  round  the  little-house,  &  a  Bed 
of  Rasps  at  the  north  end  of  the  House.  Planted  a  fine 
Mulberry-tree,  of  my  own  raising  from  a  layer,  in  the  new 
opening  in  the  new-Garden. 

27. — Sowed  more  Melons  in  the  Pots  that  fail'd. 

31. — Sowed  one  pot  of  Mr-  Garnier's  Cantalupe  1753, 
one  pot  of  Ld-  Lincolns  Green  Cantalupe  1751,  one  pot  of 
Mr-  Hunter's  Yellow  Cantalupe  1752,  and  one  pot  of 
Miller's  very  fine  old  seed. 

April  i. — Sowed  a  Crop  of  Carrots,  Coss-lettuce,  & 
parsneps  in  the  New-Garden. 

2. — Cast  20  Cart-loads  of  Dung  in  the  melon  ground. 

3. — Planted  13  Laurels  round  the  necessary,  &  against 
the  street. 

14,  15. — Made  a  large  melon-bed  with  20  loads  of  dung 
for  six  lights  in  the  field-garden.  The  weather  wet,  & 
unfavourable.  The  melon-seeds  in  the  pots  came-up  weak, 
&  poor,  the  season  not  favouring. 

April  1 6. — Sowed  a  pot  of  Romania-melon-seed  1753  :  & 
a  pot  of  Zatta  1751  :  a  pot  of  three-thorned- Acacia-seed  ;  & 
a  pot  of  seed  mark'd  only  Acacia  :  Evergreen-Oak  Acorns  : 
Bird-cherry-seed  :  cut-leaf'd  tulip-tree  seed  :  Boorcole,  red 

1  Near  Farnham.— [H.  M.] 

2  E 


218     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

&  green  :  savoy  seed :  Campanula  Pyrimidalis :  Scarlet 
Lychniss :  H  oly- oak- seed  :  leeks:  Beets:  parsley,  & 
onions. 

17. — Sowed  Basons  of  Double-China-Aster,  Double- 
Larkspurs,  Nasturtiums,  Nigella-Romana,  Venetian-poppies, 
Oriental-mallows,  Venus-Lookinglass,  Candy-tuft  &  Chry- 
santhemums in  the  new  borders,  in  the  Garden  ;  &  in  the 
Basons  in  the  field.  Sowed  some  Orange-Gourds,  &  long- 
Gourds  under  the  Arbutus  mat.  Painted-Ladies  in  the 
New-Garden. 

19. — Planted  some  foxglove-roots  from  London  in  the 
shady  Border  in  the  new-garden. 

April  19. — Turned-out  two  pots  of  Cantaleupe,  &  two 
pots  of  Andalusian-melons  into  the  two  great  frames.  The 
plants  in  thriving  condition,  but  the  bed  hardly  shews 
any  signs  of  Heat.  The  weather  uncommonly  dry,  sunny 
&  sultry. 

20. — The  Romania,  &  Zatta-mellons  appeared  out  of 
the  Ground. 

21. — Turned-out  two  pots  of  Cantaleupe-melons  into 
the  two  single  lights,  the  one  Glass,  the  other  paper. 

22. — Made  an  Hot-bed  for  two  Hand-glasses  &  one 
paper  light,  with  seven  loads  of  Farmer  Parsons's  dung  : 
earth'd  the  basons  with  Dorton-mould.  The  Acacia-seeds 
appeared  to  day.  Sultry  weather.  Cut  a  good  mess  of 
Asparagus  for  the  first  time. 

23. — Planted  large  plot  of  Artichokes  from  Dr-  Bristow's 
in  the  new-garden  ;  &  sowed  a  Crop  of  Coss-lettuce  be- 
tween. Made  a  slight  hot-bed  with  i  load  of  dung  for 
sunflowers,  African-Marrigolds,  double  Asters,  &  Celeri ; 
&  hooped,  &  matted  it.  Made  Cucumber-ridge  with  two 
loads  of  dung  for  two  Hand-glasses. 

April  25. — Transplanted  out  of  their  pots  some  Zatta- 
Melon-plants  in  the  paper-light ;  &  some  Romania-Melon- 
plants  under  the  two  hand-glasses  :  the  bed  heats  very 
finely. 

Transplanted  some  Cucumber -plants  under  the  two 
other  Hand-glasses.  Showry,  warm  weather. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  219 

26. — Turn'd-out  a  pot  of  Cantaleupe-Melons  into  the 
original  seed-bed,  &  earth'd  it  up  a  great  depth. 

28. — Planted-out  6  Acacias  in  6  penny-pots:  very  long 
tap-roots. 

29. — Transplanted  some  Cocks-comb-plants,  not  very 
forward,  into  one  of  the  two-light  melon-frames.  Trans- 
planted three  Orange  -  gourd  -  plants  under  the  melon- 
ground-Hedge.  Planted  two  Storax-trees,  from  Guernsey, 
sent  me  by  Will :  Yalden,  in  one  of  the  basons  of  the 
field. 

June  23. — Cut  the  first  Cucumber. 

July  17. — Planted-out  plots  of  Endive-plants.  Turned- 
out  remarkably  fine  &  large. 

July  1 8. — Only  six  brace  of  melons  set.  The  Acacias 
in  the  pots  very  fine.  A  fine  Crop  of  Cluster-pines  :  10 
or  12  Weymouth-pines  :  2  Cedars  of  Libanus  :  not  one 
Larch,  nor  Arbutus. 

An  uncommon  hot,  dry  summer  to  this  time. 

18. — About  500  savoys-plants,  &  about  6  score  boor- 
cole  plants,1  all  of  our  own  raising,  in  Turner's  Garden. 

August  i. — Cut  the  first  Melon.  Mem. — It  hung  too 
long,  &  was  mealy.  This  was  intended  for  a  Cantaleupe, 
but  proved  a  common  sort. 

26. — Gather'd  the  first  Mushrooms  from  spawn  put  into 
a  bed  last  Decemr-  ye  17th- 

Only  six  brace  of  melons  set :  hinder'd  in  their  ripening 
by  a  long  run  of  cold,  shady  weather. 

28. — Planted-out  a  great  many  Holy-oaks2  in  the  new- 
Garden,  Yard,  &  field. 

28. — Tyed-up  30  Good  Endive-plants.  More  should  be 
tyed-up  about  the  i8th  of  Septemr-  with  different-colour'd 
Yarn. 

Septemr-  i. — Planted  a  plot  in  New-Garden  with  Pine- 
strawberries  brought  from  Waverly. 

Those  planted  in  the  spring  dyed. 

2. — Cut  two   Cantaleupe-Melons  :  the  biggest  weigh'd 

1  Borecole — a  kind  of  sprouting  Kale  or  Cabbage. — [H.  M.] 

2  This  would  be  the  old  single  species  still  seen  in  cottage  gardens. — [H.  M.] 


220     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

3  P**  5  oun  :  they  were  perfectly  dry,  &  high-flavour'd, 
notwithstanding  the  weather  had  been  shady,  &  cool  for 
three  weeks  ;  &  uncommonly  wet  and  stormy  for  the  last 
week. 

2. — Made  a  large  Musroom-bed,  eight  feet  long  ;  used 
eleven  Barrows  of  hot  dung  with  no  layers  of  earth  inter- 
mix'd. 

15. — Planted  the  mushroom  spawn  brought  from 
Dean  on  the  new  made  bed,  it  was  moderately  warm,  the 
larger  lumps  were  set  on  the  ridge,  the  smaller  earth  near 
the  bottom.  N.B. — I  planted  the  S  E  side  &  Thomas 
the  N  W.1 

19. — Tyed-up  more  Endive  :  those  tyed-up  before  not 
well  blanch'd,  for  want  of  being  ty'd  with  double  yarn,  & 
in  two  places.  The  new  Musroom-bed  heats  gently.  The 
double  China-asters  make  a  fine  show.  Mem. — The  green- 
Endive,  by  being  so  much  longer,  tyes-up,  &  blanches 
much  better  than  the  white. 

Septembr-  23. — Put  the  Acacias  in  their  winter-quarters 
in  a  frame  under  the  Hedge  of  the  melon-ground  :  planted 
some  lettuce  to  stand  the  winter  in  the  same  frame,  &  along 
the  border  :  placed  an  old  frame  for  a  Quart'-  of  a  Hund  : 
of  Cauliflower-plants  :  put  the  two  boxes  of  the  seedling- 
pines  under  the  sunny-hedge.  Sowed  a  Crop  of  persicaria- 
seed,  &  green  Coss-lettuce  on  the  same  border.  Sowed  a 
Crop  of  Belvedere  on  the  same  border. 

Octobr-  6. — Sent  the  Cauliflowers  from  Dene. 

3Oth- — Planted  two  basons  in  the  field  with  Canterbury- 
bells.  Planted  a  Nursery  of  some  Scorpion-sena,  &  Spiraea- 
suckers  in  the  New-Garden. 

N<nf-  2. — Planted  ten  rows  of  Mazagan-beans  (never 
planted  in  England)  in  the  field-garden. 

Planted  four  Pyramidal-Campanulas  in  four  large  pots, 
&  plunged  them  in  the  Border  under  the  melon-screen. 

Planted  30  full-grown  perennial-sunflower-roots  in  the 

1  This  would  seem  to  have  been  an  experiment,  and  the  result  would  doubt- 
less be  watched  with  interest,  to  see  who  succeeded  best  in  the  planting,  himself 
or  Thomas  ! — [H.  M.] 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  221 

border  against  the  street,  &  Kelsey's  Yard  ;  &  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  basons  in  ye  field. 

Novr-  2. — Planted  some  slips  from  the  perennial-sun- 
flowers in  a  nursery. 

Fine  settled  weather  for  9,  or  10  days  before  :  the  only 
good  weather  since  July. 

The  Campanulas,  &  sunflowers  lay  in  the  ware-house  in 
London,  &  were  somewhat  damaged  by  the  closeness  of 
the  Box. 

6. — Sowed  two  more  patches  of  ye  la^st  year's  persicaria- 
seed  under  the  melon-hedge.  One  plant  of  the  last  sowing 
came-up  very  strong. 

n. — Most  uncommon  frost  for  one  night,  &  considering 
the  season  of  the  Year :  Ice  near  an  inch  thick  &  the  dirt 
hard  enough  to  bear  an  Horse. 

6. — Planted  12  cuttings  of  Tamarisk  sent  down  from 
London  with  the  Peren1-  Sunflowers,  &c. 

24. — Turn'dthe  Horse-path  at  the  Bottom  of  the  Baker's- 
Hill,  &  continu'd-out  the  Quincunx-basons,  and  prepar'd 
them  for  shrubs. 

25. — Staked  &  tyed  the  Quincunx  of  Firs  that  were 
much  loosen'd  by  the  late  violent  rains,  &  winds. 

Decemr-  i. — Earth'd-up  the  Artichoke  -  beds  for  the 
winter. 

Eleven  evergreen-oaks  alive  down  Baker's-Hill. 

Decent"-  27. — Finished  two  large  three  -  light  Melon- 
frames,  each  ten  feet  &  an  half  long,  &  five  wide  in  the  clear  ; 
&  containing  97  feet  of  Glass  in  ye  lights,  &  an  half  foot. 

A  terrible  winter  for  Earthquakes,  Inundations,  Tem- 
pests, and  continued  Rains.  No  frost  worth  mentioning 
except  on  the  iith  and  12th  of  Novemr- 


Garden-Kalendar  for  ye  Year  1756 

Jan.  23. — Made  an  hot-bed  on  the  dung-hill  in  the  Yard, 
with  Mr-  Johnson's  frame,  for  white-mustard,  &  cress. 

30. — Earthed-up  the  backward  Celeri. 

31. — Planted  two  Cuttings  from  the  weeping-willow  in 
the  New-Garden. 

Feb.  14. — Planted  200  of  Cabbage-plants  in  ye  field- 
Garden. 

14. — Made  a  Melonry  in  the  Field-Garden  45  feet  long, 
&  lin'd  it  at  ye  back  very  warm,  &  secure  with  some 
damaged  rushes  of  John  Berriman's :  lin'd  ye  two  side- 
screens  in  the  same  manner ;  &  in  particular  that  towards 
ye  Cucumber-bed,  that  it's  Farina  might  not  mix  with  ye 
melons. 

Mem. — The  winter-Coss-lettuce,  which  stood  very  safe 
under  frames  during  the  severe  dry  frosty  winter  1754  : 
are  this  winter  rotted  by  dampness,  tho'  there  have  been 
no  frosts  at  all  to  touch  y"1- 

Feb.  1 8. — Snowed  very  hard  from  morning  to  night : 
by  ye  evening  the  snow  lay  14  inches  deep  on  plain 
Ground ;  &  lodged  so  heavy  on  the  Hedges  that  it  broke 
ym  down  in  several  places ;  &  weighed  all  the  shrubs  flat 
to  the  Ground.  Went  off  with  a  gentle  thaw  without  any 
rain. 

23. — Cast  eight  of  our  little  Cart-loads  of  hot  dung  in 
the  field-garden  for  ye  melon  seed-bed. 

24. — Sowed  quarf-  of  a  pound  of  spinage  in  the  field- 
garden. 

25. — Planted  six  rows  of  large  Winsor-beans  in  ye  field- 
Garden  :  six  rows  of  marrow-fat-pease  in  Turner's  Garden. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  223 

27. — Planted  a  row,  and  a  half  more  of  broad-beans. 

28. — Made  the  Melon-seedling-Hot-bed  with  the  whole 
eight  loads  of  dung  except  a  little  for  the  Celeri.  Weather 
very  fine,  &  the  Ground  in  good  dry  order. 

Made  a  Celeri-Hot-bed  for  an  hand  glass,  &  sowed  the 
Celeri-seed. 

Planted  some  lilac-suckers  from  Bradley  in  Turner's  ; 
&  some  Cuttings  of  the  parsley,  &  Mountain-Elder.  Planted 
a  large  lilac-sucker  in  a  field-bason. 

March  i. — Sowed  ten  pots  of  Mr-  Hunter's  red-seeded 
Cantaleupes  1752  :  &  two  pots  of  Mr-  Hunter's  white-seeded 
Cantaleupes  1754. 

Sowed  a  pot  of  early  prickly  Cucumbers.  Fine  weather  ; 
&  bed  heats  well. 

Sprinkled  the  bed  with  quick-lime  to  kill  the  small 
snails,  &  grubs. 

2. — Raised  the  fence  of  the  Cucumber-Ground  equal 
with  that  of  the  Melon-Ground,  &  lined  it  with  pease- 
haulm  :  so  the  two  fences  screen  the  whole  North-end  of 
the  field-garden  the  length  of  70  feet. 

6. — Removed  the  two  Larches  from  the  Ewel-Close 
where  one  had  been  damaged  by  the  Horses,  into  the 
Basons  in  Baker's  Hill.  Cucumbers  began  to  appear. 

Removed  one  of  the  Laburnums  into  a  gap  in  the 
orchard-hedge.  Planted  some  layers  of  Jasmine  in  Turner's 
Garden. 

7. — The  Melon-plants  began  to  appear. 

8. — Sowed  12  basons  in  the  field  with  double  Larkspur- 
seed.  One  ounce  will  sow  8  basons  very  thick. 

March  8. — Sprinkled  more  quick-lime  round  the  young 
Melon-plants. 

9. — Sowed  a  box  of  Polyanth-seed  :  cleansed  the  moss 
&  filth  from  off  the  Acacia-pots,  &  sifted  on  a  little  fine 
earth.  Sifted  a  little  fine  earth  over  the  seedling  Cedars 
of  Lib  :  &  pines  in  the  boxes. 

10. — Sowed  a  Crop  of  Carrots  in  the  New-Garden,  & 
mixed  with  it  some  radishes,  onions,  &  coss-lettuce  both 
green,  &  white. 


224    NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

ii. — Sowed  one  pot  of  Mr-  Hunter's  White-seeded 
Cantaleupes  1752. 

Forked  the  Asparagus-beds  ;  &  raked  ym  for  ye  first  time. 

Made  a  rod-hedge  round  the  Quincunx  of  firs.  Very 
dry  March-like  weather  :  no  rain  since  the  great  snow 
Feb.  1 8. 

13. — Hot,  sunny  days,  &  fierce  frosts  at  night.   Thick  Ice. 

15. — Brought  a  four-wheel'd  post-chaise  to  ye  Door  at 
that  early  time  of  Year.1 

1 6. — Cast  15  good  Dung-carts  of  hot  dung  for  the 
melon  bed  :  9  of  our  own  dung,  and  6  of  Farmer  Parsons's. 
The  Ground  as  dry  as  at  Midsumr- 

March  17. — Sowed  an  ounce  of  onion  seed  in  y6  New- 
Garden.  Transplanted  the  Cucumber-plants  from  the  pot, 
to  the  full  Ground  in  the  frame.  Planted  some  very  large 
potatoes  from  Swarraton  in  Turner's  Garden.  The  Ground 
was  double-trench'd  in  the  winter  ;  &  some  rotten  dung, 
&  old  thatch  were  dug-in  at  planting. 

1 8. — Sowed  two  pots  of  Arbutus-seed,  &  one  pot  of 
Magnolia-seed,  &  plunged  them  in  the  Hot-bed. 

19. — Snowed  hard  almost  all  day.  Several  of  ye  Melon- 
plants  go-off  with  a  mouldiness  that  spreads  on  the  leaves. 

20. — Received  a  large  Cargo  of  Shrubs,  &  flower-roots 
from  Brothr-  Thomas  in  London. 

22. — Planted  in  the  Basons  in  the  field,  a  Moss-provence, 
&  some  damask,  Monday,  &  red  roses  ;  Spirce  frutex  ;  blue, 
&  white  lilacs  ;  Syringa  ;  early  golden-rod  ;  sumach  ;  Althaea 
frutex  ;  guelder-rose  ;  coccigrya  ;  female  dogwood  ;  double 
flowering-thorn,  &  Persian  Jasmine. 

In  the  New-Garden  forward-honey-suckle ;  Lavender- 
cotton  ;  golden-sage ;  double  &  single  Lychnis ;  blue,  & 
white  Campanulas  ;  catchflies  ;  blue,  &  peach-bloom  Mich  : 
daises ;  striped  bulbous  Iris ;  ribbon-grass ;  double,  & 
variegated  perriwinkle  :  &  fruit-bearing  Passion-flower  near 
the  brew-house-door. 

1  Gilbert's  surprise  is  natural,  when  it  is  remembered  that  the  roads  were 
often  impassable  in  winter  round  Selborne.  He,  it  will  be  noted,  almost 
invariably  rode  on  horseback  in  the  winter. — [H.  M.j 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  225 

Snowy  frosty,  untoward  weather  for  planting.  Four 
new  hand-glasses  fm  Alton. 

March  23. — Back'd-up  the  seedling-bed,  which  began  to 
lose  almost  all  its  heat,  with  seven  barrows  of  hot  dung. 

Drew  a  parcel  of  the  cast-dung  from  the  side  of  the 
heap,  &  made  an  Hot-bed  for  an  Hand-glass  :  sowed  three 
pots  with  yellow,  &  white-seeded  Cantaleupes  1752  :  & 
several  cucumber-seeds  round  the  pots  for  the  ridge-hand- 
glasses. The  first  Melon-plants  continue  to  go-off  with 
mouldiness.  Danger  of  a  scarcity  of  plants  for  the  frames. 
The  Cucumbr-  plants  in  the  same  frames  very  healthy. 
Storms  of  Hail,  &  rain  all  day. 

24. — Hard  frost,  &  thick  Ice. 

March  27. — Frost  so  fierce  that  it  damaged  the  flowers, 
and  shrubs  very  much  :  Ice  near  an  Inch  thick :  heavy 
snow  all  the  morning. 

29. — Dress'd  the  Rasberry-bed. 

31. — Planted  four  limes1  in  the  Butcher's  Yard,  to  hide 
the  sight  of  Blood,  &  filth  from  ye  Windows. 

April  2. — Planted  out  of  their  winter-box  a  bed  of 
Cauliflower-plants.  Sowed  two  pots  of  Larch-seed ;  two 
pots  of  China-Arbor- Vitae  ;  &  a  pot  of  Arbor-Judae-seed. 

3. — Made  my  great  ten-light  melon-bed  with  fifteen 
dung-carts  of  hot-dung.  Laid  an  Hillock  of  Dorton-earth 
in  the  middle  of  each  light ;  &  cover'd  the  whole  bed  about 
two  inches  thick  with  earth.  The  earth  wet  &  cloddy,  & 
not  in  condition  for  the  purpose.  Supply'd  the  Artichoke- 
bed  (which  had  lost  most  of  its  plants)  with  very  good  slips 
from  Dr-  Bristow's. 

5. — Sowed  a  large  Quantity  of  Holy-oak-seed,  with  some 
radishes  for  the  bugs ;  crop  of  parsneps  ;  crop  of  Leeks  ; 
row  of  parsley  :  Row  of  Larch,  &  Judas-tree-seed  in  the 
common-ground :  four  rows  of  Evergreen-oak-acrons ; 
plot  of  Tree  mallow,  &  curled  mallow ;  some  Honesty- 

1  Three  trees  are  still  there,  facing  "  The  Wakes."  Mr.  Maxwell  can  re- 
member the  fourth,  but  it  was  removed  when  the  yard  on  the  north-east 
side  of  the  Butcher's  Shop  was  built.  These  limes  are  now  146  years  old. 
— [R.  B.  S.] 

2  F 


226     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

seed ;  Date-stones ;  crop  of  red-beet ;  &  some  cress,  & 
white  mustard. 

April  6. — Made  a  Cucumber-bed  for  three  Hand-glasses 
with  two  dung-carts  of  Parsons's  Dung.  The  trench  16 
feet  long,  two  &  an  half  broad,  &  one  &  half  deep  :  the 
dung  did  not  reach  to  the  level  of  the  Ground  by  some 
Inches. 

Made  a  slight  Hot-bed  for  hardy  annuals  with  seven 
barrows  of  dung  :  laid  fine  earth  over  it  five  inches 
deep. 

Sowed  the  border  against  Parsons's  Yard  with  Sun- 
flowers, Lady-pease,  Venetian-mallow,  Nasturtium,  Lark- 
spurs, Candytuft. 

10. — Sowed  in  the  annual  Bed  Sunflowers,  African 
Marrigolds,  Orange-Gourds,  Double-China  Aster,  Marvel  of 
Peru,  Celeriac. 

10. — Turn'd-out  eight  pots  of  Yellow-seeded  Cantaleupes, 
&  two  of  white  into  my  ten  great  Lights.  The  white-seeded 
under  the  tiled  lights.  One  pretty  good  plant  under  each 
light.  The  bed  but  in  indifferent  condition  by  reason  of 
the  continual  rains,  &  black  cloudy  weather. 

April  10. — Sowed  some  Yellow-seeded,  &  white-seeded 
Cantaleupes  in  the  old  seed- Bed,  for  fear  some  plants  in 
the  lights  should  miscarry  :  some  Romania-melon-seeds  in 
D°-  for  ye  Hand-glass-ridge. 

Mem. — Those  melon-plants  that  were  once  seized  with 
a  mouldiness  constantly  dy'd  away  by  degrees,  'till  they 
were  quite  devour'd  by  it ;  except  those  plants  on  which 
I  tryed  the  experiment  of  clipping-off  the  infected  part  with 
a  pair  of  scissors  :  when  they  recover' d,  &  afterwards  grew 
pretty  well.  The  only  method  I  can  find  of  preventing  the 
earth  from  falling  from  the  melon-plants  in  turning  them 
out  of  their  pots,  is  by  plastering-down  a  cake  of  wet  Clay, 
over  the  mouth  of  the  pots.  Those  pots  turn-out  best  that 
have  two  or  three  plants  ;  because  there  are  more  roots 
to  hold  the  earth  together.  No  snail  ever  comes  a  near  a 
place  well  sprinkled  with  quick-lime,  especially  in  a  frame 
where  the  wet  is  kept-off.  And  what  is  very  strange, 


*   f 


•! 


• 

"-  '     "'  • 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  227 

quick  lime,  tho'  plentifully   shaken   upon  them,  will  not 
injure  the  youngest,  or  tenderest  plant. 

April  1 2. — Sowed  plot  of  Savoy-seed,  very  good  sort ;  & 
plot  of  Borecole  *  red,  &  green  :  some  Pendulous  Amaranth 
in  Annual  Bed.  Planted  quarf-  of  Hund  :  of  laurels  against 
the  street  in  the  new-Garden  to  thicken  ye  screen  ;  &  down 
Baker's-hill,  where  the  turkeys  had  destroyed  them. 

13. — Planted  some  Laurestines  down  Baker's  -  Hill, 
where  the  Laurels  were  dead.  Constant  heavy  rains  day, 
&  night. 

Six  rows  of  Marrowfats  in  Turner's  Card11-  This  April 
thro'  a  most  surprizing  season  for  wet,  &  frost.  The  2Oth 
was  a  vast  rain  :  but  on  the  26th  it  rain'd  for  22  Hours 
without  ceasing,  &  brought  on  such  a  vast  flood  as  has 
seldom  been  seen  ;  the  meadows  round  Oxon  being  entirely 
cover'd  a  great  depth. 

May  i. — Received  from  Brothr-  Thomas  an  Arbutus, 
common  Cypress,  Portugal-Laurel,  Cluster-pine,  Silver-fir, 
Swedish  -  Juniper,  Evergreen  Cytisus,  Passion  -  flower,  & 
some  small  evergreen  Creepers.  Fine  plahts,  &  most  of 
them  turn'd  out  of  pots  &  sent  down  with  all  their  earth 
about  ym-  My  ten  -  light  Cantaleupe-bed  so  flooded  by 
those  vast  rains  that  all  the  plants  are  dead. 

Planted  ye  evergreens  in  the  basons  in  the  field. 

May  4. — Heavy  storms  of  snow,  &  thunder. 

5. — Frost  so  hard  that  the  dirt  carryed. 

6. — Broke-up  my  ten-light  Cantaleupe-bed,  &  work'd  it 
up  with  five  dung-carts  more  of  hot-dung.  Sensible  heat 
remaining  in  the  bed,  tho'  it  had  been  so  flooded.  Put 
earth  into  the  boxes,  in  good  dry  order.  Soft  mild 
shower. 

7:8:  9. — Very  wet  season. 

10. — Planted  my  ten-light  melon-bed  a  second  time 
with  Waverley-Cantaleupe,  &  Romania-melons.  Bed  in 
fine  order  for  Heat. 

Planted-out  the  seedling  Cedar  of  Libanus  in  a 
penny-pot. 

1  See  antea,  p.  219,  "  Boorcole."— [R.  B.  S.] 


228     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Four  lights  of  Cantaleupes,  &  six  of  Romagna-Melons. 

May  ii. — Violent  rain,  snow,  &  hail  :  Ice  in  the  night. 

12. — Made  a  ridge  for  five  hand  glasses,  with  four  dung- 
carts  of  dung. 

Received  from  Kensington  one  Holly-leav'd  Oak,  one 
Olive-leav'd  D°-',  one  red  Cedar  of  Virginia,  one  White  D°-- 
one  Spanish-Evergreen  Creeper,  one  Balm  of  Gilead-fir, 
two  Weymouth-pines,  one  Acacia-leaved-Cypress.  All 
nicely  pack'd  with  a  deal  of  earth  about  their  roots ;  & 
about  a  foot  &  half  high. 

From  Williamson  Nursery-man  at  Kensington. 

14.  —  Sowed  some  common  green,  &  white- Dutch 
Cucumber-seeds  under  an  Hand-Glass. 

Set  up  my  first  Oil-Jar  Vase  at  the  bottom  of  the  Ewel- 
Close  with  a  pannel  only  in  front  :  Mount,  pedestal,  &  Vase 
nine  feet  high.  Dripping  season  still. 

May  15. — No  one  Day  so  much  as  spring-like  before  : 
now  absolute  Summer. 

Sowed  a  crop  of  Green-Coss-lettuce  among  the  New- 
planted  Artichokes. 

Planted  three  of  the  Hand-glasses  with  Cucumber  plants, 
three  plants  in  a  Glass. 

May  17.  —  Pricked-out  the  seedling  Weymouth,  & 
Cluster-pines  in  the  New-Garden. 

Prick'd-out  a  plot  of  Celeri  in  Turner's. 

18. — Planted  300  &  quart1"-  of  Cabbage-plants  in  the 
field-Garden.  Very  hot  sunshine  with  a  cold  East-wind. 

19. — Set-up  my  second  Oil-jar  vase  at  the  top  of  the 
broad  walk,  with  a  face  to  the  cross-walk.  Mount,  pedestal, 
&  Jar  some  inches  above  nine  feet  high. 

19. — Pinch'd  my  melons  to  make  them  throw-out 
runners  :  the  melons  for  want  of  having  been  in  pots,  a 
long  while  in  taking  to  ye  Ground. 

20. — Planted  six  rows  of  large  white  Dutch  Kidney- 
beans  as  long  as  ye  Spinage  will  permit. 

May  24. — Earth'd-up  the  melon-hillocks  for  ye  first 
time  with  Dorton-mould.  Mould  in  fine  order. 

28. — Bright  sunshine,  &  smart  frosts  for  this  fortnight 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  229 

past,  with  a  cutting  East- Wind  most  part  of  the  time  :  now 
a  small  shower. 

Ground  strangely  bound,  &  parched.  Cucumbers  begin 
to  set. 

31. — Cut  the  first  Cucumber  :  3  more  almost  grown  on 
the  same  plant.  Planted  all  the  Hand-glasses  with  Cucum- 
ber-plants, white,  &  green.  Planted  some  basons  in  the 
field  with  Sunflowers.  Bright,  settled  dry  weather ;  the 
Ground  bound  as  hard  as  a  stone. 

June  i. — Five  of  the  melon-plants  have  runners  with 
two  Joints. 

3. — Pinched  the  forwardest  of  the  melons  at  the  third 
Joint :  &  pinch'd-off  all  the  small  buds  about  their  stems. 
Best  Cantaleupe  knit  for  bloom. 

7. — Three  weeks  &  three  days  drought,  except  a  shower 
once  for  a  few  minutes.  Now  moderate  showers. 

June  10. — Earth'd  Melons  second  time  with  Dorton- 
earth  :  second  runners  show  second  Joint.  The  Glazier 
cemented  the  large  lights,  which  drip  wretchedly  :  mended 
but  not  cured.  Frequent  Showers. 

16. — Prick' d-out  five  Hund  :  of  Savoys  ;  &  175  of  Bore- 
cole. Length'ned  -  out  rows  of  French  -  beans.  Melons 
throw-out  plenty  of  fruit ;  male-bloom  full  blown.  Hot, 
dripping  weather,  which  makes  the  melons  grow  wonder- 
fully. Prick'd-out  more  Celeri. 

19. — Lined-out  the  melon-bed  with  8  dung -carts  of 
Dung  ;  &  laid-on  the  full  thickness  of  earth  without,  & 
within  the  frames.  Earth'd  the  frames  twice  with  Dorton- 
mould,  &  the  last  time  with  common  Garden-mould. 

27. — Gathered  Mazagan  Beans. 

Several  melons  set. 

Sowed  Crop  of  Endive. 

July  24. — Full  twenty  Brace  of  Melons,  most  of  them 
well-grown  :  the  plants  in  great  vigour. 

July  26. — Planted -out  Crop  of  Endive  in  the  field- 
Garden. 

27. — Planted-out  first  plot  of  Savoys. 

29. — Planted-out  Borecole,  &  rest  of  Savoys. 


230     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Aug**-  2. — Cut  first  Melon,  a  Romania  :  very  early,  con- 
sidering the  first  bed  was  destroy'd. 

3. — Cut  brace  &  half  more  of  Romania  :  turn'd,  &  tiled 
the  rest,  which  was  much  wanting.  Cut  70  Cucumbers. 

Aug:  4. — Trenched-out  8  rows  of  Celeri :  planted  some 
of  the  Borders  in  the  New-Garden  with  Polyanths  of  my 
own  raising. 

Cut  four  brace  &  half  of  Melons  this  week. 

15. — Had  cut  eleven  brace  of  Romania-Melons  :  one 
from  the  plant  that  was  put  a  seed  into  one  of  the  great 
frames  on  May  ye  10. 

18. — Planted  six  pots  with  Cuttings  of  Geraniums. 
Mushroom-bed  bears  pretty  well  at  one  end. 

Aug:  1 8. — Sowed  Crop  of  Turneps  in  the  Quincunx,  & 
among  the  Savoys. 

21. — Sowed  half  pound  of  spinage  ;  &  with  it  turnep- 
radish  seed ;  &  brown  dutch,  &  green-Capuchin-Lettuce 
to  stand  the  Winter. 

22. — Cut  the  first  Cantaleupe,  a  very  small  one  :  it  was 
almost  cleft  in  two  :  was  high-flavour'd,  &  vastly  superior 
to  any  of  the  Romanias.  This  melon  set  the  first  of  any ; 
&  was  full  8  weeks  in  ripening.  The  plant  on  which  this 
grew  was  one  of  the  first  crop,  the  only  one  that  survived  ; 
&  was  moved  in  a  careless  manner  back  into  the  seedling- 
bed  ;  &  brought  back  again  when  the  bed  was  new- 
worked-up. 

Constant  heavy  rains  for  a  week  :  the  wheat  that  is 
down  begins  to  grow. 

24. — Cut  second  Cantaleupe,  the  largest  in  ye  Boxes ; 
weigh'd  3  pds-  7  oun  :  sent  it  to  London  to  Brothr-  Tom. 
Turn'd  colour  before  it  began  to  smell,  which  is  unusual. 

Aug:  25. — Planted-out  Holy-oaks  in  the  New-Garden 
next  the  street ;  &  among  the  limes  in  the  Butcher's 
Yard. 

26  :  27  :  28. — Cut  a  brace  &  half  of  Mr-  Hunter's  Canta- 
leupes  :  a  brace  were  not  much  embossed  on  their  Rind, 
&  not  so  high  flavoured  as  might  be  expected  :  the  other 
was  very  rough,  very  firm  fleshed,  high  flavoured,  &  very 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  231 

weighty  for  its  size.  N  :  B  :  All  the  Cantaleupes  yet  have 
chang'd  colour,  &  smelt  without  cracking  at  the  Stalk. 

28 — True  fine  Harvest-weather.  Wheat  much  grown 
about  the  Country  ;  some  grew  as  it  stood. 

29. — Cut  one  Waverly,  &  one  Miller's  Cantaleupe  :  sent 
the  Waverly  one  to  Bradley. 

Miller's  tho'  it  promised  well  was  very  abominable ; 
being  about  an  Inch  thick  in  Rind,  without  any  flesh  or 
flavour.  The  rind  was  finely  emboss'd,  &  the  shape  Com- 
pressed like  a  Turnep.  Brought  the  only  flowering  Pyram  : 
Campan.  into  the  parlour  :  it  produced  only  a  single  stalk. 

Septemr-  2. — Tyed  up  30  Endives  :  first  tying. 

7. — French-beans  so  backward  that  not  above  three 
boilings  have  been  gathered  yet. 

ii. — Cut  the  other  Miller's  Cantaleupe  :  turn'd  out  as 
execrable  as  the  former. 

16. — Brought  a  large  Cantaleupe  from  Waverley,  weight 
3  pds-  9  oun.  :  turn'd-out  very  high-flavour' d,  &  curious  : 
saved  the  seed. 

25. — Planted  300  laurel-Cuttings  in  Turner's. 

Octobr-  3. — Cut  brace  &  half  of  Romania-Melons,  good 
for  latter  Crop. 

Octobr-  9. — Set  nine  Hyacinths,  given  me  by  Mr-  Trinley, 
to  blow  in  Glasses  in  ye  parlour. 

25. — Cut  last  melon  :  the  4ist- 

Novemr-  9. — Planted  ten  rows  &  half  of  Mazagan-beans 
in  the  field-garden. 

One  Quart  of  true  small  mazagan-beans  will  plant  eleven 
good  rows. 

9:  10  :  ii  :  12. — Extream  hard  frost,  &  bearing  Ice. 
From  the  i8th-  to  ye  25  :  uncommon  fierce  frost,  &  some 
snow. 


Garden-Kalendar  for  the  Year  1757 

Jan.  Ist — Planted  a  row  of  Tulips,  &  Ranunculus's, 
given  me  by  my  Brothr-  Thomas,  in  the  Border  in  the 
New-Garden  next  the  street.  Dug-out  the  soil,  &  filled  the 
trench  with  earth  well-mixed  with  lime-rubbish. 

3. — Planted  the  Fir-Quincunx  with  five  rows  of  Winsor- 
beans  :  dunged  the  ground,  that  was  very  poor,  with  ten 
wheel-barrows  of  very  rotten  dung.  After  the  beans  the 
ground  to  be  trench'd  with  Celeri. 

Levelled,  &  widen'd  the  Area  of  ye  Melon-Ground ; 
having  made  an  underground  Drain  to  prevent  its  being 
flooded  any  more. 

4. — A  most  extraordinary  dry  season  for  wheeling-out 
the  dung  of  the  old  Hot-beds  ;  &  for  trenching  the  ground 
for  Crops. 

On  the  2nd-  began  a  frost,  which  on  ye  3rd-  &  4th-  by 
means  of  a  strong  East  wind  became  very  severe,  so  as  to 
freeze-up  all  the  pools  &  ponds  :  the  ground,  which  had 
been  quite  drained  before  by  a  fortnight's  dry  weather, 
look'd  white  &  dusty,  &  was  not  the  least  relaxed  or  greasy 
at  noon  for  many  days  together.  On  the  ioth-  came  a 
thaw,  &  a  little  snow.  The  Laurustines,  &  other  tender 
Evergreens  began  to  suffer,  a  little  especially  on  the  severe 
windy  days.  Froze-up  again,  lasted  (tho'  there  were 
frequent  hasty  showers)  without  the  frost  ever  being  out 
of  the  Ground  till  Feb.  6th-  Great  Quantities  of  snow  fell, 
which  being  half  melted  by  the  rain  made  the  country 
slippery  to  a  strange  degree.  The  frost  penetrated  deep 
into  the  ground,  &  seems  to  have  been  the  severest  since 
that  in  1740.  Seems  to  have  done  no  material  damage  to 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  233 

vegetation ;  but  has  made  the  Ground  very  light,  & 
mellow. 

Feb.  10. — Sowed  half  a  pound  of  spinage  in  the  field- 
Garden,  with  some  Browndutch,  &  Capuchin-lettuce ; 
some  common,  &  white-turnep  Radishes. 

ii. — Several  of  the  Hyancinths  are  tall,  &  just  ready 
to  blow. 

12. — Planted  six  rows  of  Hotspur-pease,  &  two  of 
Marrowfats  in  the  field-Garden. 

Summer-like  weather  :  the  ground  by  means  of  the 
frost  perfectly  mellow.  Sowed  a  crop  of  parsely  in  the 
New  Garden. 

17. — Made  an  Hot-bed  in  the  Yard  with  16  wheel- 
barrows of  dung,  only  to  raise  ye  Cucumber-plants,  & 
a  little  Cress,  &  white-mustard.  To  be  taken  away,  & 
work'd  up  in  a  future  Bed. 

Feb.  1 8. — One  of  the  Sunbury  Jacinths  (ye  only  one, 
not  decay'd)  in  full  bloom.  Those  from  Mr>  Budd  drawn- 
up  very  tall  but  not  blown. 

19. — Sowed  some  early  Cucumber-seeds  under  one  of 
the  Hand-glasses. 

21. — Planted  100  of  Cabbages  in  Turner's  :  sowed  hand- 
glasses in  the  Yard  with  Cress,  &  white-mustard. 

24. — Carryed  eight  of  our  little  Cart-loads  of  dung  into 
the  field-garden  for  a  seedling  melon-bed. 

28. — Made  a  very  stout  hot-bed  above  three  feet  thick 
for  the  melon-seeds,  &  to  forward  the  Cucumber-plants, 
with  8  Cart-loads  of  dung.  Saved  about  two  barrows  of 
dung,  &  made  a  Celeri-bed  for  one  Handglass. 

March  2. — Sowed  the  new  Hot-bed  with  Yellow-seeded 
Waverley  Cantaleupe  1752  :  &  White-seeded  Waverly  D°- 
1752  &  1754  '•  with  Dutch  Cantaleupe  (never  sowed  in 
England)  1754  :  &  with  John  Bosworth's  Zatta-melon  from 
Florence  1754.  Sowed  also  a  few  early  Cucumber-seeds 
for  fear  the  plants  should  fail. 

Sowed  a  small  Hand-glass  Hot-bed  with  Celeri,  &  Cele- 
riac.  Dressed  Rasp-bed  :  &  hoed  beans  :  but  a  thin  Crop. 

4. — Sowed  14  basons  in  the  field  with  double  upright 

2  G 


234     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

larkspur-seed  ;  &  bush'd  them  well.  Sunk  a  wine-Hog's 
head  in  the  field-garden  for  a  well. 

5. — Sowed  some  Asparagus-seed  to  mend  the  beds  that 
are  decaying. 

Very  dry  weather,  &  severe  frost. 

8. — The  seedling- melon -bed,  tho'  made  so  strong, 
would  not  come  to  any  Heat :  so  I  cut  away  the  bed 
sloping-in  on  every  side,  &  lined  it  very  thick  with  four 
little  cart-loads  of  dung  just  fresh  from  the  stable. 

March  n. — Bed  begins  to  heat  very  well :  prick'd  the 
cucumbers  from  under  the  Hand-glass  into  it.  Melons 
not  yet  come  up.  Lost  about  a  week  in  the  forwarding 
the  Cucumber-plants  by  the  bed's  not  heating.  Sowed  the 
Hand-glasses  in  the  Yard  with  more  Cress,  &  Mustard. 
That  little  bed  keeps  its  heat  well  still. 

14. — Sowed  22  Mazagan-beans,  all  worm-eaten  to  try 
if  the  rest  will  be  fit  to  plant  next  Year. 

Tyed  the  melon-bed,  that  crack'd  &  was  like  to  bulge- 
out,  with  a  strong  cord,  that  seems  to  secure  it. 

Made  a  melon  paper-House  8  feet  long,  &  5  feet  wide  : 
to  be  covered  with  the  best  writing-paper. 

Planted  two  seedling  white-Elders  in  the  little  mead. 

17. — Supplyed  the  basons  where  the  shrubs  were  dead, 
with  new  ones. 

Melon-plants  come-up  very  fast. 

1 8. — Planted  a  weeping- willow,  a  fine  plant,  one  Year 
from  a  Cutting,  in  one  of  the  basons  in  the  field  :  planted 
a  black- Virginian-Mountain-Elder  in  the  little  mead. 

19. — Sowed  20  more  Yellow  Cantaleupe-seeds,  Selborn 
1755  :  to  supply  the  room  of  any  plants  that  may  fail. 

Sowed  9  basons  in  the  border  next  Parson's  Yard  with 
double  Larkspurs.  Some  of  the  forward  Cucumber-plants 
show  a  rough  leaf. 

21. — Sowed  Crop  of  Carrots,  White  &  Green  Coss- 
Lettuce,  &  common  radishes  in  Turner's  Garden.  Headed- 
down  the  limes  in  the  Butcher's  Yard ;  &  took  several 
Cuttings  from  the  Weeping-willow  &  planted  them  in  the 
Nursery. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  235 

March  22. — Sowed  the  Clover  in  the  wheat ;  &  mixed 
with  it  the  white-Dutch-Clover  that  had  been  in  the  House 
two  or  three  Years. 

Sowed  40  of  the  Murdoch  Myddleton's  white-Cucumber- 
seeds  in  the  seedling-bed.  Bed  heats  very  well. 

23. — Raked,  &  weeded  the  Asparagus-beds. 

24. — Sowed  20  seeds  of  prickly  Cucumbers  just  come 
from  London. 

26. — Cast  six  loads  (dung-carts)  of  hot  dung  in  the  field- 
garden  for  the  cucumber-bed.  Planted  Quart1"-  of  Hund  : 
of  Cauliflowers  in  a  well-dung'd  plot  in  the  field-Garden  : 
from  Preedy  at  Farnham. 

March  28. — Made  a  very  stout  Cucumber-bed  five  feet 
wide,  two  feet  &  half  deep,  &  thirteen  feet  long  for  three 
lights,  with  the  six  loads  of  Dung  :  cut  very  deep  holes 
in  the  middle  of  each  light,  &  rais'd  a  hillock  of  fine  earth 
to  receive  the  plants :  cut  also  a  trench  at  the  back  of  the 
frames,  &  plunged  12  pots  to  the  brims  to  receive  the 
melon-plants. 

Sowed  nine  more  basons  of  double-upright  Larkspurs 
in  the  border  in  the  new-Garden  against  the  street. 

31. — Planted  the  plants  of  Cucumbers  in  the  new  bed, 
three  in  an  Hole  :  they  show  each  four  leaves ;  but  have 
not  grown  much  for  some  days  past. 

Bed  gives  a  very  strong  Heat. 

Planted  a  Quart  of  marrot-fat-pease  in  three  rows  in 
the  field-Garden. 

April  i. — Planted-out  twelve  pots  of  melons  :  five  with 
yellow-seeded  Cantaleupe  plants,  old  seed  from  Waverley, 
with  one  D°-  new  seed  of  my  own  saving  in  the  same  pot : 
three  with  new  Yellow  D°-  three  with  White-seeded  Canta- 
leupes,  old  seed  from  Waverley  :  &  one  pot  with  Dutch- 
Cantaleupe  from  Holland,  never  sowed  in  England.  Left 
six  Selborn  Cantaleupes,  &  two  Zatta-plants  in  the  seedling 
bed. 

Mem. — To  soak  the  earth  well  beforehand  with  water, 
or  else  the  fine  earth  is  very  apt  to  crumble  away,  &  leave 
the  roots  naked  in  moving. 


236    NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

2. — Sowed  two  or  three  white  Cantaleupe-seeds  in  each 
of  the  pots  that  contain  the  white  Cantaleupe  plants. 

Sowed  a  good  Quantity  of  the  old  green  Cucumber 
seeds ;  &  D°-  of  Middleton's  White  D°-  in  the  one-light 
Cucumber-frame. 

The  former  sowing  of  Middleton's  white  Cucumber- 
seed,  &  of  the  new  green  D°-  from  London  came-up 
wretchedly. 

Sad  wet,  cold  weather,  &  constant  high  winds  (some  of 
them  very  terrible,  &  mischievous  ones)  for  three  weeks  past. 

New  Cucumber-bed  heats  well ;  &  Cucumber,  &  melon- 
plants  have  struck-root  already. 

April  5. — Sowed  a  Crop  of  leeks,  beets,  parsneps,  turnep- 
radishes,  &  onions. 

Unusual  Hot  weather  this  week  :  during  which,  John, 
who  was  but  a  very  young  Gardener,  scorch'd  up,  &  suff o- , 
cated  all  his  forward  Cucumbers  :  &  drawed  his  melon- 
plants,  but  has  not  spoiled  them. 

21. — Snowed  very  hard  for  sixteen  hours  :  the  greatest 
snow  that  has  fallen  this  Year ;  &  must  have  been  a  foot 
deep  had  it  not  for  the  greatest  part  melted  as  it  fell. 
Went  away  without  any  frost,  &  seems  to  have  done  no 
damage. 

April  23d- — Made  the  melon-bed  for  the  six  large  lights, 
&  two  of  the  small  ones,  with  18  dung-carts  of  dung,  just 
30  feet  long,  &  about  two  &  half  high,  &  all  above  ground. 

25. — Dressed  the  border  against  Parsons's  &  sowed  in  it, 
Sunflowers,  Candy  tuft,  Venetian-poppy,  &  Venus  looking 
glass :  sowed  large  plot  of  savoy  seed,  plot  of  Sweet 
William-seed,  &  some  rows  of  sorrel,  &  parsley.  Sowed 
some  Celeri  on  the  melon-bed  between  the  frames ;  &  some 
white-seeded  Cantaleupes  for  the  paper-House  in  one  of 
the  large  lights. 

On  examination  it  appeared  that  the  earth  in  the 
Cucumber-bed  was  burnt  by  the  fierce  heat  of  the  bed  : 
dug  it  out  of  the  basons,  &  put  in  fresh  :  One  bason  of  the 
early  Cucumbers  will  recover,  the  other  two  must  be  new- 
planted. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  237 

My  Polyanths,  which  I  raised  from  seed  given  me  by 
Mrs  Snooke,  &  sowed  last  spring,  make  now  a  most 
beautiful  appearance  ;  many  of  them  have  large  upright 
stems,  producing  many  flowers,  which  are  large,  beautifully 
striped,  &  open  flat.  Mark'd  the  finest  blowers  with  sticks, 
intending  to  save  seed  from  them. 

April  26. — Turned-out  five  pots  of  Waverley  Yellow- 
seed  Cantaleupes,  &  one  Selborn  D°-  into  my  six  great 
Lights  :  and  only  one  pot  of  John  Bosworth's  Dutch  Canta- 
leupe  into  the  middle  of  my  two  light  frame.  All  the  pots 
were  turned-out  well  except  the  Dutch-Cantaleupe,  whose 
earth  stuck  to  the  pot,  &  pull'd-off  many  of  its  fibres. 
Sowed  Crop  of  Borecole  green  &  red  ;  &  vast  plot  of  Holy- 
oak-seed  :  &  a  row  of  tree-mallow  seed. 

April  26. — Sowed  four  rows  of  dwarf  white  Battersea- 
kidney-beans  in  the  New  Garden.  An  handful  of  beans 
left  out  of  one  pint.  Ground  in  good  dry  order. 

Supplyed  the  two  basons  of  Cucumbers  that  were  burnt, 
with  some  white,  &  green  prickly  plants. 

May  9. — Made  an  Hot-bed  for  my  melon-paper  house 
with  four  loads  of  dung  joined-on  to  the  former  bed. 

Made  hot-bed  for  seedling-annuals  with  three  barrows 
of  weeds,  &  four  of  dung. 

Early  Cucumbers  show  nothing  but  male  bloom. 
Planted  two  rows  of  large  white  Dutch-Kidney-beans. 
10. — Sowed  Annual-bed  with  African  &  French  Marri- 
golds,  Marvel  of  Peru,  Gourds,  &  double  China-Asters. 
Sowed  some  rows  of  Sunflower-seed. 
Plants  shew  some  few  Cucumbers. 

Some  of  the  melon-plants  decaying  in  their  seedling- 
leaves  :  turned-out  some  more  pots  into  the  basons.  Shall 
save  but  one  Waverly  melon-plant ;  all  the  rest  Selborn 
seed,  except  the  two  White-seeded  plants  under  the  paper, 
that  are  Waverly. 

May  12. — Sowed  an  Hand-glass  on  ye  cold  ground  with 
several  sorts  of  white  Dutch-Cucumbers ;  &  a  few  green 
prickly  Cucumrs-  Sowed  a  late  Crop  of  green,  &  white 
Coss-lettuce.  Prick' d-out  some  rows  of  Capuchin-Lettuce. 


238     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

13. — Earthed-up  the  melon-hillocks  for  ye  first  time 
with  Dorton-earth.1  The  reason  that  ye  first  melon-plants 
that  were  turned-out  did  not  succeed,  seems  to  be,  that  the 
earth  in  the  pots  was  press'd  down  too  hard,  so  that  the 
fibres  could  not  push  thro'.  Laid-on  the  hillocks  upon  the 
new-made  melon-bed ;  &  put-on  the  paper-house.  Earth'd 
the  forward  Cucumbers,  &  water'd  them  all  over. 

May  1 6. — Pinch'd,  &  turned-out  two  pots  of  white- 
seeded  Wav :  Cantaleupes  under  the  paper-house :  the 
bed  very  hot.  The  plants  strangely  rooted  for  their  age. 
One  of  the  plants  under  the  two-light-frame  has  got  a 
runner  with  two  joints. 

18. — Mended-out  the  Artichokes  that  were  decayed  with 
some  plants  from  Johnson's.  Very  hot,  sunny  weather  : 
no  rain  for  five  weeks  ;  the  ground  very  much  burnt. 

20. — Pinched  one  of  the  melon-runners  at  the  third 
Joint.  The  weather  full  fierce  for  hot-beds  under  Glass. 

May  23. — Earth'd  melon-hillocks  the  second  time  with 
garden-mould,  which  had  been  turn'd  &  prepared  on  pur- 
pose, &  is  in  excellent  order.  The  melon-plants  in  general 
weak,  &  puny  :  pinch'd  some  of  their  runners  at  the  second 
&  some  at  the  third  Joint  according  to  their  strength. 

Sowed  three  rows  more  of  large  Dutch-Kidney-beans 
in  the  field-garden  :  the  sowing  of  White  dwarf  D°-  seems 
to  be  rotten  in  the  Ground,  notwithstanding  the  great 
dryness  of  the  Ground. 

24. — Sowed  an  other  Hand-glass  with  white-Dutch- 
Cucumbers  in  the  cold  Ground. 

26. — Planted  200  of  Cabbage-plants  in  the  Field-Garden. 

27. — Earth'd-up  the  melons  under  the  paper-house  the 
first  time  :  the  plants  thriving. 

May  29. — Cut  first  Cucumber.  Several  more  set.  Fine 
soaking  shower  after  six  weeks  drought. 

June  Ist — Prick'd-out  first  bed  of  Celeri :  &  transplanted 
from  their  seedling-bed  a  large  Crop  of  leeks.  Ground 
thoro'ly  moisten'd  by  a  long  gentle  rain. 

1  "  In  these  days  we  think  the  earth  from  Selborne  Hill  is  preferable  to  that 
from  Dorton  for  gardens." — [H.  M.] 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  239 

2. — Planted-out  the  natural  Cucumbers  under  the  hand- 
glasses. Planted  some  varigated  Gourds  in  the  Corner 
near  the  Brew-house-Door.  Sowed  a  row  more  of  large 
French-beans  in  the  field-Garden. 

3. — Widened-out  the  early  Cucumber-bed  with  the  dung 
of  the  seedling-bed,  &  laid-on  a  good  depth  of  stiff  earth. 

6. — Sowed  five  rows  of  dwarf  white-kidney-beans  in 
the  new-Garden,  where  the  early  crop  fail'd.  Soak'd  the 
beans  over  night  in  water,  the  weather  &  ground  being 
extreamly  dry. 

June  7. — Tyed-up  a  few  of  the  best  Coss-Lettuce  :  a 
fine  Crop. 

Several  of  the  melons  show  bloom,  but  are  very  weak 
in  vine. 

Earth'd-up  melons  the  third  time. 

Weeded  &  thinn'd-out  Carrots  ;  a  good  Crop. 

10. — Earth'd  up  melons  the  fourth  time  :  the  boxes 
almost  full  of  earth.  Extream  dry  weather.  Melons  mend 
by  a  more  frequent  watering. 

ii. — Staked  the  Holy-oaks  in  the  Garden,  &  Butcher's 
Yard,  &  tyed  them  up. 

Water'd  melons  pretty  much  at  a  distance  from  their 
stems.  Great  drought.  Melons  shew  fruit.  They,  & 
Cucumbers  require  constant  shading  from  ye  fierce  heat. 

13. — Prick'd-out  second  Crop  of  Celeri  in  Turner's 
Garden. 

Earth'd-out  the  melon-frames  with  their  full  depth  of 
earth  ;  &  watered  them  well.  Extream  hot  weather. 
Melons  improve  every  day,  &  shew  several  fruit ;  but  are 
still  scanty  in  vine.  Those  under  the  paper-house  thrive 
well. 

June  17. — Gathered  first  pease. 

19. — The  Coss-lettuce,  that  were  tyed-up,  well-grown, 
&  finely  blanch'd. 

20. — Lined-out  the  melon-bed  with  18  Dung-Carts  of 
Dung,  &  earth'd  it  the  full  depth  within,  &  without  the 
boxes.  Bed  13  feet  wide,  &  contains  40  loads  of  Dung. 
Plants  under  the  boxes  still,  but  weak;  those  under  the 


240     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

paper-house  very  thriving.  Gentle  rain  :  the  ground  before 
burnt  to  ashes. 

21  :  22. — Prick'd-out  about  650  savoys;  &  about  230 
Bore-cole-plants. 

24. — Buried  the  stones,  &  rubbish  from  ye  Butcher's 
in  the  Yard  to  make  it  sound.  Dry,  scorching  weather. 

June  25. — Watered  melons  well :  burning  season,  & 
no  signs  of  rain.  Fruit  in  plenty  ;  but  none  set. 

27. — Earth'd  the  melon-bed  still  deeper  on  account  of 
the  extream  Heat ;  &  pull'd  the  Lights  quite  off  for  the 
whole  day,  &  covered  the  frames  with  mats.  Plants  draw 
very  long  without  any  fruit  setting. 

Cucumbers  raised  in  the  cold  ground  very  forward,  & 
thriving. 

28. — Planted  several  Basons  in  the  field  with  Sunflowers. 

30. — Sowed  a  plot  of  Endive,  &  shaded  it  with  a  mat. 

July  5. — Pull'd  up  the  two  melon-plants  in  the  two- 
light-frame,  which  had  never  showed  a  fruit  so  far  as  to 
blow ;  &  planted  in  their  room  two  Selborn  Cantaleupes 
sown  about  the  21  of  May,  just  shooting  into  runners. 
Drought  continues  ;  &  the  Garden  suffers  greatly. 

July  1 6. — Planted-out,  after  waiting  five  or  six  weeks 
for  a  shower,  the  Af :  &  French  Marigolds,  &  double- 
China-Asters,  in  the  midst  of  an  unusual  drought :  the 
Earth  quite  dust  spit-deep. 

17. — Gathered  first  natural  Cucumber  from  a  seed  put 
into  the  cold  Ground  the  12th  of  May. 

20. — Great  tempest  of  thunder  &  lightning,  &  vast 
rains  after  13  weeks  drought. 

Frequent  showers  till  the  15  of  August ;  then  sixteen 
days  wet,  &  very  bad  Harvest  weather. 

August  22. — Found  on  my  return  from  Sunbury  six 
brace  of  moderate-sized  Cantaleupes ;  &  about  the  same 
number  of  small  ones,  that  will  ripen,  if  the  season  be 
favourable.  No  fruit  would  set  till  the  rains  came,  &  the 
intense  heats  were  abated  :  &  what  did  set  was  all  on  the 
third  wood,  the  second  casting  its  fruit,  &  drawing  very 
weak. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  241 

Planted-out  in  my  absence  near  a  thousand  savoys,  & 
a  large  plot  of  Borecole ;  was  sown  a  pound  of  spinage, 
mixed  with  turnep-radishes,  &  lettuce  of  many  sorts  :  & 
trench'd  out  eight  good  rows  of  Celeri.  The  Pyram  :  Cam- 
panula in  beautiful  bloom  ;  but  has  only  two  stems. 

Aug.  29. — Planted-out  43  Holy  oak-plants  before  & 
behind  the  melon-screen,  &  in  the  border  of  the  New- 
Garden  against  the  street. 

Septemr-  17. — Tyed  up  about  25  Endives  :  they  run  very 
small  this  Year. 

1 8. — Cut  first  Cantaleupe,  a  small  fig-shap'd  one,  &  not 
thick-flesh'd.  The  leaves  of  the  plants  unusually  decayed. 

Septemr  19  :  20  :  21  :  22. — Slip'd  &  new-planted  the 
pinks  in  the  Borders  against  the  House :  dug-up  the 
Crocuss,  &  planted  them  in  double-rows  before  the  pinks  ; 
they  are  encreased  to  near  500  roots  :  slip'd  the  best  of 
the  Polyanths,  &  planted  them  in  two  rows  in  border 
against  the  broad  walk :  planted  a  border  of  seedling 
Sweet- Williams  against  Parsons's  Yard :  planted  three 
rows  of  green-Capuchin,  &  Brown-Dutch-Lettuce  the 
length  of  the  melon-ground  on  a  border  just  under  the 
rush-screen  to  stand  the  winter  :  planted  several  Basons 
in  the  field  with  Sweet-Williams  :  took-up  the  yellow-lilys 
&  a  fine  large  Martagon  under  my  Father's  window,  & 
planted  them  in  a  bason  in  the  field  :  the  two  Xiphiums 
were  encreased  to  a  great  number ;  planted  some  of  them 
in  the  Basons  round  ye  lilies ;  &  some  in  a  row  under  my 
Father's  window  :  planted  my  Tulips  in  the  same  place ; 
&  a  few  Ranunculus,  &  Fritillarias  :  planted  a  row  of 
Crocus-roots  on  each  side  as  You  go  out  of  the  new 
Garden. 

Septenf-  27. — Put  nine  Hyacinths  to  blow  in  the  Glasses 
over  the  Chimney.  They  were  given  me  by  Mr-  Trinley 
&  brought  me  by  Mre-  Mulso. 

28. — Planted  a  row  of  Sweet  Williams,  &  a  row  of 
Polyanths  under  the  back  of  the  melon-screen  :  some 
Polyanths  along  the  dark  walk  in  the  orchard. 

Delicate  Autumn-weather,  &  no  rain  for  more  than  a 

2  H 


242     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

month.  Roads  perfectly  dry,  Cantaleupes  come-in  apace  : 
very  high-flavoured,  but  small ;  as  they  were  all  on  the 
third  wood.  The  white-seeded  sort  very  good. 

Oclobr-  i  :  2. — Cut  two  very  high-flavoured  Cantaleupes, 
both  under  two  pds-  in  weight.  They  were  very  weighty 
for  their  size  ;  &  their  coats  very  black,  &  embossed.  Sent 
them  to  Lord  Keeper. 

ii. — Tyed-up  second  tying  of  Endives  with  red  yarn. 
Earth'd-up  three  rows  of  Celeri  quite  to  the  top. 

Cut  three  Brace  of  Cantaleupes  for  Mangoes,  that  were 
too  backward  to  ripen.  Left  two  brace  &  half  that  may 
ripen  tolerably  well,  if  the  season  favours. 

Octobr-  1 6. — Received  from  my  Broth1"-  Thomas  50  double 
snow-drop-roots  ;  six  very  large  double  Narcissus-roots. 

17. — Set  three  of  the  largest  Narcissus's  to  blow  in 
sand. 

17. — Sowed  a  large  quantity  of  Laurel-berries  in  all  the 
gaps  of  the  Hedges ;  down  Baker's  Hill ;  at  the  top  of 
Turner's  Garden  ;  &  in  the  New-Garden  against  the  street. 
Berries  very  large  &  ripe,  from  Mr-  Bridger's.1 

Octobr-  24. — Planted  in  the  Basons  in  ye  Field  five  double 
rockets,  six  scarlet  Martagons,  six  Fraxinellas,  3  tallest 
purple  Asters,  3  dwarf  D°--  2  German  Goldylocks,  6  double 
Sunflowers,  3  tall  smelling  Sunflowers,  2  Carolina  Sun- 
flowers ;  from  Murdoch  Middleton.  In  the  broad  borders 
under  my  Father's  window  ;  6  Solomon's-seals,  6  double 
Narcissus's  from  Mur  :  Middleton  :  several  double  rockets 
from  Mr-  Budd  ;  striped  Epilobium  in  the  field. 

Put  two  Jonquils  to  blow  in  the  Glasses;  &  changed 
some  of  the  Hyacinths  that  did  not  thrive  for  some  of 
M.  Myddleton's. 

26. — Finished  digging-up  a  new  piece  of  Garden-Ground 
60  feet  by  30  in  Bakers-hill  beyond  the  Field-Garden. 

Octobr-  27. — Sowed  a  large  Quantity  of  Elder,  Buckthorn, 
&  dog-wood-berries  in  the  ditch  by  the  sand-walk. 

28. — Planted  seven  rows  of  small,  early  Beans  in  Turner's 
Garden. 

1  A  yeoman  farmer  at  Oakhanger. — [H.  M.] 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  243 

Took  away  the  two  three-light  frames. 

The  Ground  very  dry,  &  in  fine  order. 

29. — Planted  50  snow-drops  in  three  Clusters  under  my 
Father's  window.  Turn'd-out  double  Dunged,  &  earthed 
the  Asparagus-beds. 

30. — Cut  a  melon  ;  tolerable  for  the  season. 

31. — Turn'd-off  the  earth  from  the  melon-bed ;  &  cut 
two  brace  of  unripe  fruit. 

Novemr-  i. — Planted  in  the  Border  next  ye  street  24 
tulips  from  Mr-  Budd  :  12  Hyacinths  from  D°-'  5  Hyacinths 
from  Murdoch  Middleton  :  12  Jonquils  from  D°"  8  Nar- 
cissus's from  D°  -  2  Dutch  Narcissus's  from  Bro.  Thomas  : 
&  two  Groups  of  fox-gloves  from  Mr-  Budd.  Trenched  the 
border  well  with  lime-rubbish ;  &  put  the  roots  into  the 
Ground  in  fine  dry  order. 

Planted  in  a  double-trench'd  plot  of  ground  five  rows 
of  Horse-radish  10  inches  deep. 

Planted  several  slips  of  Mich  :  Daisies  round  the  basons 
of  Golden-rod  ;  &  in  the  new-planted  basons  of  double- 
perennial-sun-flowers. 

No  rain  for  many  weeks,  &  the  ground  as  dry  as  in 
Summer. 

Cast  the  Dorton  melon-earth,  &  mixed  some  rotten 
Dung  with  it. 

Novr'  6. — Cut-up  a  Cantaleupe  that  had  been  cut  green, 
&  laid  in  the  Buffet  to  ripen.  It  had  a  very  good  flavour, 
&  was  better  than  many  a  common  melon  ripened  in  the 
Height  of  the  Season. 

26. — The  early  beans  come-up  very  well.  Mild  growing 
weather  as  yet. 

Decemr-  i. — Eat  a  Cantaleupe  that  had  been  a  month 
in  the  House.  It  was  firm,  &  well-flavoured. 

Decemr-  9. — Earth'd-up  the  Artichokes.  Hoed  the  beans, 
that  are  grown  pretty  tall.  Very  mild  weather  'till  this 
time. 

26. — Cut  the  last  Cantaleupe,  a  very  small  one  &  not 
very  good.  Very  mild  weather  ;  hardly  any  frost  yet. 

The  spring  &  summer    1757  were  remarkably  hot  & 


244     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

dry.  The  dry  weather  began  in  passion-week,  &  con- 
tinued on  without  any  Interruption  (except  ye  29  of  May) 
'till  the  20  of  July.  The  air  was  rather  cold  in  April  & 
May  :  but  the  sun,  shining  all  day  from  a  cloudless  skie 
for  many  weeks,  dryed  the  ground  in  a  very  uncommon 
manner  :  &  the  heats  of  June,  &  July  quite  burnt  it  to 
dust.  I  observed  that  our  wet  clay  withstood  the  drought 
very  well  for  many  weeks  :  but  when  once  it  was  thoro'ly 
parched  (as  it  was  more  than  spit  deep)  vegetation  suffered 
more  than  in  the  gravelly  soils.  The  barley,  oats,  and 
pease,  having  no  rains  to  bring  ym-  up,  did  not  yield  half 
a  crop  :  but  the  wheat  (which  is  never  known  to  be  injured 
by  dry  weather)  turned-out  very  well.  On  ye  twentieth 
of  July  fell  a  very  heavy,  &  extensive  thunder-shower  : 
after  which  there  were  moderate  rains,  that  restored  a 
little  verdure  to  the  grass-fields.  From  the  16  of  August 
set-in  a  very  wet  season  for  15  or  16  days,  which  made 
people  in  some  pain  for  the  wheat  that  began  to  grow. 
About  the  beginning  of  Septemr-  began  the  most  delicate 
Autumn,  &  lasted  quite  into  Novemr-  with  very  little  or  no 
frost  quite  to  the  close  of  the  Year.  On  a  large  well-pre- 
pared melon-bed  I  could  get  no  melons  to  set  'till  the  great 
rains  fell ;  all  the  watering  &  shading  not  being  sufficient 
to  keep  the  plants  from  drawing.  By  my  Brother  Barker's 
account  they  had  seasonable  rains  in  the  spring  &  summer  ; 
for  their  lent-crops  in  Rutland  were  very  good. 


Garden-Kalendar  for  the  Year  1758 

Jan.  i,  2. — Fierce  black  frost ;  went-off  with  an  heavy 
rain. 

9. — Wheeled  into  the  Cucumber-ground  17  barrows  of 
very  hot  dung  for  seedling  Cucumbrs- 

Earth'd  two  rows  of  Celeri. 

Very  mild,  spring-like  weather. 

10. — Sowed  a  box  of  Polyanth-seed  of  my  own  saving, 
&  set  it  under  an  Hedge  where  it  could  only  have  the 
morning-sun.  Hoed  the  beans,  which  are  very  prosperous, 
the  second  time. 

13. — --Made  a  deep  one- light  Cucumber-bed  for  my 
smallest  frame. 

16. — Laid  on  the  earth  three  Inches  thick  :  it  was  cold, 
&  lumpish  tho'  mix'd-up  with  a  good  Quantity  of  rotten 
dung,  &  two  spade's  full  of  wood-ashes.  Matted  down  the 
frame  very  close. 

Jan.  17. — Finished  an  earth-house  in  the  melon-ground. 
It  is  worked  in  a  circular  shape  with  rods  &  coped  over 
with  the  same,  &  then  well  thatched  :  is  nine  feet  over  & 
eight  feet  high  ;  &  has  room  to  hold  a  good  Quantity  of 
mould,  &  a  man  at  work  without  any  inconvenience. 

1 8. — Sowed  about  40  early  Cucumber-seeds  of  the  Year 
1752  in  the  hot-bed.  Bed  comes  to  its  heat  very  regularly. 
Hard  frost,  &  great  rime  ;  &  no  sun  for  some  days.  The 
bed  matted  down  a  nights  with  three  mats. 

19. — Carryed  out  three  moderate  dung-carts  of  ashes 
from  the  ash-house,  &  sowed  on  Baker's- Hill,  which  is 
now  laid  for  natural  Grass ;  &  has  been  Clover  for  two 
Years  past :  spread  also  the  upper  part  of  it  with  the  dung 


246     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

out  of  the  melon-bed.  Turned  all  the  melon-earth  ;  & 
mixed  it  with  a  good  proportion  of  the  Dung  of  the  last 
melon-bed.  Dung  hardly  rotten  enough. 

Jan.  20. — Hot-bed  works  very  well.  Hard  frost  for 
two  or  three  days  :  now  ground  covered  with  snow. 

One  of  the  Hyacinths  in  the  glasses  seems  to  promise 
to  blow  soon. 

22. — On  this  day  which  was  very  bright,  the  sun  shone 
very  warm  on  the  Hot-bed  from  a  quarter  before  nine,  to 
three  quart"  after  two.  Very  hard  frost. 

24.— rSet-up  about  20  Yards  into  the  Hanger,  in  a  line 
with  the  six  Gates,  a  figure  of  the  Hesperian  Hercules, 
painted  on  board,  eight  feet  high,  on  a  pedestal  of  four 
feet  &  an  half.  It  looks  like  a  statue,  &  shows  well  all 
over  our  out-let. 

Cucumber-seeds  swelled  for  sprouting,  but  not  up  yet : 
lined  the  end  of  the  bed  next  the  screen  with  two  barrows 
of  hot  dung.  Sort  of  thaw. 

27. — Finding  the  hot-bed  scarce  powerful  enough  to 
heat  the  three  inches  of  earth  thro',  which  was  full  wet 
when  laid-on ;  I  took-off  the  mould  half  the  depth,  &  put 
the  seeds  in  again.  Some  of  the  seeds  sprouted.  Sowed 
about  20  more.  Earth  very  warm  towards  the  bottom. 

27. — Planted  about  40  Ranunculus-roots,  given  me  by 
Mr-  Budd,  in  the  Border  against  Parsons's,  to  blow  after 
those  that  were  put  into  the  Ground  in  October. 

29. — Cucumber-plants  come-up  apace. 

29. — On  this  Day  the  mercury  in  the  weather-glasses, 
which  had  been  mounting  leisurely  for  many  days,  was 
got  one  full  degree  above  settled-fair  in  the  parlour,  & 
within  half  a  degree  of  the  same  in  the  study. 

My  Father1  who  has  been  a  nice  observer  of  that 
upstairs  for  full  37  years,  is  certain  that  it  never  has  been 
at  that  pitch  before  within  that  time.  Very  still,  grey,  close 
weather,  with  the  wind  at  full  east,  &  quite  a  thaw  :  tho' 
there  has  been  somewhat  of  a  frost  for  more  than  a 
fortnight  past. 

1  His  father,  John  White,  died  in  October  of  this  year,  1758.— {R.  B.  S.] 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  247 

Ground  very  dry ;  little  rain  having  fallen  for  these 
three  weeks  past. 

Jan.  30. — Mercury  continues  at  the  same  height.  Same 
still,  gloomy  weather. 

Sent  for  42  bushels  of  peat-ashes  from  the  forest-side. 
Sowed  fifteen  bushels  on  the  broad-mead,  &  15  bushels 
on  the  Ewel-slip.  Ashes  very  dry,  &  curiously  preserved. 
Laid-up  the  remainder  in  ash-house.  Brought  at  the  same 
time  an  old  sand-stone-roller  from  Mr-  Bridger's  at  Oak- 
hanger.  It  was,  it  seems,  formerly  the  property  of  Mr-  Xmas 
of  Oakhanger,  Father  to  Sarah  Xmas ;  &  may  probably 
have  been  made  these  60  or  70  Years ;  &  yet  is  very  little 
damaged  by  age  or  weather.1 

31. — The  Narcissus's,  planted  in  sand  in  common  blow- 
ing-glasses, have  crammed  the  glasses  so  full,  that  tho'  they 
budded  very  strongly  at  first,  they  have  hardly  advanced  at 
all  since  in  height  for  many  weeks  :  one  of  ye  Glasses,  that 
was  crack'd  by  accident,  is  quite  split  to  pieces  by  the  large, 
strong  roots. 

Took  it  out  of  the  Glass,  &  planted  it  in  a  pint-mug 
fill'd  with  sand. 

Feb.  2. — Sowed  about  20  more  cucumber-seeds;  the 
third  sowing  :  the  first  &  second  come-up  very  well,  & 
begin  to  some  greenness. 

4. — Lined  one  end  of  the  hot-bed  with  one  Barrow  of 
Dung.  Bed  declines  in  heat.  Sowed  two  samples  of 
white  -  clover  -  seed  from  different  Seeds -men,  in  the 
Hot-bed. 

6. — Backed  the  hot-bed  with  six  barrows  of  hot-dung. 

Took  away  the  suckers  from  the  filberts  against 
Parsons's  ;  &  planted  some  of  them  where  they  have  failed 
against  Turner's. 

6:7:  8. — Trimm'd,  &  tacked  ye  vines  (as  much  as  old 
neglected  trees  could  be  reduced  the  first  Year)  according 
to  Hitt's  directions.  Covered  many  parts  of  the  wall  very 
well  with  horizontal  wood.  Left  the  disbudding  till  the 

1  This  would  be  made  of  what  we  call  "Headley  Stone."— [H.  M.] 


248     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

budds  are  more  swell'd.     Trimmed  ye  fig  tree,  which  was 
full  of  Young  wood,  &  plies  very  well  to  the  wall. 

Feb.  9. — Put-in  about  20  more  Cucumber-seeds.  Former 
sowings  do  not  come  up  well. 

ii. — One  of  the  Hyacinths  in  the  Glasses  blown-out  in 
several  of  its  buds. 

Some  in  the  Garden,  thro'  the  mildness  of  the  winter, 
budded  for  bloom. 

14. — Had  20  bushels  of  tan  from  Alton  for  the  Cucum- 
ber-bed. 

23  :  24  :  25. — Made  a  cucumber-bed  full  fourteen  feet 
long,  &  almost  four  feet  deep,  at  the  back  of  my  two  two- 
light  frames  with  ten  Dung-carts  of  dung,  which  is  very 
short  this  year  on  account  of  the  scarcity  of  litter ;  &  was 
very  cold  &  wet  by  reason  of  the  vast  rains  about  that 
time.  Covered  the  dung  the  space  of  one  of  the  frames 
about  five  inches  thick  with  tan,  &  filled  a  deep  hole  in  the 
centre  of  each  light  with  the  same.  Laid  a  leaden-pipe 
into  the  frame  that  has  got  the  tin-chimney  (according  to 
Dr-  Hales's  proposal),  up  thro'  the  back  of  the  bed,  in  order 
to  convey-in  a  succession  of  fresh  air  a  nights. 

Made  an  hot-bed  for  a  single  hand-glass  for  Celeri. 

Planted  half  hund  :  large,  forward  cabbage  plants. 

27. — Planted  100  brown-Dutch,  &  green  Capuchin 
Lettuces  from  Bradley  that  had  stood  y6  winter,  in  the 
room  of  our  own,  which  rotted  thro'  the  wetness  of  the 
soil. 

28. — Sowed  the  Celeri-bed. 

March  i. — Great  flood  :  wet  for  a  long  time. 

2. — Laid  the  hillocks  of  earth  in  the  middle  of  each 
light.  No  earth  fit  to  have  been  used,  had  it  not  been  for 
the  earth-house  thro'  the  vast  rains. 

4. — Plunged  nine  melon-pots  in  the  tan-frame,  &  three 
in  the  other  frame.  Contrived  some  wodden  bottoms  to 
the  pots  to  make  the  earth  turn-out  more  easily.  Sowed 
plenty  of  cucumber-seeds  in  a  good  depth  of  earth.  Bed 
comes  well  to  its  heat.  Sad  wet,  stormy  weather. 

March   6. — Sowed  one   melon-seed  from   that  curious 


itikrae 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  249 

Melon  brought  from  Waverly  in  1756,  in  each  of  the 
twelve  pots. 

Bed  heats  well.  Weather  still  so  stormy,  &  wet,  that 
there  is  no  removing  the  Cucumber-plants.  It  has  rained 
of  late  from  all  Quarters  of  the  Skie. 

7. — Found  an  opportunity  at  last  to  plant-out  the 
Cucumber-plants,  three  tolerable  ones  in  each  Hillock ; 
some  of  which  shew  a  rough  leaf.  Bed  in  fine  warm  order 
both  in  the  tan,  &  dung  part. 

Sowed  two  more  of  the  same  Cantaleupe-seeds  in  nine 
of  the  pots. 

9. — Transplanted  a  large  Laburnum  into  the  Butcher's 
Garden.1  Planted  half  Hund  :  more  Cabbage-plants. 

ii. — Laid  that  part  of  the  leaden-pipe,  which  comes 
out  behind  the  Cucumber-bed,  coiled  up  in  a  large  box 
made  out  of  ye  seed-box  ;  &  filled  the  box  with  about  two 
barrows  &  half  of  Hot  dung.  The  nose  of  the  pipe  comes- 
out  about  three  inches  beyond  the  box. 

March  13. — Planted  100  more  Cabbage-plants,  in  all 
200 ;  the  rows  two  feet  apart,  &  the  plants  one  foot  from 
each  other  in  the  rows :  every  other  plant  to  be  pulled-up 
early  in  the  summer. 

14. — Melon-plants  begin  to  appear. 

16. — Planted  Gallon  of  broad-beans  in  the  lower  field- 
garden,  almost  seven  rows.  Sowed  pound  of  spinage,  with 
some  common  radishes,  which  ought  to  have  been  sowed 
5  weeks  before,  but  was  prevented  by  the  wet,  in  the  upper 
field  garden.  Sowed  some  Celeriac  between  the  Cucumber- 
boxes.  Sowed  eight  basons  in  the  field  with  double- 
upright-Larkspurs ;  &  the  two  lowest  with  large-single- 
branching  D°- 

Perfect  summer  for  these  two  days. 

1  The  plot  of  ground  on  which  the  Butcher's  shop  stood  in  White's  time,  and 
still  stands  to  this  day,  must  have  belonged  to  Gilbert,  as  he  evidently  did  what 
he  liked  with  it,  planting  the  lime-trees,  lopping  them,  and  improving  the  place 
generally  by  the  planting  of  hollyhocks,  laburnums,  lilacs,  &c.  Mr.  Maxwell 
agrees  with  me  that  this  must  have  been  the  case,  the  more  so  as  he  can  remember 
that  the  adjoining  cottage  was  purchased  by  his  father  from  Miss  White. — 
{R.  B.  S.] 

2  I 


250     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

18. — Earthed -up  Cucumber  -  hillocks  the  first  time. 
Plants  thrive,  &  many  of  them  shew  four  leaves.  Melons 
up  some  in  every  pot ;  they  look  healthy,  &  grow 
apace. 

March  18. — Turned-out  a  large  Narcissus,  that  was 
intended  to  blow  within,  into  one  of  the  borders.  Planted 
some  bunches  of  single  snow-drops  in  bloom  under  my 
Father's  window. 

Sowed  about  30  more  green  Cucumber-seeds  in  the 
Hot-bed.  Filled-up  the  box,  that  contains  the  leaden  pipe, 
with  one  more  barrow  of  dung  :  the  dung  begins  to  heat 
in  the  box  :  the  nose  of  the  pipe  hot  in  the  morning,  & 
cold  towards  the  evening.  Very  wet  afternoon. 

19. — Vast  heavy  rains  most  part  of  ye  day. 

21. — Great  snow  all  the  day,  &  most  part  of  the  night ; 
which  went  off  the  next  day  in  a  stinking,  wet  fog.  Very 
trying  weather  for  Hot-beds,  more  like  Jan.  than  March. 
No  sun  for  many  Days. 

23. — Planted  among  the  Holyoaks  next  the  street  in  ye 
New-Garden  2  Austrian  Briars,  i  black  Belgic-rose,  i  York 
&  Lancaster  D°->  i  Marbled  D°>  i  monthly  D°-  from  Mr- 
Budd  :  &  two  large  roots  of  the  aster-kind  in  the  Border 
before  the  roses.  A  very  late-blowing  sort. 

25. — Planted  three  more  Provence-roses  from  Mr-  Budd 
in  the  same  place. 

Forked  Asparagus-beds:  dressed  Rasberry-bed :  sowed 
the  lower  plot  of  the  new  field  Garden  with  seven  rows  of 
marrow-fat  pease  at  four  feet  asunder.  Ground  in  a  cold 
clammy  Condition. 

Tryed  an  experiment  late  in  y6  evening  with  a  Candle 
on  the  two  Cucumber-frames  after  they  had  been  close 
covered-up  some  Hours.  On  putting  the  Candle  down  a 
few  Inches  into  that  frame  that  has  leaded  lights  &  no 
chimney,  the  flame  was  extinguished  at  once  three  several 
times  by  the  foul  vapour  :  while  the  frame  with  the  tiled 
lights,  &  Chimney  was  so  free  from  vapour  that  it  had  no 
sensible  effect  on  the  flame.  I  then  applyed  the  candle  to 
the  top  of  the  Chimney,  from  whence  issued  so  much 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  251 

steam  as  to  affect  the  flame,  tho'  not  put  it  out.  Hence  it 
is  apparent  that  this  Invention  must  be  a  benefit  to  plants 
in  Hot-beds  by  preventing  them  from  being  stewed  in  the 
night  time  in  the  exhalations  that  arise  from  the  dung,  & 
yer  own  leaves.  The  melons  confirm  the  matter,  being 
unusually  green  &  vigorous  for  their  age.  I  applyed  the 
Candle  to  the  nose  of  the  leaden  pipe,  but  it  had  no  effect 
on  it :  so  that  what  air  comes-up  thro'  it  must  be  whole- 
some &  free  from  vapour. 

March  28. — Planted  59  potatoes  in  Turners  ;  not  very 
large  roots.  Sowed  the  wheat  with  white  Dutch  Clover  : 
Baker's -Hill  with  Rye -Grass,  &  black -seed:  the  vase- 
mount,  &  hollow -way  into  the  Ewel,  with  D°-  Fine 
weather.  Set-up  the  vases  :  put-on  two  bold  Handles  to 
the  lower  one  ;  &  two  side-pannels  to  the  pedestal.  Sowed 
two  rows  of  parsley,  &  transplanted  some  mint. 

Unusual  sunny,  scorching  weather  for  a  week  past. 
The  heat  drew  the  forward  Cucumbers,  notwithstanding 
they  were  constantly  shaded  ;  &  would  have  spoiled  the 
melons  (as  ye  same  kind  of  heat  did  this  time  twelve- 
month) had  not  the  pots  been  raised.  Forward  Cucum- 
bers weak  ;  &  begin  to  shew  for  bloom. 

April  3. — Sowed  14  of  John  Bosworth's  curious  large 
white  Cucumber-seeds  in  one  of  the  frames,  in  order  to 
raise  some  plants  for  one  of  the  Hand-glasses  to  save  seed 
from. 

4. — Sowed  almost  an  ounce  of  Carrot-seed,  mixed  with 
Coss-lettuce  green  &  white,  &  some  common  Radishes, 
in  Turner's  Garden.  Sowed  in  the  field-Garden  ounce  of 
onion-seed,  half  ounce  of  Leek-seed,  &  a  small  Quantity 
of  parsnep-seed. 

6. — Made  a  one-light  hot-bed  for  Annuals  with  six  full 
barrows  of  dung. 

April:  9. — Very  dry  weather  for  this  fortnight  past : 
for  the  last  week  fierce  frosts. 

10. — Several  basons  of  sun-flower-seed  sowed  among 
the  Holy-oaks  in  the  New-Garden  against  the  street ;  & 
some  amongst  the  Butcher's  Limes.  Sowed  the  annual- 


252     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

bed  with  French  &  African  -  Marrigolds ;  Double-China- 
asters,  &  single  D°-  &  white  Asters  ;  pendulous-Amaranths, 
&  some  Gourds  for  Dame  Tyrrel.1 

9. — Saw  two  swallows  :  one  was  seen  in  ye  village  on 
the  3rd- 

ii. — Sowed  in  a  seedling-bed  in  the  field-Garden  Sun- 
flowers, French-wall-flower,  Columbine,  Sweet-Williams, 
Double-China-pinks  under  two  hand-glasses,  Everlasting- 
pea,  French  Honeysuckle,  Evergeen-Cytisus,  &  Holyoaks  : 
in  the  new-Garden  in  the  broad-border,  &  against  the 
apple  tree,  painted-Lady-pease ;  Nigella  romana  ;  in  the 
Kitchen  part  half  ounce  more  of  Leek-seed,  &  small  plot 
of  red  beet. 

April  12. — Sowed  third  Crop  of  marrow-fat  pease,  one 
row  in  Turner's,  two  rows  in  old  field-garden,  two  rows  in 
new  field-garden. 

13. — Worked-up  a  nine-light  melon-bed  with  18  good 
dung-carts  of  fresh,  hot  dung,  &  80  bushels  of  fresh  tan. 
I  had  made  this  bed  just  a  week  before,  only  two  days 
after  the  materials  were  brought  in ;  but  finding  it  to  heat 
violently  I  ordered  it  to  be  pulled  to  pieces,  &  cast  back 
again,  that  it  might  spend  its  violent  Heat.  The  bed  is  36 
feet  long,  six  feet  &  an  half  wide,  &  about  two  feet  &  half 
high.  The  tan  makes  a  covering  all  over  of  about  8  inches 
thick.  In  the  middle  of  each  light  I  laid  a  patch  of  rotten 
dung  about  two  inches  thick,  which  I  beat-down  hard  to 
keep-off  the  fierce  heat  from  the  hillocks  of  earth. 

Fierce  east- wind  ;  &  no  rain  for  near  three  weeks  :  the 
ground,  &  roads  unusually  dry. 

April  15. — Raked-over  the  Asparagus-beds  the  second 
time  :  stuck  the  first  Crop  of  Marrow-fat  pease  :  filled  the 
box  that  contains  the  leaden-pipe  with  hot  dung  the  second 
time. 

Cutting  winds  all  day,  &  thick  ice  every  night. 

16. — So  fierce  a  frost  with  a  South-wind  as  to  freeze 
the  steam  which  run  out  in  water  from  between  the  panes 

1  This  is  the  Dame  "Terry"  mentioned  in  Buckland's  edition,  vol.  ii.  p.  7, 
who  was  said  to  be  so  well  acquainted  with  Gilbert  White. — [H.  M.] 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  253 

of  ye  Melon-frames  into  long  Icicles  on  the  Edges  of  the 
lights. 

17. — Prepared  &  dunged  the  basons  in  the  field,  which 
are  to  be  planted  with  Annuals  hereafter.  Fine  shower. 

1 8. — Put  a  barrow  of  fine  mellow  earth  into  each 
melon-light.  Bed  seems  now  to  be  very  mild.  More 
soft  showers.  Earth-house  of  great  Use  to  keep  a  con- 
stant supply  of  fine  mould  dry  &  ready  for  the  frames. 

April  20. — Found  the  melon-hillocks  so  hot  that  I  durst 
not  turn  the  plants  into  them  :  plunged  the  plants  in  the 
pots  into  the  hillocks. 

Turned-out  some  Hyacinths  that  were  out  of  bloom 
from  the  blowing-glasses  into  the  flower  border. 

Sowed  Crop  of  Boorcole  green,  &  red.  Polyanths  in 
full  bloom  ;  but  not  so  fine  as  last  Year.  Several  Hyacinths 
in  the  border  very  large  &  handsome.  White  &  yellow 
Narcissuss  with  golden  Cups  blow  very  well  both  in  glasses 
&  abroad. 

21. — Found  the  melon-bed  so  hot  still  that  I  did  not 
trust  the  plants  out  of  the  pots.  Earthed  the  bed  all  over 
an  inch  thick  to  keep  down  the  steam,  which  in  the  night 
had  spoiled  three  of  the  plants.  Bored  some  holes  very 
deep  in  the  back  of  the  bed  to  let  out  the  violent  Heat. 
I  find  a  moderate  thickness  of  tan,  when  laid  on  a  good 
strong  bed  of  dung,  to  occasion  a  very  dangerous,  & 
unequal  Heat,  so  that  there  is  scarce  any  Judging  when 
the  earth  is  free  from  burning.  For  in  shady  weather  it 
will  appear  very  mild  ;  but  on  a  hot  morning  will  rage 
again  as  fierce  as  when  it  first  came  to  its  full  heat.  Tan 
gives  a  mild  &  lasting  heat  by  itself,  but  does  not  seem 
suitable  with  dung. 

22. — Took-out  the  tan  the  whole  depth  as  wide  as  the 
Hillocks,  &  mixed-up  the  hillocks  with  a  little  fresh  earth. 
Did  not  find  the  earth  burnt  but  much  too  hot.  Filled 
the  space  whence  the  tan  came  with  barrows  of  rotten 
dung  trod  down  very  hard,  about  four  Inches  thick. 

Sowed  four  rows  of  dwarf  kidney  beans,  the  white  sort ; 
&  a  crop  of  Savoy-seed.  Perfect  Summer  weather. 


254     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

April  24. — Ventured  to  turn-out  ye  Melons,  tho'  some 
of  the  hillocks  were  full  hot :  mixed-up  a  good  deal  of 
fresh  earth  in  each  hillock,  &  set  ye  plants  as  high  as 
possible  :  left  the  wodden  bottoms  under  some  of  the 
plants  to  see  if  they  will  prevent  the  roots  from  burning. 
Intend  to  cover  the  frames  but  slightly,  while  the  bed  is 
so  hot. 

Made  an  hot-bed  for  the  smallest  one-light  frame,  to 
prick  the  annuals  in,  with  5  barrows  of  dung,  &  two  of 
Grass.  Made  two  beds  for  two  hand-glasses  with  two 
barrows  of  dung  each  to  forward  some  of  Bosworth's  large 
white  Cucumbers  to  save  seed  from.  Dressed  Artichoke 
bed.  Forked  up  ye  seedling  Asparagus  ;  only  16  plants  to 
be  found.  Layed  some  boughs  of  Laurustines  ;  &  planted 
a  Laurustine  by  ye  pitching. 

April  27. — Planted-out  John  Bosworth's  large  white 
Cucumbers,  three  under  each  Hand-glass,  to  make  early 
plants  to  save  some  seed  of  that  fine  sort  from  :  pricked- 
out  the  annuals  in  ye  two  one-light  frames,  &  sowed  some 
more  Afr  :  Marrigolds,  &  more  of  Bosworth's  Cucumber- 
seeds.  Weeded  all  the  basons  &  flower-borders.  Melon- 
bed  steams  greatly  ;  but  seems  to  be  past  its  vehement 
Heat. 

Fine  soft  showers  all  the  Afternoon,  &  evening. 

Disbudded  the  vines  that  were  laid  on  the  walls  accord- 
ing to  Hit. 

May  i. — Planted  about  20  bulbs  of  Eschallots  in  the 
New-Garden. 

Some  melon-plants  continue  to  fail,  tho'  the  bed  is  very 
mild,  &  the  mould  sweet  &  unburnt. 

12. — On  my  return  from  London  I  found  several  of  the 
melon-plants  very  large  &  thriving  ;  except  in  two  of  the 
basons,  where  they  were  puny,  &  withered  :  supply'd  those 
two  basons  with  some  late-sowed  Cantaleupe-plants  from 
Seed  saved  at  Selborn  1755. 

May  15. — A  most  extraordinary  dry  season  ever  since 
the  end  of  March  :  all  our  worst  roads  have  been  dryed-up 
many  weeks.  For  this  fortnight  past  the  heats  have  been 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  255 

very  great.  Grass  &  lent-corn  must  suffer  unless  rain  comes 
soon.  Apple-trees  finely  blown.  Bosworth's  Cucumbers 
come-on  well  under  the  Hand-glasses. 

17. — Widened-out  the  Cucumber-bed  four  feet  with  the 
dung  of  the  seedling-bed ;  &  laid-on  a  thick  covering  of 
earth. 

Prick'd-out  a  good  plot  of  Celeriac.  Vines  trained 
according  to  Hit  full  of  Bloom. 

20. — Sowed  a  Quart,  four  rows,  of  large  white  kidney- 
beans  in  the  field-Garden  :  watered  them  well  beforehand. 
Earthed  the  melons,  &  watered  them  stoutly  :  trod  the 
earth  round  the  stems  down  very  hard  to  keep-out  the 
heat.  Planted  four  Hand  glasses  in  the  cold  ground  with 
Mr-  Bosworth's  large  white  Cucumber-plants  raised  in  the 
annual-bed.  Very  hot,  dry  weather.  Sowed  some  Cucum- 
ber-seeds under  a  hand-glass. 

May  22. — Prick'd-out  a  plot  of  Celeri ;  sowed  a  Crop  of 
Coss-lettuce  green  &  white. 

24. — Made  a  melon-bed  for  four  Hills  with  six  loads  of 
dung  in  front  of  the  large  bed  :  it  is  five  feet  wide,  and 
seventeen  long. 

25. — Turned-out  a  pot  of  Selborn  Cantaleupes  into  each 
Hill,  &  covered  them  with  Hand-glasses.  Intend  to  cover 
the  plants,  when  they  spread,  with  the  two  two-light  frames. 
Violent  hot  weather  :  no  rain  for  some  weeks.  The  ground 
burnt,  &  cracked  to  an  unusual  degree.  Things  in  both 
fields,  &  Gardens  suffer  greatly.  The  fierce  heat  has  lately 
damaged  both  melons,  &  Cucumbers,  notwithstanding 
constant  shading,  &  unusual  watering. 

May  26. — Planted  6  basons  in  the  field  with  Indian- 
pinks  :  set  the  plants  pretty  near  together.  Fine  soft  rains 
all  day  :  everything  greatly  refresh'd  after  so  tedious  a 
drought.  Sunny  days  &  east  winds  for  the  most  part  ever 
since  the  last  week  in  March. 

29. — Weeded  the  Carrots,  &  Laurels,  &  hoed  the 
potatoes  :  weeded  the  seedling-flowers.  Tacked  the  Young 
wood  of  the  vines  all  perpendicular,  for  the  first  time, 
according  to  Hit. 


256     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

30  :  31. — Raised  &  earthed  up  the  melon-frames  almost 
their  full  quantity.  Melon  bed  very  warm  still.  Many  of 
the  melon-plants  very  thriving ;  abound  in  vine,  &  shew 
male  bloom,  &  fruit. 

Planted  100  of  late  Cabbages ;  &  pricked-out  some 
Broccoli  plants  given  me  by  Mr-  Budd.  Shady  moist 
weather  for  a  week  past :  now  frequent  heavy  showers 
that  have  well  soaked  the  Ground  down  to  the  roots  of 
Corn,  &  Garden-stuff. 

June  2. — Sowed  four  rows  of  large  white-Kidney-beans, 
&  one  of  dwarfs  in  ye  field-Garden  :  five  rows  of  Dwarf 
D°-  in  the  Quincunx. 

3. — Gathered  first  beans. 

5. — Cut  a  brace  of  Cucumbers.     Shady  moist  weather. 

6. — Earth'd  the  hand-glass  melons  the  first  time  :  the 
bed  not  earth'd  all  over  yet.  The  plants  are  strong,  & 
produce  plenty  of  wood ;  but  are  strangely  blistered  in 
their  second  leaves  by  being  exposed  to  ye  fierce  sun  while 
the  night-dew  was  on  them. 

9. — Mulberry-tree  shews  several  Blossoms  for  the  first 
time.  Fine  summer-weather  with  now  &  then  a  shower. 
French-beans  that  had  been  watered  all  night,  &  were 
sown  on  the  2d  of  June,  began  to  appear  on  the  8th. 

9. — Raised  the  Cucumber-frames  the  thickness  of  a 
brick  above  the  mould :  turned  down  ye  large  white- 
Cucumbers  from  under  the  hand-glass  ;  they  are  strong 
plants,  &  shew  fruit. 

June  10. — Went  to  raise  the  melon-frames,  but  found 
the  melon-roots  have  extended  themselves  all  along  against 
the  sides  of  the  boxes,  &  require  room  by  lining. 

Watered  the  Mulberry-tree  well  to  make  the  fruit  set. 

12. — Gathered  first  Marrowfats. 

Soaking  rain  for  ten  Hours. 

13  :  14. — Lined  the  melon-bed  three  feet  on  each  side 
with  eleven  loads  of  dung ;  &  laid-on  a  good  depth  of 
earth  :  raised  the  frames  to  the  top  of  the  earth.  Lined 
the  ends  of  the  bed  with  one  load  of  Dung  :  the  bed  is 
now  full  40  feet  long,  &  12  feet  wide.  Earth'd  it  deep  as 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  257 

far  as  the  earth  would  last :  run  a  slight  hedge l  round  the 
edges  to  keep  up  the  earth. 

15. — Earth'd  the  Hills  of  the  melons  under  ye  Hand- 
glasses :  stop'd  some  of  the  plants  at  the  third  Joint : 
plants  very  vigorous. 

Sowed  Crop  of  Endive. 

Soft  showery  weather. 

June  15. — Prick'd-out  600  Savoys,  &  350  Boor-cole-2 
plants,  green,  &  purple. 

16. — Planted-out  all  the  leeks  at  six  inches  asunder  : 
about  200. 

Pricked-out  a  little  more  Celeri. 

Planted  out  a  bed  of  small  Coss-lettuce. 

Sowed  a  row  of  parsley. 

Wet,  blowing  weather. 

17. — Planted  100  Cabbage-plants  in  the  room  of  those 
planted  May  3ist>  which  were  dead. 

Tyed-up  first  Coss-lettuce. 

Some  of  John  Bosworth's  long  Cucumbers  set. 

20. — Planted-out  the  greatest  part  of  my  annuals, 
African  &  French-Marrigolds,  Pendulous  Amaranths  & 
China-Asters  :  They  were  pricked  into  a  second  bed,  & 
are  very  forward,  &  large. 

Pricked-out  an  120  Roman  -  Broccoli  -  plants  from 
Waverley. 

Two  Labourers  have  been  working  for  5  or  6  Days  in  the 
Garden,  &  have  hoed  &  weeded  all  the  Crops,  &  cleaned 
all  the  paths,  &  borders  that  were  in  a  foul  Condition. 

22. — Planted  more  Annuals,  Sunflowers,  &  China-Asters, 
in  field,  and  Garden. 

27. — Nailed,  and  trimmed  the  vines  :  the  second  time, 
according  to  Hit.  The  bunches  in  full  bloom. 

28. — Earthed  the  hand-glass  melon-bed  the  full  depth, 
took  away  ye  hand-glasses,  &  put  the  two  two-light  frames 
over  the  plants.  Plants  strong,  but  shew  little  fruit,  or 
bloom. 

1  Probably  a  low  rod  hedge  of  split  hazel. — [H.  M.] 
*  Borecole.— [H.  M.] 

2  K 


258     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Planted  some  of  Murd  :  Middleton's1  white-Cucumber- 
plants  under  three  hand-glasses. 

July  i. — Stuck  the  sticks  to  the  large  kidney-beans. 
Heavy  thunder-showers. 

Melons  swell  apace.  The  late  bed  shews  fruit.  Dwarf 
kidney-beans  in  full  bloom. 

3d- — Lined -out  the  two -light  melon -bed  a  yard  wide 
with  three  loads  of  dung,  &  laid -on  earth  very  thick. 
Prick'd  out  a  good  many  Sweet  Williams.  Planted  out 
more  annuals  :  sowed  a  small  spot  of  Endive. 

July  4. — Pricked-out  bed  of  Holy-oaks  to  put  them 
in  less  room  :  pricked  -  out  vast  Quantities  of  Sweet 
Williams. 

Blowing,  wet  weather  on  to  the  14  :  when  there  was 
quite  a  storm  all  night,  &  such  quantities  of  rain  as  made 
quite  a  flood  :  the  trees  and  flowers  were  much  damaged 
by  the  wind. 

15. — Found  on  my  return  from  Dene  about  thirteen 
brace  of  Cantaleupes  set ;  some  very  large.  Plants  in  vast 
vigour  with  leaves  near  a  foot  in  Diameter.  More  fruit 
setting  every  day.  Those  plants  in  the  two-light  frames 
seem  to  be  full  late  ;  hardly  any  of  their  fruit  blown-out 
yet.  Two  plants  in  new  frame  have  8  brace  of  fruit  be- 
tween ym- 

18  :  19  :  20. — Showery,  black  weather.  Trenched  -  out 
seven  rows  of  Celeri.  Planted-out  second  plot  of  Endive  : 
first  plot  about  a  fortnight"  before.  Planted  large  plot  with 
Roman-Broccoli  from  Waverley.  On  examination  it  ap- 
peared that  the  Cantaleupe-fibres  have  run  the  full  extent 
of  the  12  feet  bed  :  laid  on  some  more  earth  behind  to 
secure  their  Roots  from  the  Sun.  Some  of  their  branches, 
on  which  are  large  fruit,  are  attacked  with  mouldiness  this 
wet  weather.  Raised  the  frames  behind,  the  thickness  of 
a  Brick,  to  shoot-off  the  rain,  that  drips  thro',  &  rots  some 
of  the  Haulm. 

1  Murdoch  Middleton  seems  to  have  been  a  very  second-class  nurseryman,  as 
his  plants  appear  to  have  failed  on  more  than  one  occasion,  or  they  were  wrongly 
named,  &c.— {R.  B.  S.] 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  259 

21. — Quite  heavy  showers  to  day,  &  strong  wind.  Some 
of  the  melon-leaves  measure  1 1  inches  and  three  Quart"-  in 
diameter. 

20. — Gathered  first  French-beans  ;  white  dwarfs. 

24. — Stringed l  pine  strawberries. 

Continual  showers. 

25. — Dug-up  Hyacinth,  &  tulip-roots  :  Hyacinths  bloated 
with  the  wet  weather.  Planted  in  their  room  African  & 
French-Marrigolds.  Vast  rains  still. 

26. — Great  rain. 

28. — Vast  rains  with  Thunder. 

29  :  30. — Dry  weather  :  on  3ist  rain  for  14  hours.  The 
melon-vines  suffer  with  the  continual  wet,  which  has  con- 
tinued now  more  than  a  month.  Cut-off  a  full-grown 
Cantaleupe  that  was  rotten. 

August  i. — Black,  moist  weather  all  day ;  vast  rains  at 
night. 

2. — Sultry,  bright  morning  :  turned  the  large  Melons. 

3. — Tiled,  &  turned  all  the  largest  melons  :  full  twenty 
brace  set ;  tho'  perhaps  they  may  not  all  ripen. 

4. — Sowed  half  pound  of  spinage,  &  some  white-turnep- 
radish-seed  in  the  new  field-Garden  :  began  planting-out 
savoys,  &  Boorcole.  Two  hot,  bright  days. 

5. — Cut-off  the  small  side-shoots  from  the  bearing  wood 
of  the  vines,  leaving  one  joint  on  ;  according  to  Hitt's 
directions.  Grapes  pretty  large.  The  fourth  hot,  dry  day. 

7. — Drawed-out  the  boorcole,  &  savoy-bed  to  a  foot  & 
half  apart,  &  planted  the  new  field-Garden  with  D°- 

8. — Brought  in  a  doors  the  Pryamidal  Campanula  :  it 
has  seven  Stems,  &  just  begins  to  shew  some  bloom. 

Aug.  ii. — Trenched  two  long  rows  more  of  Celeri. 
Vast  rains  the  two  days  before. 

12. — Finished  the  hay-rick  :  hay-making  was  in  hand 
just  seven  weeks.  A  deal  of  Hay  much  damaged. 

13. — Beautiful  harvest-weather. 

16. — Tyed-up  some  of  the  forwardest  endives.  Vast 
rains  last  night,  &  this  evening.  The  wheat  is  all  cut,  & 

1  i.e.  tied  them  up,  as  was  the  method  in  those  days. — [H.  M.] 


260     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

must  soon  be  damaged  if  this  weather  lasts.  It  has  never 
been  dry  more  than  four  days  together,  &  that  only  twice, 
since  the  first  of  July  :  in  general  only  two  days  together  ; 
&  that  but  seldom.  The  Cantaleupes  have  had  a  very  dis- 
advantageous season  ;  nothing  but  black,  wet  weather  since 
they  have  been  set.  Sr-  Mat :  Featherstone's  Cantaleupes, 

1  hear,  have  very  little  flavour. 

19. — Earth'd  one  row  of  Celeri  half  the  way  up. 

Planted  a  row  of  Savoys  between  every  two  rows  of 
dwarf-kidney-beans  in  the  Quincunx.  Housed  the  wheat 
not  in  very  good  order. 

Aug.  21. — Tyed-up  more  Endive. 

22. — Cut  the  first  Cantaleupe,  the  largest  of  the  Crop  : 
weighed  3  pds-  5  oun  :  &  half.  It  proved  perfectly  delicate, 
dry,  &  firm,  notwithstanding  the  unfavourable  weather  ever 
since  the  time  of  setting.  Saved  the  seed. 

23. — Cut  second  Cantaleupe  :  weighed  2  pds-  5  oun  : 
Fine,  bright  weather  for  five  days. 

24. — Cut  a  brace  more  of  Cantaleupes ;  one  weighed 

2  p4*-   6   oun  :   one   2   pds-   4   ounces.     Great  rain  in  the 
afternoon. 

25. — Sent  a  brace  of  the  Cantaleupes  to  Lord  Keeper  : 
eat  the  third  at  Home,  which  turned-out  perfectly  delicate  ; 
rather  superior  to  ye  first,  eaten  at  the  Hermitage.  Saved 
the  seed. 

26. — Cut  &  set-up  in  the  sun  ye  six  large  white  seed- 
Cucumbers  :  the  biggest  weighed  2  pds-  14  oun  :  &  the 
longest  measured  13  inch  :  in  length. 

Sowed  a  small  plot  of  Coss,  green-Capuchin,  &  Brown- 
Dutch- Lettuce-seed  for  plants  to  stand  the  winter. 

28. — Cut  small  Cantaleupe,  weighed  but  15  oun  :  vast 
rains  all  day,  &  a  great  flood. 

29. — Tyed-up  about  30  more  Endives. 

31. — Heavy  rain  for  about  30  Hours,  which  coming 
upon  the  back  of  such  vast  showers  before,  occasioned  an 
extraordinary  flood,  which  ran  over  the  foot-bridges,  & 
was  greater  than  any  winter-flood  for  many  years  past.  It 
filled  James  Knight's  biggest  pond,  which  had  been  fished 


*    V  '"trek. 

'  '•    r 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  261 

this  summer  brim  full : *  &  raised  the  Landsprings  in  ye 
fields,  so  as  to  damage  the  paths. 

Septemr-  5. — Earth'd-up  early  row  of  Celeri  to  the 
top. 

Eat  a  brace  of  Cantaleupes  at  the  Hermitage  :  the 
black,  rough  one  very  high  flavoured.  Shady,  showery 
weather.  Saved  the  seed. 

Pulled-up  the  Onions,  &  Eshallots,  &  laid  them  to  dry. 
Onions  begin  to  rot  with  ye  wet. 

7. — Eat  a  very  delicate  Cantaleupe  :  it  had  a  bottle- 
nose,  &  grew  close  to  the  stem.  Sav'd  ye  seed.  Shady, 
showery  weather  :  now  a  vast  rain. 

Septemr-  8. — Cut  first  Endives. 

Vast  rains  still. 

9. — This  day  ten  weeks  the  wet  season  began. 

10. — The  Cantaleupes  threaten  to  come  all  together. 
Cut  two  brace,  &  half  to  day. 

12. — Held  a  Cantaleupe  feast  at  ye  Hermitage  :2  cut  up 
a  brace  &  an  half  of  fruit  among  14  people.  Weather  very 
fine  ever  since  the  ninth. 

13. — Planted -out  two  rows  of  Polyanths  down  the 
border  next  Lasham's.  Should  have  been  transplanted 
many  weeks  ago,  if  the  wet  weather  had  not  prevented. 

14. — Eat  a  brace  &  half  of  Cantaleupes. 

1  Mr.  Maxwell  has  taken  great  pains  to  identify  the  various  localities  men- 
tioned  by  Gilbert  White.     Seeing  that  this   "Kalendar"  was  written  nearly 
150  years   ago,  and   that    many  of   the  families,   such    as   the   Kelceys,   the 
Berrimans,  and  others,  have  become  extinct,  or  have  left  the  village,  this  has 
been  no  easy  task.     Mr.  Maxwell,  however,  has  interviewed  many  of  the  oldest 
inhabitants,  and  has  thus  identified  many  places  which  I  myself  should  never 
have  managed  to  do.     In  the  present  case,  for  instance,  he  has  found  that  James 
Knight's  ponds  were  at  Coneycroft.    They  were  the  old  fish-ponds  belonging  to 
the  Priory,  where  the  stock  of  Carp,  Tench,  &c.,  were  preserved.     They  are 
now  dry,  or   only  hold   a  little  water  after  heavy   rains,    such  as  we  had   at 
Selborne  in  the  first  week  of  November   1899,  when  Mr.   Maxwell  found  the 
record  of  the  week  to  have  been  five  inches. — [R.  B.  S.] 

2  Mr.  Grant  Allen  in  his  map  of  the  village  gives  the  site  of  the  "  Hermitage  " 
as  outside  the  "Zigzag."     Mr.  Maxwell  tells  me  that  his  father  spoke  of  the 
Hermitage  as  being  on  the  Bostal,  which  is  much  more  likely  to  be  correct,  as 
it  would  be  close  to  White's  property.     Mr.  Grant  Allen  places  the  "Alcove" 
where  local  tradition  assigns  the  site  of  the  "  Hermitage."— -[R.  B.  S.] 


262     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Saved  the  seed  of  one  that  grew  near  the  stem,  &  was 
very  fine. 

Tyed-up  more  Endives. 

17. — Had  been  dry  for  8  days  :  now  very  wet. 

18. — Cut  a  Cantaleupe  from  one  of  the  later  plants  : 
weighed  2  p**-  5  oun  : 

Esteemed  very  curious  :  saved  ye  seed. 

Septemr-  26. — Earthed  about  half  way  seven  rows  of 
Celeri. 

27. — Cut  two  Cantaleupes,  &  took  away  two  of  the 
frames :  only  one  fruit  remaining.  Dug-up  the  Carrots, 
&  Potatoes  :  the  potatoes  not  a  great  Crop,  nor  very  large. 
Dry,  pleasant  weather. 

28. — Continued  the  dug-ground  down  Baker's  Hill  for 
more  Garden.  Dug  a  border  down  the  shrubbery  under 
the  rod-hedge. 

Octobr-  2  :  3. — Chip'd  the  best  of  ye  Polyanths  in  ye  broad 
shady  walk,  &  planted  two  rows  again  in  the  same  place. 

4:5:  6. — Planted  three  beds  of  Pine-strawberries,  & 
two  of  scarlet  D°-  in  the  New  Garden.  Planted  a  few  large 
strawberries  called  Collinson's.  Nova  Scotia,  &  white  Straw- 
berries sent  me  by  Brother  Thomas. 

6. — Cut  last  Cantaleupe  ;  &  housed  the  frame  very  dry. 
Firm,  good-flavoured  Fruit. 

Octobr-  8. — Fine  still  weather  in  general  since  the  9th  of 
Septemr- :  now  rain,  &  a  vast  storm  of  wind,  that  blew- 
down  some  shrubs,  &  beat  to  pieces  all  the  flowers. 

17. — Transplanted  about  100  Green  Capuchin,  &  Brown- 
dutch  Lettuce  to  Dame  Tyrrels  Garden  to  stand  ye  winter. 
Dressed  the  border  at  ye  back  of  ye  melon-screen,  &  planted 
a  row  of  Sweet  Williams  :  planted  a  row  of  D°-  in  the 
border  in  the  New-Garden  against  ye  Street. 

21. — Received  from  Mur  :  Middleton  12  double  blue 
Hyacinths,  12  early  blowing  tulips,  6  Polyanth-Narcissus, 
6  double  white-Hyacinths,  Quart1"-  pd-  of  Anemonies,  50 
good  Ranunculus,  two  Moss-Provence-roses. 

21. — Planted  the  two  Moss-provence  roses  behind  the 
border  next  y6  street  in  the  New-Garden.  Put  to  blow 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  263 

in  the  Glasses  3  double  blue,  &  double  white  Hyacinths ; 
&  one  early  Tulip. 

Octobr-  27. — Slip'd-out  the  buds  of  the  Pyramidal  Cam- 
panula, which  blowed  this  Year,  &  planted  them  in  several 
pots,  four  in  a  pot. 

Novr-  2. — Saw  a  very  unusual  sight ;  a  large  flock  of 
House-Martens  playing  about  between  our  fields,  &  the 
Hanger.  I  never  saw  any  of  the  swallow-kind  later  than 
the  old  10 :  of  Octobr-  The  Hanger  being  quite  naked  of 
leaves  made  the  sight  the  more  extraordinary. 

Warm  wet  weather  for  many  days,  with  blowing  nignts, 
&  sunny  mornings. 

The  leaf  fallen  more  than  usual. 

Novr-  8. — M  :  Middleton's  large  late  Aster  just  blowing  : 
a  fine  showey  flower  of  a  beautiful  purple. 

8. — Set  to  blow  in  Glasses  four  Polyanth-Narcissus,  & 
two  Hyacinths  brought  me  by  Brother  Thomas. 

14. — Planted  in  the  Butcher's  Yard  between  ye  limes 
one  white,  &  two  purple  lilacs. 

Novemr-  16. — Planted  in  broad  border  next  Parsons's  : 
No.    i.  Double  blue  Hyacinths. 
„      2.  D°-  White. 
„      3.  Early  tulips. 

„      4.  Quarter  of  a  pound  of  Anemonies. 
„      5.  50  Ranunculus. 
„      6.  My  own  Hyacinths. 
„      7.  My  own  Tulips. 
„      8.  Bro  :  Tho  :   Polyanth-Narcissus,    &   Jonquils  : 

some  have  been  in  Glasses. 
„      9.  Mr-  Budd's  Ranunculus. 
„    10.  Mur  :  Middleton's  Narcissus. 
„    ii.  16  Coronae  Imperiales. 
„    12.  Mr-  Budd's  Narcissus. 
The  border  very  dry,  &  in  very  fine  order. 
Nov.    20. — Planted    four    Damascene-plum-trees    from 
North  Warnboro'. 

Nov.  24. — Set-up  two  wickets  from  ye  upper  end  of  my 
Ewel-close  thro'  Parson's  field  to  the  pound-field. 


264     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Planted  9  long  rows,  3  pints  of  early  beans,  in  the  field- 
garden  Ground  in  very  dry,  good  order. 

25. — Trenched  &  dunged  very  stoutly  a  piece  of  Ground 
for  melon-earth  next  spring. 

Decent*-  14. — Earthed-up  Artichokes. 

The  spring,  &  Summer  of  1758  were  much  in  the 
extreams.  From  ye  last  week  in  March  to  the  first  of  July 
was  one  long  dry  fit,  with  very  few  showers  between.  At 
one  time,  I  think,  the  Ground  was  more  scorch'd  than  even 
in  summer  1757  :  &  the  lent-corn  began  to  suffer  greatly. 
But  on  the  Ist  of  July  the  great  rains  began  to  set-in,  & 
continued  with  very  little  intermission  till  the  10  of  Septemr- 
The  Autumn  was  moderately  dry,  &  pleasant ;  &  continued 
very  mild,  one  short  frost  excepted,  to  the  end  of  ye  Year. 


Garden-Kalendar  for  the  Year  1759 

Jan.  19. — Wheeled-in,  &  cast  18  barrows  of  hot  dung 
for  the  seedling-Cucumber-bed. 

20. — The  season  has  continued  uncommonly  mild  to 
this  time.  Many  kinds  of  flowers  are  got  above  ground 
some  weeks  before  their  usual  time  :  the  snow-drops,  & 
some  Crocus's  were  in  bloom  before  old  Decemr-  was  out : 
&  Farmer  Knight  complains  that  several  of  his  turneps  are 
in  blossom.1 

Covered  the  tulip,  &  Hyacinth-buds  with  a  thin  coat  of 
tan  that  is  rotten. 

Have  got  some  mould  in  excellent  order  for  the  early 
Cucumbers;  it  is  a  mixture  of  strong  loam,  ashes,  &  tan, 
tumbled  about  &  well  incorporated  all  the  winter. 

The  Glass  has  been  very  high  for  many  days  with  a 
falling  mist,  &  a  blustering  west-wind. 

Jan:  22. — Turned  the  earth  trench'd  for  ye  Melons,  & 
gave  it  an  other  sprinkle  of  very  rotten  dung  :  turned  the 
Dorton-earth,  &  mixed  with  it  three  barrows  of  rotten  tan. 

23. — Made  the  Cucumber  seedling-Hot-bed  turning  the 
fronts  to  the  south-west  to  take  all  the  sun  these  short 
days.  Hard  frost  for  two  nights,  &  bearing  Ice. 

24. — Laid  -  on  the  mould  on  the  hot  -  bed ;  fill'd  & 
plunged  four  pots  for  Cucumber  seeds.  Sowed  a  pot  with 
Cucumber-seeds,  &  set  it  by  the  parlour  fire  for  experi- 
ment-sake. These  seeds  came-up,  but  would  not  advance 
beyond  the  two  first  leaves. 

26. — Bed  come  a  kindly  heat:  sowed  above  an  100 
Cucumber-seeds  within  &  without  the  pots. 

1  These  turnips  had  certainly  got  extraordinarily  forward. — [H.  M.] 

265  2  L 


266     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

30. — Cucumber  plants  begin  to  appear. 

Feb.  3. — Sowed  a  small  Quantity  of  curious  Polyanth- 
seed,  given  me  by  Mr-  Hale  of  Hambleton,1  in  a  box ;  & 
set  ye  box  where  it  may  receive  the  morning-sun. 

Sowed  20  more  Cucumber-seeds  in  the  frame.  First 
plants  thrive,  &  look  of  a  good  Colour.  Unusual  sunny, 
fine  weather. 

Feb.  3. — Cucumbers  in  ye  pot  by  the  fire -side  come 
up  very  well. 

5. — Set  in  a  nursery-bed  a  good  parcel  of  Hyacinth,  & 
Tulip-ofsets. 

7. — Finished  trimming,  &  tacking  the  vines  according 
to  Hit.  Took  away  abundance  of  ye  old  wood :  The  vines 
in  one  Year  more  will  be  quite  furnished  with  new. 

Ashed  the  great  mead,  Clover-field,  &  part  of  the  slip 
with  three  dung-pots  of  ashes  :  quite  cleared  the  House. 

Cucumber-plants  thrive  so  fast,  that  to  day  the  12  day 
from  sowing  the  seeds,  many  of  the  plants  have  got  a  rough 
leaf.  Fine  dry  weather,  with  a  good  deal  of  Sunshine; 
more  like  April,  than  old  January.  Paths  quite  firm. 

8:9:  10. — Set-on  three  Labourers  this  fine  weather  to 
dig  all  my  Ground  ready  for  Crops  :  turn'd  my  plot  of 
melon-earth  the  third  time  :  &  wheeled  out  of  the  way  all 
the  old  rotten  dung,  &  tan. 

10. — Sowed  Gallon  of  early  pease;  &  half  pound  of 
spinage  :  planted  Gallon  of  Winsor  beans,  &  200  of  Cab- 
bage plants. 

Feb.  9. — Turned-out  of  their  pots,  &  planted  in  deep 
mould  several  of  the  best  Cucumber  plants  :  plants  strong, 
&  thriving. 

Notwithstanding  the  long  dry  weather  the  Ground  will 
but  just  work  decently. 

12. — Carryed  into  the  Hot -bed  Ground  eight  loads 
(dung-carts)  of  hot  dung  for  the  forward  Cucumbers. 

-Perfect  summer  :  the  air  full  of  Gnats  :  &  the  surface 
of  the  Ground  full  of  spiders  webs,  as  in  a  fine  day  in 
August.  The  sun  lay  so  hot  on  the  frame  that  the 

1  Hambledon,  near  Droxford. — [H.  M.] 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  267 

Cucumber-plants  wanted  to  be  shaded.  Some  plants  have 
a  broad  rough  leaf. 

13. — Made  the  bank  against  the  new-garden  pretty  fine 
&  smooth  by  the  advantage  of  this  fine  weather.  Planted 
it  with  flowers  in  two  rows  :  the  upper  row  was  Colum- 
bines. French-honeysuckles,  &  rose  Campions,  at  a  Yard 
apart :  the  lower  row  all  sweet- Williams,  at  a  foot  apart. 
Ordered  the  bank  to  be  well  beat,  &  the  water-table  to  be 
cut  so  deep,  that  no  mould  can  tumble  on  the  brick  walk. 
The  bank  lays  very  handsome,  on  a  hanging  level. 

Feb.  15. — Cucumber  -  plants  thrive  strangely.  Some 
have  got  a  fourth  leaf  quite  expanded  ;  &  their  first  rough 
leaf  as  broad  as  a  Crown-piece.  No  rain  at  all  since  this 
day  month.  Great  fogs  for  these  two  days  past,  that  hang 
'till  the  afternoon  :  then  bright  sun-shine.  Planted  Holy- 
oaks  in  the  new  border  under  the  rod-hedge  down  Baker's 
hill ;  &  mended-out  the  borders  in  our  own,  &  the  Butcher's 
Yard. 

17. — Received  from  Mr-  Philip  Miller  of  Chelsea  about 
80  Mellon-seeds  1754  :  immediately  from  Armenia  ;  which 
he  finds  to  be  better  than  those  that  have  been  first  brought 
to  Cantaleupe,  &  thence  to  England.1 

20. — Made  my  early  Cucumber  bed  with  8  loads  of 
dung ;  &  cased  it  round  well  with  a  Coat  of  refuse  hay, 
well  sparred-on. 

Feb.  20. — Black,  rough,  March-like  weather  :  seems  to 
threaten  snow. 

22. — Laid-on  the  hills  of  earth  on  the  Cucumber-bed. 
Now  rain  after  many  weeks  dry  weather. 

23. — Turned-out  two  pots  of  Cucumbers  in  one  of  the 
two-light  frames  :  the  Plants  have  got  a  fifth  leaf,  &  a  joint : 
the  two  first  rough  leaves  are  as  broad  as  the  palm  of  my 
Hand.  This  day  month  the  seeds  were  put  into  the  frame. 
Plunged  14  pots  for  Cantaleupes  in  the  two  two-light 
frames. 

24. — Sowed  six  of  the  pots  with  Cantaleupe-seed  from 

1  See  Bell's  ed.,  vol.  ii.  p.  347,  where  a  letter  from  Miller  to  Gilbert  White 
is  reproduced. 


268     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Waver  ley  1756  :  &  eight  of  the  pots  with  Armenian-Canta- 
leupe  1754  from  Mr-  Miller.  Fierce,  piercing  East-wind 
with  a  low,  sinking  Glass.  The  Glass  has  been  up  at,  & 
above  fair  ever  since  new  Year's  day  till  Yesterday. 

25. — Vast  rain  all  night. 

26. — Transplanted  more  Cucumbers  in  the  other  two 
light-frame.  Bed  full  hot. 

Feb.  27. — One  pot  of  Miller's  Cantaleupes  begins  to 
appear.  Continual  heavy  rain. 

28. — Sowed  one  more  Armenian  seed  in  each  of  the 
six  pots  :  so  there  are  three  seeds  in  every  pot.  Plants 
came  almost  all  up  in  general  last  night :  raised  the  pots 
allmost  out  of  the  mould. 

March  i. — Sowed  some  Cucumber-seeds  to  give  away. 

3. — The  Cantaleupes  looking  not  quite  right.  I  plunged 
the  pots  up  to  their  brims  in  the  mould. 

4. — Cucumbers  grow  away,  &  put-out  long  wires  ;  have 
six  leaves,  &  three  joints. 

Sad  heavy  showers. 

Put-in  a  few  more  Cantaleupe-seeds  into  the  worst- 
looking  pots. 

6. — Ventured  to  mat-down  the  Cucumber-frames  un- 
triged l  for  the  first  time. 

Continual  rain. 

7. — Bright  sun-shine  all  day ;  scalded  some  of  the 
Cucumber-leaves. 

8. — Continual  rain  all  day. 

9. — Raised  the  frames  the  thickness  of  one  brick. 
Cantaleupes  look  in  general  very  well  :  plenty  of  plants 
at  present.  Vast  storm  in  the  Evening,  &  very  heavy  rain. 

March  10. — Vast  tempest  all  night,  &  this  morning  ; 
which  at  noon  blew-down  the  weathercock  on  the  tower. 

12. — This  day  6  weeks  the  Cucumber-plants  appeared 
above  ground ;  &  have  now  five  &  six  joints  apiece,  & 
are  full  of  budds  for  bloom,  &  fruit.  Watered  them  gently 
for  the  first  time  over  the  leaves  with  y6  watering-pot. 
Promises  for  dry,  &  cold. 

1  Unraised.— [H.  M.] 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  269 

13  :  14. — Carted  20  loads  of  hot  dung  into  the  melon- 
ground  for  ye  Cantaleupes  :  seven  of  my  own,  &  thirteen 
borrowed. 

15. — One  of  the  Cucumber-plants  has  a  Male-bloom 
fully  expanded. 

The  weather  very  wet,  &  stormy. 

Sowed  ye  Celeri  Hand-glass. 

17. — Vast  storms  still. 

Cucumbers  thrive,  but  not  the  Cantaleupes. 

19. — Received  from  Brother  Tho  :  three  sorts  of  the 
double-flowering  Sweet  Briar ;  &  two  roots  of  the  large 
tap-rooted  Lathyrus  ;  &  three  roots  of  the  Lathyrus-Earth- 
nut  with  a  tuberose  root. 

March  19. — Vast  rain  most  part  of  the  day.  Wind 
abated.  The  late  storms  have  done  considerable  damage 
among  our  ships. 

20. — Cucumber-plants  showed  plenty  of  fruit  for  the 
first  time ;  all  on  the  second  wood.  Black  weather,  & 
continual  showers. 

22. — Moved  the  seedling  Cucumber-frame  nearer  to  the 
two-light  frames,  &  sowed  it  with  radishes  on  very  deep 
mould. 

Beautiful  day. 

21. — Mowed  the  grass-plot  for  the  first  time  :  a  vast 
plenty  of  Grass,  which  lined  the  Cucumber-bed.  Made 
two  beds,  with  one  barrow  of  dung  each,  for  two  hand- 
glasses, for  white-mustard,  &  cress. 

23. — Planted  4  of  the  double-Briars  in  the  new-Garden 
against  the  street,  &  one  in  the  front  of  the  House ;  & 
the  two  long  Lathyrus-roots  against  the  apple-tree  next 
Parsons's.  Grubb'd  the  orchard-walk,  &  planted  it  with 
Holy-oaks,  &  Wall-flowers.  Potted  some  sweet-williams. 

Removed  the  double  jonquils,  out  of  the  orchard,  under 
Lassam's  hedge. 

24. — Dressed  the  Rasps.  Removed  half  the  Capuchin, 
&  Brown-Dutch  Lettuces  from  Dame  Tyrrel's  Garden  back 
to  the  New-Garden. 

Sowed  four  Drills  of  Marrow-fat  pease  in  Baker's  Hill. 


270     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Sowed  a  drill  of  parsley.  Yesterday  a  beautiful  Summer's 
day. 

Grafted  my  three  Cantaleupe-frames,  &  raised  them  9 
inches  behind,  and  in  proportion  before.  Hyacinths  in 
bloom  in  the  open  air ;  &  one  Narcissus.  Early  Tulips 
have  been  blown  above  this  fortnight. 

25. — First  Cucumber-blossom  fully  expanded. 

Still,  grey  weather,  with  a  very  high  Barometer. 

Some  fruit  shows  on  the  first  runners  of  some  plants. 
The  lining  of  grass-mowings  gives  a  great  Heat  to  the 
Cucumber  bed.  Hyacinths  abroad  full  as  early,  as  those 
in  ye  Glasses. 

26. — Work'd-up  the  20  loads  of  dung  (brought  in  on 
the  14th)  into  a  Cantaleupe-bed  for  the  nine  large  lights. 
The  bed  is  tucked  to  six  feet  &  half  broad,  &  36  in  length. 
Laid  some  very  stiff  loam  all  over  about  an  inch  thick  ; 
&  put  on  the  boxes,  &  lights.  The  bed  is  about  two  feet 
thick.  Housed  seven  more  barrows  of  dorton-loam ;  in 
all  14. 

27. — Sawed-down  those  two  espalier-trees  in  y6  New- 
Garden  that  bore  angular  apples ;  &  employed  John 
Lassam  to  graft  the  stems  with  some  Cuttings  from  the 
Royal-russet  in  the  Orchard.  Grafted  two  of  the  Golden 
pippins  in  the  Orchard  with  Cuttings  from  a  tree  of  the 
same  sort. 

March  28. — Put  the  male-bloom  to  three  of  the  first 
fruit-Cucumber-blossoms,  that  were  just  turning-in,  in 
order  to  set  them. 

Sowed  three  pots  more  of  Miller's,  &  three  pots  of 
Waverley-Cantaleupes,  two  seeds  in  a  pot ;  to  supply  the 
hills  in  Case  of  any  failure.  Miller's  marked  as  usual 
with  sticks.  Plunged  the  pots  in  one  of  the  Cantaleupe- 
boxes. 

29. — Sowed  half  a  Gallon  more,  four  rows  of  Marrow- 
fats, in  the  lower  field-garden :  the  rows  are  four  feet  apart ; 
the  former  sowing  five. 

30. — Put  a  brimful  barrow  of  Dorton-loam  into  each 
light  of  the  Cantaleupe-bed.  The  Hills  will  require,  now 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  271 

the  boxes  are  raised,  a  barrow  &  half  each  at  least.  Bed 
comes  slowly  to  its  heat ;  &  is  very  mild  yet. 

31. — Planted  groups  of  Sweet  Williams  in  the  border 
under  the  rod-hedge  down  the  shrubbery. 

Put  half  barrow  more  of  loam  to  each  Cantaleupe-Hill. 
Bed  very  mild. 

Finished  a  bastion,  &  Haha,  fenced  with  sharp'ned  piles, 
in  the  vista  from  Baker's  Hill  to  the  Great-mead:  &  a 
conical  mount,  about  six-feet  diameter  at  top,  and  five  high, 
at  the  bottom  of  the  great  mead.  Mount  about  eight  days 
work  ;  Haha  about  sixteen.1 

Fierce  frost,  &  vast  hoar-frost  on  the  Grass :  the  Ground 
continued  very  hard,  and  icy  all  day  in  the  shade. 

April  2. — Sowed  ounce  of  Carrots  with  green,  &  white 
Coss-Lettuce  ;  ounce  of  Onions ;  &  a  few  parsneps.  Fine 
weather. 

3. — The  Cantaleupe-bed  not  coming  to  a  proper  degree 
of  Heat,  I  ordered  it  to  be  pulled  to  pieces,  &  worked-up 
with  10  loads  of  fresh  hot  dung  just  brought  in.  The 
Labourers  made-use  of  about  16  loads  of  the  first  bed 
again  :  so  the  new  bed  contains  26  loads.  Laid  some  loam 
all  over  to  keep-down  the  steam ;  ^  some  turfs  under  the 
Hills.  Put  one  barrow  of  loam  to  each  Hill. 

Bed  more  than  seven  feet  wide ;  &  two  feet  &  half 
thick  behind. 

April  4. — Widened-out  the  Cucumber-bed  in  front  three 
feet  with  about  two  loads  of  the  dung,  which  came-out  of 
the  Cantaleupe-bed;  &  laid-on  a  thick  covering  of  strong 
loam :  lined  it  behind  with  Grass,  &  weeds. 

Some  fruit  set,  that  grows  apace. 

Planted  some  Everlasting-pease  of  my  sowing  last  Year  ; 
and  some  earth-Nut  Lathyruss  under  the  rod-hedge  against 
Parsons's. 

Planted  more  sweet-Williams,  &  some  Columbines 
under  the  rod-hedge  against  the  shrubbery.  Planted  8 
Laurels,  with  a  sweetwilliam  between  each  two,  on  the 

1  The  Haha  still  exists,  and  is  in  excellent  preservation. — [R.  B.  S.] 


272     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

bank  of  the  Bastion  behind  the  seat.     Planted  Columbines 
in  the  Orchard-walk. 

5. — Raked-down,  &  weeded  the  Asparagus-beds  the  first 
time. 

7. — On  my  return  from  Chilgrove  &  Harting  I  found 
the  Cantaleupe-bed  come  to  a  very  fine  degree  of  Heat. 
Turned-out  the  Cantaleupes  into  their  Hills :  the  plants  are 
healthy,  &  well-rooted ;  but  a  little  drawn  by  the  large 
rambling  runners  of  ye  Cucumbers.  The  three  nearest  hills 
are  Waverley ;  the  six  farthest  are  Armenian  Cantaleupes. 
Six  pots  left,  which  I  plunged  in  the  great  boxes. 

Sowed  about  40  seeds  of  the  great  White-Dutch- 
Cucumber,  saved  last  Year. 

Six  pots  of  Waverley,  &  Armeman-Cantaleupes  just 
coming  out  of  the  mould,  by  way  of  supply,  if  wanted. 

8. — Vast  rain  from  the  East :  &  all  day  on  y6  6th- 

9.  Cut  first  Cucumber  :  it  had  a  good  flavour,  &  smell. 
Several  more  set.  The  seeds  were  put  into  the  Ground 
10  weeks,  &  two  days  ago. 

Unusual  heavy  rain  for  29  hours. 

ii. — Vast  rain  great  part  of  the  day,  &  night. 

The  lining  the  Cantaleupe-bed  between  the  frames  with 
weeds  cut  from  the  orchard  filled  the  bed  with  snails. 
Forced  to  take  the  weeds  away,  else  the  snails  would  have 
devoured  all  the  plants.  The  water  stands  in  the  lining  of 
the  Cucumber-bed  almost  shoe  deep. 

At  a  mark  cut  in  the  bark  of  the  great  Oak  in  the  mead, 
between  two  &  three  feet  from  the  ground,  I  measured  that 
tree,  with  a  design  to  see  how  much  the  body  may  swell 
in  one  summer.  It  girted  seven  feet  5  inc. 

April  12. — Sowed  about  a  peck  of  old  bacon-salt  in 
middle  of  the  great  mead. 

Made  half  Hogsh:  of  raisin  wine  with  an  Hund:  of 
Smyrnas,  &  half  D°-  of  Malagas :  put  to  them  in  the  tun-tub 
27  Gallons  of  water. 

13. — Made  an  Annual-bed  for  the  biggest  one-light  frame 
with  6  barrows  of  hot  dung,  &  one  of  weeds  :  laid  on  the 
mould  six  inches  deep.  Finished-off,  &  raked  very  smooth 


-"         ': 

' 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  273 

the  bastion,  &  sowed  it  very  thick  with  rye-grass,  &  white 
clover.  Sowed  ye  bare  places  in  the  fields,  &  orchard  with 
the  same. 

Planted  two  rows  of  slips  of  a  very  fine  sort  of  double- 
bloody-wall-flower  from  my  Dame  Scot's  of  Harting. 

Made  the  ground  very  mellow  with  lime-rubbish.  Sowed 
a  plot  of  Holy-oak-seed,  &  leek-seed.  Planted  some  rose- 
campions,  &  Columbines  in  the  new  Garden. 

A  perfect  summer's  day,  that  fetched  ye  beds  finely  to 
their  heat  after  such  gluts  of  rain. 

Saw  seven  swallows,  the  first  this  Year,  playing  about 
James  Knight's  House. 

My  great  Dutch-Cucumbers  come-up  in  one  of  the 
Cantaleupe-boxes  almost  every  seed. 

14. — Sowed  the  annual  Bed  with  African,  &  French 
Marrygolds  purple,  &  white  Asters,  &  pendulous  Ama- 
ranths. 

Planted  a  potatoe-bed  with  fine  large  potatoes  cut  in 
pieces,  which  came  from  Swarraton  :  three  rows  a  yard 
from  each  other.  Put  half  barrow  of  loam  into  each 
Cantaleupe-light. 

19. — Cut  brace  of  Cucumbers :  the  second  time  of 
cutting. 

Sowed  everlasting  pease,  &  wild-Lathyrus  from  the 
Lythe ;  soaked  the  seeds  in  water  two  nights  &  a  day  : 
Dwarfsunflowers ;  Nasturtiums;  Tree-primroses;  Rhubarb; 
Boorcole,  red,  &  green  ;  &  savoys. 

Dressed  Artichokes. 

April  16. — Earthed  Cantaleupe  hills  for  the  first  time  : 
examined  into  the  hills,  &  found  the  bed  unexpectedly 
warm  :  no  loam  burnt,  but  very  hot.  Gave  a  pretty  deal 
of  water.  Plants  in  general  thrive,  &  throw-out  runners. 
The  turfs  at  bottom  very  useful.  Very  cutting,  March-like 
weather. 

17. — Cut  brace  more  of  Cucumbers. 

Very  stormy,  cold  weather. 

16. — Heard  the  first  nightingale  in  my  fields. 

On  my  return  on  the  28  from  Oxon  I  found  the  Canta- 

2  M 


274     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

leupe-plants  in  good  Condition  ;  several  of  the  runners  had 
three  or  four  Joints  apiece.  The  three  hills  of  Waverley- 
plants  much  more  gross,  &  strong  than  any  of  the  Arme- 
nian :  tho'  the  last  are  in  a  promising  way.  Stop'd-down 
the  runners,  &  cut  away  some  plants,  where  very  thick. 
The  bed  very  hot.  One  hill  quite  destroyed  by  a  Grub  : 
John  destroyed  the  Grub,  &  transplanted-out  a  fresh  pot  in 
the  Hill. 

Cut  this  day  the  twentieth  Cucumber :  many  more 
growing  in  succession. 

Cutting  east  wind  for  some  days. 

April  30. — Made  five  hills  in  the  new  Garden  for  Hand- 
glasses, three  with  two  barrows  of  hot  dung  apiece,  &  two 
with  two  apiece,  for  the  large  white-Dutch-Cucumbers. 

Some  of  the  Cantaleupes  have  a  shew  for  bloom  :  their 
hills  have  been  earthed  twice. 

Sowed  more  balsoms  in  pots  :  the  first  sowing  sadly 
drawn. 

Stuck  the  dwarf-early-pease  with  sticks  out  of  ye  faggots. 

May  Ist- — Pulled-away  the  Hedge  round  the  fir-quincunx, 
&  hoed  the  Ground  clean. 

2. — The  Hanger  out  in  full  leaf ;  but  much  banged 
about  by  the  continual  strong  East-wind  that  has  blown 
for  many  days.  The  buds,  &  blossoms  of  all  trees  much 
injured  by  the  wind.  The  ground  parch'd,  and  bound 
very  hard.  The  cold  air  keeps  the  nightingales  very  silent. 
No  vegetation  seems  to  stir  at  present. 

Disbudded  some  of  the  vines  :  the  buds  are  about  an 
Inch  long. 

3rd- — Made  second  annual  bed  with  6  barrows  of  Grass, 
&  weeds  only  ;  no  dung. 

Planted-out  the  five  hand-glasses  with  the  great  white- 
Dutch-Cucumbers  ;  4  plants  in  a  hill.  The  plants  are 
pretty  much  drawn.  This  evening  the  vehement  east-wind 
seems  to  be  abated  ;  &  the  air  is  soft  &  cloudy. 

Ground  bound  like  a  stone. 

May  4. — Sowed  a  pint,  four  rows,  of  small  dwarf  white- 
kidney-beans  in  the  lower  field-garden. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  275 

Earthed  the  Cantaleupes  the  third  time  :  found  all  the 
plants  in  a  very  flourishing  way,  &  the  fibres  extended  to 
the  very  outsides  of  the  hills.  Cut-away  the  plants  to  one 
in  some  of  the  hills ;  &  left  two  in  some,  stopping  down 
the  worst  plant  very  short  towards  the  bottom  of  the 
runners,  for  experiment  sake,  to  see  what  the  small  wood 
about  the  stems  will  do.  Some  of  the  plants  offer  for  male 
bloom. 

Saw  the  first  Redstart,  &  Cherrysucker. 

Sowed  about  two  doz:  of  the  large  white-Dutch- 
Cucumber-seeds  for  ye  latter  handglasses  :  the  first  sowing 
got  full  tall,  &  big. 

Delicate  soft  rain  all  the  afternoon,  &  all  night,  which 
soaked  the  Ground  well  to  the  roots  of  all  vegetables. 

5. — Fine  Growing  weather. 

Several  of  the  Cantaleupes  have  male  blossoms  fully 
expanded. 

May  7. — Disbudded  all  the  vines  according  to  Hit. 
Almost  every  shoot  shows  bloom. 

Housed  21  barrows  of  the  last  prepared  Cantaleupe 
loam  :  by  means  of  the  late  rains  in  (sic),  is  in  most  delicate 
order,  &  crumbles  quite  to  dust. 

9. — Berriman  sowed  Baker's  Hill  with  Barley,  &  after 
it  8  pounds  of  Clover,  &  two  bushels  of  white-seed,  or 
Rye  Grass. 

The  Ground  cold,  &  cloddy,  &  pretty  full  of  daisey- 
roots,  &  grass,  &  not  in  very  fine  order.  Added  since  8 
pds-  more  of  Clover. 

10. — Several  Cantaleupe-plants  shew  fruit,  &  grow  away 
at  a  great  rate. 

Pricked-out  the  annuals  into  the  second  hot-bed. 

Fine  showery,  growing  weather. 

12. — Gave  the  Cantaleupe-hills  a  full  barrow  of  loam 
each  :  the  fourth  time  of  earthing.  Cut  away  the  plants 
to  one  on  a  hill. 

14. — One  Cantaleupe-fruit  in  full  bloom. 

Made  three  hills  for  large  white  Cucumbers  in  Turner's 
Garden. 


276     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

May  15. — Sowed  the  second  pint  of  french-beans,  large 
white  Dutch  :  soaked  them  in  water  over  night. 

1 8. — Sowed  a  Crop  of  white,  green,  &  black  Coss- 
lettuce. 

All  my  Savoy-seed,  &  Boor-cole  fails  this  Year :  not 
one  plant  appears. 

20. — Strong  sun-shine  for  many  days,  &  a  sharp  east- 
wind.  Cold  white  dews  in  the  mornings.  Our  clay  ground 
as  hard  as  a  stone.  This  burning  Sun,  as  usual,  makes  the 
Cantaleupes  not  look  quite  right :  most  of  the  fruit,  as 
soon  as  it  appears,  turns  yellow.  The  single  fruit,  that  is 
out  of  bloom,  not  likely  to  stand. 

The  Dwarf  french-beans  are  come-up  pretty  well. 

The  lettuce  that  stood  the  winter  are  finely  leav'd.  This 
unkind  weather  stops  the  setting  of  ye  Cucumbers. 

21. — Earthed  the  Cantaleupes  the  last  time  within  their 
boxes.  Finding  the  Cantaleupes  much  exhausted,  &  dryed 
by  the  fierce  heat  of  the  Sun,  &  the  dry  air,  I  watered  them 
all  over,  leaves  &  all,  with  one  small  pot  of  water. 

The  leaves  all  hang-down,  &  have  a  dry,  paper-like 
feel,  &  look  woolly ;  &  the  fruit  all  turns  yellow.  I  re- 
member they  had  all  just  the  same  appearance  at  this  time 
last  Year,  the  sun-shine  &  east-wind  being  as  vehement. 

Planted  100  of  late  Cabbages. 

26. — The  burning,  sunny  weather  continues. 

The  Gardens  suffer  much  by  the  drought. 

29. — Frequent  showers. 

The  watering  the  Cantaleupes  twice  over  y6  leaves 
seemed  to  refresh  them  very  much  ;  but  has  occasioned 
one  of  Mr-  Hunter's  plants  to  grow  a  little  mouldy  at  a 
Joint  on  one  of  the  leaders  near  the  stem.  So  that  water, 
tho'  never  so  much  wanted,  is  dangerous  near  the  stem. 

The  Armenian  plants  in  general  have  small  leaves,  & 
vines  :  &  one  in  particular  is  so  fine,  &  wire  drawn,  that 
one  would  imagine  it  would  never  be  able  to  carry  any 
fruit  to  perfection.  The  rest  are  healthy,  &  are  disposed 
very  regularly  in  their  frames ;  &  are  full  of  fruit.  No 
fruit  set  yet. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  277 

Took  off  the  glasses  from  ye  early  Cucumbers,  &  annuals 
to  give  them  ye  benefit  of  the  showers. 

28  :  29. — Housed  four  loads  of  peat  in  most  excellent 
dry  order.  The  uncommon  dryness  occasions  some  waste 
by  making  the  bats l  crumble. 

Gathered  two  scarlet  strawberries. 

The  early  beans  have  large  pods  :  the  early  pease  are 
well  blown. 

30. — The  rain  on  the  29th  very  heavy  for  some  Hours ; 
so  as  to  make  the  Cart-way  run.  Raked  all  the  rough-dug 
ground  that  was,  'till  moistened,  like  an  heap  of  stones. 
Prick'd  a  plot  of  Celeri. 

31. — Sowed  a  pint  more  of  large  French-beans.  The 
first  sowings  strangely  devoured  by  snails.  Tull  gathered 
a  bowl-dish  three  quarters  full  in  one  evening ;  &  still 
the  plants  were  almost  covered  with  them  ye  next.  Cold 
winds,  &  frosty  mights  since  the  rain. 

Hoed  the  strawberries  that  were  planted  last  Autumn, 
&  filled-up  the  vast  cracks  in  their  beds.  At  least  half  the 
Autumn  planted  pine-strawberries  are  dead.  The  scarlet 
will  have  some  fruit ;  &  so  will  the  few  plants  of  Collin- 
son's.  The  Nova  Scotia  will  not  bear  this  Year. 

Stringed  the  bearing  pine-strawberries,  which  are  full 
of  bloom. 

The  Autumn  sown  Capuchin,  &  Brown-Lettuce,  now  in 
high  perfection.  I  have  a  very  poor  Crop  of  Coss-lettuce 
this  Spring. 

June  i. — Distant  thunder,  &  fine  showers  all  the  evening, 
&  part  of  the  night. 

May  3ist-  June  Ist-  :  2nd- — John2  tacked  all  the  vines  for 
the  first  time  this  Year  according  to  Hitt.  Those  vines  that 
were  dressed  in  that  method  last  Year,  are  now  full  of 
fruit :  those  that  have  been  trained  only  this  Year  have 
little,  or  none. 

1  The  peat  was  cut  into  pieces  of  about  the  size  of  a  brick-bat.  Even  fifty 
years  ago  many  people  used  peat-" bats"  for  banking  up  their  wood-fires,  but 
coal  has  now  taken  its  place. — [H.  M.] 

•  His  nephew.— [R.  B.  S.] 


278     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNL 

Frequent  good  showers.  The  ground  is  now  finely 
soaked. 

Continued  picking  vast  quantities  of  slugs  from  the 
french-beans,  which  are  in  a  poor  way. 

June  3. — Continual  heavy  showers  all  night,  &  all  day. 
The  Ground  is  now  well  soaked. 

5. — Lined-out  the  Cantaleupe-bed  with  twelve  dung- 
carts  of  hot  dung.  The  bed  is  now  12  feet  broad,  &  40 
feet  long. 

Continual  showers  all  day  :  so  that  no  loam  could  be 
laid  on  ye  bed,  but  what  was  already  housed  in  the  earth- 
house. 

The  Fig-tree  has  plenty  of  fruit,  which  grows  apace. 

June  5. — Such  a  violent  Rain,  &  wind  all  the  evening,  & 
most  part  of  the  night  that  they  broke-down,  &  displaced 
the  pease,  &  beans,  &  most  of  the  flowers;  &  tore  the 
hedges,  &  trees,  &  beat  down  several  of  the  shrubs. 

6. — Continual  rain  all  day.  The  lining  of  the  Cantaleupe- 
bed,  which  is  not  yet  earthed,  in  danger  of  losing  it's  Heat 
by  being  so  thoro'ly  soaked. 

8. — Earthed  the  lining  of  the  Cantaleupe-bed,  &  raised 
the  frames  to  the  top  of  the  earth. 

The  Waverley  plants  had  filled  the  frames  with  their 
roots  :  the  fibres  of  ye  Armenian  sort  had  not  extended 
themselves  so  much. 

Sowed  a  pint  more  of  dwarf-kidney-beans  in  the  room 
of  those  that  were  devoured  by  snails.  Fine  summer 
weather. 

Turned-down  the  three  forward  basons  of  Cucumbers 
from  out  their  Hand  glasses. 

9. — Gathered  first  beans,  a  large  Mess. 

Fine  soft  weather  for  some  days  ;  now  a  soaking  rain. 

ii. — Finished-off  the  borders  in  the  new-Garden,  by 
cleansing,  raising,  &  laying  a  good  coat  of  fine  peat-dust, 
finely  sifted,  in  order  to  make  them  light,  &  dry. 

Sowed  the  first  plot  of  Endive ;  &  a  plot  of  Lettuce, 
green  &  white  Coss. 

12. — In  the  Evening  began  a  vast  storm  which  continued 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  279 

all  the  night,  &  tore  &  destroyed  the  things  in  the  Gardens 
worse  than  the  former  :  it  broke  down  vast  boughs  in  the 
Hedges,  &  had  like  to  have  overturned  the  Limes  in  the 
Butcher's  Yard.  If  the  Annuals  had  been  planted-out  they 
must  have  been  quite  whipped  to  pieces.  The  hedges  look 
bare,  &  unsightly  by  being  lashed,  &  banged  by  the  wind ; 
&  the  Ground  is  strawed  with  leaves. 

13. — The  middle  Waverley-Cantaleupe  has  some  decayed, 
rotten  runners  :  Quae  :  if  occasioned  by  those  two  water- 
ings all  over  their  leaves  in  that  scorching  weather  in 
May. 

The  leaves  of  the  Armenian-Cantaleupes  have  a  much 
blacker  aspect  than  those  of  the  Waverley. 

14. — Planted  the  empty  basons  in  the  field,  &  two 
borders  in  the  New-Garden  with  annuals,  French,  &  Afr  : 
Marrygolds,  Sunflowers,  Nasturtiums,  pendulous  Amar- 
anths, &  China  Asters. 

Hot  growing  weather  :  vast  showers  about. 

15. — Planted  150  Savoys  from  Alton. 

16  :  18. — Lined-out  the  Cantaleupe-bed  with  loam  very 
deep  quite  down  to  ye  Ground  on  each  side  :  the  fibres 
may  now,  if  they  please,  extend  themselves  16  feet. 

The  plants  look  in  a  most  thriving  way,  &  are  loaded 
with  fruit ;  btit  they  hold-off  from  setting  strangely  :  no 
one  set  yet. 

Cut-off  a  great  branch  of  one  of  the  Waverley-Canta- 
leupes,  that  was  quite  rotten. 

June  19. — Planted-out  Crop  of  leeks ;  &  some  late  Coss- 
Lettuce. 

Furious  hot  summer  weather. 

20. — To  be  planted  pint  of  french-beans ;  and  an  early 
row  of  Celeri  to  be  trenched. 

All  the  former  Crops  of  french-beans  like  to  come  to 
nothing. 

23. — Called-in  upon  M>-  Miller  at  Chelsea,  &  found  he 
had  1 8  lights  of  Armenian  -  Melons  in  excellent  order. 
There  were  about  two  brace,  &  half  of  fruit  to  a  light, 
full-grown,  &  very  rough,  &  black.  He  pushes  his  lights, 


280     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

it  seems,  quite  down  in  dry  weather  :  &  says  the  defect 
of  male  bloom  is  owing  to  ye  seeds  being  of  some  age. 

30. — On  my  Return  from  Sunbury  I  found  my  Canta- 
leupes  in  very  bad  plight  indeed  :  two  of  the  Waverley 
plants  were  quite  rotten,  &  corrupted  at  the  stem ;  &  one 
of  the  Armenians,  the  day  after  I  came  home,  withered 
away,  tho'  perfectly  sound ;  &  dyed  as  if  eaten-off  at  the 
root ;  tho'  upon  search  no  grub  could  be  found  in  the 
mould.  And  what  is  stranger,  no  one  fruit  was  set  upon 
any  plant ;  tho'  hundreds  have  dropp'd  away.  There 
certainly  is  a  want  of  male  bloom  in  the  Armenians  to 
a  degree  :  but  then  the  Waverley  plants  over  abounded ; 
&  yet  cast  all  their  fruit. 

I  found  a  vast  crop  of  pease,  thro'  the  dripping  season  ; 
&  green  pease  soup  every  day.  The  first  hand-glass 
cucumbers  are  in  full  bearing  :  I  intend  to  save  4  more 
(the  large  white  Dutch)  for  Seed.  The  small  forward 
beans  have  an  unusual  Crop.  The  fourth  &  fifth  crop  of 
french-beans  like  to  come  to  good. 

July  2. — Planted-out  a  vast  bed  of  Holy-oaks. 

6. — Not  one  Cantaleupe  set  yet. 

July  6. — Planted-out  about  50  Polyanths,  raised  this 
spring  from  Seed  given  me  by  Mr-  Hale. 

7. — Finished  my  Hay-rick  in  most  excellent  order. 

The  weather  has  been  so  perfectly  hot,  &  bright  for 
these  five  days  past  that  my  Hay  was  all  cut,  &  made  in 
that  time. 

The  Crop  was  so  great  that  Kelsey's  people  made  8 
carryings  of  it :  &  the  burden  in  the  great  mead  was 
supposed  to  be  considerably  greater  than  ever  was  known. 
To  my  own  stock  I  added  two  tons  from  Farmer  Lassam, 
which  in  all  make  a  considerable  rick. 

Finished  cutting  the  hedges  round  Baker's  Hill. 

July  21. — On  my  return  from  Dene  on  this  day,  I  found 
I  had  but  one  Cantaleupe  set,  and  that  a  fig-shaped  one, 
not  likely  to  come  to  good. 

The  plants  are  in  uncommon  vigour,  &  grow  un- 
accountably, &  are  full  of  fruit  still ;  but  strangely  deficient 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  281 

in  male-bloom.  The  void  spaces  in  the  frames  are  quite 
filled-out  with  the  remaining  plants. 

Mr-  Cane's  Cantaleupes  were  all  burnt-up,  with  a  noble 
Crop  on  them  about  ten  days  before  the  fruit  would  have 
been  ripe.  He  had  a  fine  Crop :  but  the  intense  heats 
scorch'd  off  all  the  fibres  thro'  his  light,  dusty  earth. 

Tull  planted-out  Endives,  &  lettuce  in  my  absence ; 
&  pronged-up  the  bulbous  roots  against  Parsons's,  planting 
annuals  in  their  room.  John  trimmed  &  nailed  the  vines 
in  a  very  handsome  manner  according  to  Hit.  Those  vines 
that  have  been  managed  in  that  manner  for  two  years,  have 
a  noble  crop  of  fruit  very  forward.  My  Crops  of  beans, 
&  pease  are  very  extraordinary  this  year.  The  annuals 
against  the  broad  walk  in  the  new-Garden  are  uncommonly 
large. 

July  23. — Gathered  36  Cucumbers.  Earth'd-up  the 
Chinks  round  the  hand-glasses  with  melon-loam. 

Unusual  hot  summer- weather  for  three  weeks  past. 
Wheat-harvest  is  begun  in  some  places. 

26. — Pulled-up  an  other  of  the  Armenian  Cantateupes, 
which  was  rotten  at  Stem.  So  now  I  have  lost  four  plants 
out  of  nine.  The  fruit  begins  to  set  now  at  a  vast  rate  on 
the  remaining  plants  ;  as  fast  as  ever  they  fell-off  before. 

The  hot  vehement  season  continues:  the  ground  is 
wonderfully  burnt. 

July  31. — Now  a  great  rain  after  several  weeks  drought. 

Aug.  i. — On  Examination  I  found  above  20  brace  of 
Cantaleupes  set :  about  10  brace  on  one  of  the  Armenian 
plants ;  about  8  brace  on  the  only  remaining  Waverly 
plant ;  about  3  brace  on  an  other  Armenian  ;  2  brace  (one 
a  full-grown  fruit)  on  an  other :  &  one  Armenian  is  quite 
barren.  The  Waverley  plant  is  infected  with  the  rot  that 
destroyed  the  rest,  which  I  endeavour  to  stop  by  wiping, 
&  dust.  It  is  observable  that  those  plants  that  bear  so 
prodigiously  are  those  which  (their  fellows  being  rotten) 
have  the  space  of  two  or  three  lights  to  run  in.  Had  the 
fruit  set  in  this  manner  a  month  or  six  weeks  ago  (when  it 
all  dropp'd  off)  there  had  been  a  noble  early  Crop. 

2  N 


282     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Aug.  10. — The  first-set  Cantaleupe,  tho'  unpromising  at 
first,  now  a  fine,  beautiful,  large  fruit  just  like  Miller's. 
The  rest  of  later  date  come-on  apace.  Prodigious  hot, 
sunny  weather. 

Sowed  half  pound  of  spinage  mixed  with  Capuchin,  & 
Dutch-Lettuce,  &  white-turnep-Radishes.  Trenched  four 
rows  more  of  Celeri :  &  planted-out  150  more  Savoys. 

Tyed  about  20  of  the  Endives. 

Sowed  a  little  more  Endive-seed. 

14. — Lost  the  third,  &  last  Waverley-Cantaleupe  with  a 
Crop  of  4  brace  of  fruit  on  it.  I  have  now  lost  five  plants 
out  of  nine.  The  four  Armenians  now  remaining  have  10 
brace  of  fruit  likely  to  come  to  good.  Pulled-off  two  brace 
&  half  of  fruit,  some  of  a  considerable  size.  Hot  dry 
weather  still. 

Aug.  16. — Sowed  a  Crop  of  Coss- Lettuce,  and  Endive 
to  stand  the  winter. 

Trimm'd  the  side-shoots  of  the  vines  for  the  last  time. 
The  Clusters  are  unusually  large,  &  forward. 

Perfect  Summer-weather,  but  cooler. 

27. — Cut  a  vast  quantity  of  White-Dutch-Cucumbers. 
One  that  was  young,  &  eatable  weighed  2  pounds  5  ounces, 
&  measured  12  inch:  &  half  in  length.  The  Canker 
continues  to  spread  among  the  Cantaleupes,  &  is  likely  to 
destroy  plants  full  of  beautiful  fruit  within  a  fortnight  of 
being  in  perfection. 

28. — Planted  on  the  bank  several  large  white  Lilly- 
roots,  Crown-Imperials,  &  double  white-rockets. 

Cut  the  first  Endive. 

Septemr-  4. — Planted  some  tree  prime-roses  on  the 
bank. 

It  has  been  very  wet,  blowing  weather  for  several  days 
past. 

8. — Tyed-up  about  2  doz :  of  the  best  bunches  of 
Grapes  in  Crape-bags. 

ii. — Cut  ye  first  Cantaleupe  :  it  was  finely  emboss'd, 
&  weigh'd  3  p*15-  n  ounc  :  but  when  it  came  to  be  cut-up, 
it  had  hardly  any  flesh,  &  was  rank,  &  filthy. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  283 

Tyed-up  more  Endive. 

Uncommon  sunny,  sultry  day. 

15. — Tyed-on  18  more  Crape-bags  on  the  best  bunches 
of  Grapes.1 

Fine  dry  weather  with  pretty  cold  dews. 

29. — All  the  Cantaleupes  cut.  Not  one  in  perfection, 
tho'  many  were  finely  embossed,  &  looked  wonderfully 
promising.  The  Canker,  I  suppose,  had  prevented  their 
drawing  any  nourishment,  &  getting  any  thickness  of  flesh. 

Fine  dry  weather  for  a  long  time  past,  &  the  roads 
perfectly  good. 

The  small  bunches  of  Grapes  are  very  good ;  the  large 
ones  not  yet  ripe  against  the  wall. 

Octob.  i. — Tyed-up  last  Crop  of  Endive. 

The  largest  Cantaleupe  was  finely  embossed,  &  tho' 
almost  all  rind,  weigh'd  4  pounds  2  ounces. 

3. — Now  a  vast  rain  after  many  weeks  fine  Autumn 
weather. 

5. — Gathered  the  two  first  bunches  of  bag'd  Grapes  : 
they  were  a  little  mouldy  ;  but  the  sound  parts  of  the 
bunches  were  perfectly  ripe,  &  sweet. 

Octob  8. — Now  perfect  summer  weather  again,  after 
one  wet  day. 

The  Grapes  in  the  bags  unusually  fine  ;  &  both  bunches, 
&  single  Grapes  are  as  large  again  as  usual.  It  is  to  be 
observed  that  as  this  new  Culture  swells  the  Berries  so 
much ;  they  are  apt  in  this  Cluster-sort  to  press  too  hard 
on  each  other,  &  prevent  ripening,  &  occasion  mouldiness : 
therefore  if  the  grapes  were  thinn'd  out  the  beginning  of 
the  summer  with  the  points  of  a  pair  of  scissars,  it  would 
certainly  prove  an  advantage. 

10. — Planted  two  rows  of  Crocuss  along  the  borders 
under  the  dining-room  windows :  both  borders,  especially 
that  that  hath  the  vines  in  it,  were  made  very  light,  & 
mellow  with  an  abundance  of  Sand,  &  blacksmith's  cinders. 

Weeded,  &  cut  down  the  leaves  of  the  strawberries ; 
&  mended-out  those  beds  that  failed  with  the  pine  sort. 

1  To  protect  them  from  the  wasps. — [H.  M.] 


284     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Now  very  dry,  &  warm  :  but  there  are  great  tokens  of 
rain. 

ii. — Now  great  rains,  &  wind. 

Tunn'd  three  quarters  of  an  Hogsh  :  of  raisin-wine. 
The  Quantity  of  raisins  in  the  mash-vat  were  i  hund  :  & 
half  of  Symrnas,  &  3  Quarters  of  an  hundred  of  Malagas. 

The  Quantity  of  water  put-up  was  18  3-gallon-buckets  ; 
which  made  sufficient  Quantity  without  any  squeesing. 
The  Colouring  was  14  Quarts  of  Elder-syrop.  The  weather 
was  so  hot  that  it  stood  but  eleven  days  to  ferment  in  the 
vat.  The  elder-Juice  was  boiled-up  with  14  pounds  of 
sugar. 

Octobr-  16. — Finished-off  the  bank  in  the  new-Garden, 
&  planted  the  front  row  of  the  additional  part  with  pinks 
both  red,  &  pheasant-eyed  :  laid  it  with  turf  some  days  agon. 

On  measuring  the  great  oak  in  the  meadow  which  was 
measured  in  ye  spring,  I  found  it  to  be  encreased  in  girth 
about  one  inch. 

1 8. — The  mornings  begin  to  be  frosty,  yet  ye  Grapes 
continue  in  high  perfection. 

19. — Finished  a  broad  brick-walk  thro'  ye  new  wicket  at 
the  end  of  the  dining-room  ;  &  carryed  a  narrow  one  up 
by  the  side  of  ye  pitching  to  the  orchard-walk  :  rectifyed 
the  broken  pitching,  &  turned  the  gutter  at  the  brewhouse 
door,  so  as  to  get  a  12  inch  border  four  feet  long  for  a 
white-muscadine-vine. 

22. — Planted  a  row  of  Coss-lettuce  touching  the  wall 
along  the  vine-border  tinder  the  dining-room  window  to 
stand  the  winter.  Planted  a  row  of  Holy  oaks  against  the 
boards  of  the  wood-house. 

24. — Planted  the  irregular  slip  without  the  new  wicket 
in  the  Garden  with  first  two  rows  of  Crocuss  ;  a  row  of 
pinks ;  several  sorts  of  roses ;  Persian  Jasmine,  &  yellow 
D°-  several  sorts  of  Asters  ;  French-Willows  ;  a  curious  sort 
of  bloody  wallflowers  ;  Double  Campanulas  white,  &  blue  ; 
double  daisies  ;  &  a  row  against  the  hedge  of  good  rooted 
Laurustines.  Planted  the  back  row  of  the  part  of  the  bank 
newly  lengthened-out  with  blue,  &  white  Double  Cam- 


<_y««  *f?n<z££  dt&n-cri&i  <yafa^ie*j 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  285 

panulas ;  &  the  border  under  the  dining-room  window 
with  the  bloody-Double-wallflowers.  Planted  a  bason  in 
the  field  with  french-willows.  Planted  many  dosens  more 
of  Coss-lettuce  against  the  buttery-wall,  &  down  ye  wall 
against  the  Yard. 

Octobr-  25. — Planted  a  large  layer  of  the  musk-rose  from 
Mr-  Budd  against  the  board  of  the  old  barn. 

Wet  season  after  very  dry  weather. 

26. — Trimm'd,  &  tack'd  the  bottoms  of  the  vines  ac- 
cording to  Hit :  the  lower  parts  of  those  under  the  Dining- 
room  window  are  deficient  in  wood,  'till  more  can  be  got 
from  ye  stems. 

Began  curving  two  shoots  in  order  to  reduce  two  of  the 
vines  to  regular  shapes  from  the  bottom  by  degrees. 

Novemr-  5. — Planted  my  Hyacinths,  Narcissus's,  Ranun- 
culuss,  Tulips,  Crown-Imperials,  &  Anemonies  in  the  border 
against  Parsons's.  It  had  been  trenched  very  deep  with  a 
good  Quantity  of  rotten  tan,  &  was  in  perfect  dry  order 
when  the  roots  were  put-in. 

Planted  a  small  thriving  larch  at  the  east  corner  of 
Baker's  Hill ;  two  well-grown  Provence-roses  in  the  field- 
shubbery  ;  and  two  Monthly  roses  in  the  orchard  walk  ;  all 
from  North-Warnboro'. 

Fine  sunny  weather.  Planted  two  rows  of  hardy  lettuce 
under  the  filbert-hedge  against  Parsons's. 

6. — Trimmed  &  tack'd  the  fig-tree,  leaving  a  leading 
bough  in  the  middle  to  fill  the  wall  by  degrees  quite  up 
to  the  eaves. 

This  tree  is  full  of  young  wood,  &  fills  the  wall  well ;  & 
may  be  carry'd  by  a  second  stage  according  to  Hit  up  to 
the  tiles. 

Planted  a  number  of  Goose-berries  &  Currants  from 
Mr-  Johnson,  good  plants,  in  the  or  chard- walk,  &  among 
the  rasps. 

The  Grapes  lasted  in  good  perfection  'till  the  beginning 
of  Novemr-  those  that  were  hung-up  in  the  study  are  very 
sweet,  but  shrivelled  up  like  raisins,  notwithstanding  a 
grape  was  stuck  on  the  stem  of  each  Cluster. 


286     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

12. — Plunged  the  seven  pots  of  Pyram  :  Camp:  in  the 
border  against  Parsons's  under  ye  Filbert-hedge.  Planted 
a  nursery-border  of  small  bulbous-roots.  Dug  up  a  decay- 
ing Cluster-pine,  &  parsley-elder  in  the  shrubbery,  &  put 
a  two-thorned-Acacia,  &  Judas-tree  in  their  room.  A  most 
delicate  summer-like  day. 

Novr-  14. — Transplanted  the  striped-Epilobium  into  a 
fresh  bason.  Planted  about  20  fraxinellas,  seedlings  from 
Mr-  Budd,  in  a  nursery.  Planted  several  Laurels  in  the 
gaps  of  the  Hedges  round  Baker's  Hill. 

The  potatoes  raised  from  about  14  large  ones  cut  in 
pieces,  turned-out  a  fine  Crop  of  about  3  Bushels  :  several 
single  ones  weigh'd  about  a  pound.  Put-by  about  30  of 
the  finest  as  a  supply  for  a  crop  next  year. 

Planted  some  cuttings  of  parsley-elder,  with  some 
cuttings  of  fine  white  Currans. 

15. — Planted  in  the  new-garden  two  standard-Duke- 
Cherries  ;  an  espalier-Orleans-plumb ;  an  espalier-green- 
gage plumb  ;  a  duke-cherry  against  the  north-west-wall  of 
the  brewhouse,  &  a  standard-muscle-plumb  in  the  orchard. 
There  trees  came  from  Forster  of  North  Warnboro',  & 
seemed  to  be  good  in  their  kind  ;  were  planted  the  day 
they  were  taken  out  of  the  nursery,  in  basons,  which  being 
prepared  before,  were  in  excellent  crumbling  order. 

Novr-  1 6 — Planted  3  pints,  7  rows  of  small  early  beans  in 
the  lower  field-garden. 

Feb.  12. — From  Farmer  Kelsey  3  loads  of  Dung,  pd  of 
my  own  one  :  i  pd- 

March  13. — From  Farmer  Parsons  pd-  5  loads. 
From  F  :  Berriman  4  loads,  pd- 

14. — Farmer  Berriman  5  loads,  pd-  of  my  own  pd.  seven. 
„      Farmer  Kelsey  3  loads,  p4 
April  2. — Farmer  Kelsey  3  loads,  pd- 

„  „       Parsons  3  loads,  pd-  of  my  own  two  pd- 

„  „        Berriman  2  loads,  p^ 

June  i. — Farmer  Kelsey  4  loads,  pd-  of  my  own  three  pd- 
„    5. —        „     Berriman  5  loads,  pd- 


Garden- Kalendar  for  the  Year  1760 


May  17. — On  my  return  this  day  (after  six  months 
absence  at  Lyndon,  &  London)  I  found  my  Garden  in 
general  in  very  good  order,  considering  the  long  drouth 
this  spring.  The  Cucumbers  in  full  bearing,  but  stunted 
in  their  vines.  The  Cantaleupe-melons  in  good  condition, 
&  just  shewing  fruit ;  &  the  Succados  very  stocky  plants. 

The  Asparagus  beds  are  got  stronger  &  bore  wonderfully 
this  spring.  All  the  kitchen-crops  are  in  good  plight :  & 
the  Coss,  &  hardy  lettuce  that  stood  the  winter,  very  fine. 
The  Bergamot-pear,  &  knobbed-russet  grafts  like  to  take. 

May  18. — Fierce  storms  of  Hail,  which  batter'd  the 
vine  shoots  at  the  end  of  the  Dining-room  very  much. 
They  were  very  forward  this  sunny  spring  :  the  leaves  were 
cut  full  of  Holes,  &  several  shoots  were  beaten  quite  off 
the  trees.  The  persicaria  -  plants  in  the  border  under 
suffered  much. 

28. — Dame  Turner,  &  Girls  weeded  all  the  brick  walks. 
Prick' d-out  first  Celeri,  &  prick'd-out,  and  planted  a  good 
many  Savoys. 

June  4. — Furious  hot  weather  for  several  days.  The 
pease,  &  beans  kept  back  for  want  of  moisture.  Some 

Cantaleupes  in  bloom. 

287 


288     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Covered  all  the  inside  of  the  boxes  with  wheat-straw  to 
keep  the  sun  from  drying  the  mould  ;  &  to  prevent  much 
watering. 

Tull  employed  in  cleansing  the  garden  from  weeds. 
The  vine-shoots  grow  in  a  most  extraordinary  manner,  & 
are  full  of  fruit. 

Planted  some  Persicarias  in  the  New-garden  border. 

Out  of  one  vine-shoot,  which  was  procur'd  from  the 
old  stem  of  a  vine  last  summer  ;  &  being  exceeding  strong 
was  laid-in  five  feet  long,  arise  as  many  shoots  this  spring 
as  produce  14  bunches  of  Grapes.  Fine  rain  all  night. 

6. —  Planted-out  all  the  persicarias;  &  about  2  doz  :  of 
the  slips  of  the  double  bloody-wall-flowers. 

Moist,  hot,  growing  weather. 

7. — Lined-out  the  melon-bed  very  strongly,  more  than 
three  feet  on  each  side,  with  eleven  loads  of  dung,  &  a  large 
Quantity  of  weeds.  Planted  out  a  bed  of  late  Cauliflowers. 

June  9. — Gather'd  first  strawberries,  scarlet,  &  Nova 
Scotia.  Cut  the  crop  of  rye-grass,  &  clover  in  Baker's  hill : 
a  good  Crop. 

10. — Planted  22  basons  in  the  field  with  annuals,  french 
&  Afr  :  Marrigolds,  China  Asters,  pendulous  Amaranths,  & 
sun-flowers. 

ii. — The  vines  at  the  end  of  the  dining-room  in  bloom  ; 
about  three  weeks  sooner  than  usual  :  occasioned,  I  sup- 
pose, by  the  very  sunny  season. 

12. — Housed  the  Baker's-hill-hay  in  excellent  order  : 
there  were  three  decent  loads. 

14. — John  finished  his  second  tacking  &  thinning  the 
vines  :  those  against  the  Yard  shew  prodigious  strength  ; 
but  are  not  yet  blown.  Dry,  settled  weather. 

June  14. — Planted  annuals  in  the  home  Garden. 

15. — Wood-strawberries  came-in  in  plenty. 

1 6. — Set  Tull  to  earth  the  Cantaleupe-bed  all  over  to 
the  Ground  very  thick. 

The  Cantaleupes  are  full  of  fruit  in  bloom,  &  now  shew 
a  tolerable  share  of  male  bloom. 

The  vines  begin  to  blow  against  the  Yard. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  289 

Stopp'd-down  the  shoots  of  the  vine  over  the  entry- 
door. 

17. — Sowed  first  endive-seed. 

Three  vine-layers  (last  Year's-shoots)  have  produced 
between  them  39  bunches  of  Grapes. 

19. — It  being  dripping  weather,  planted  &  pricked-out 
plenty  of  Savoys,  &  Celeri ;  trench'd-out  one  row  of  Celeri ; 
&  tyed-up  several  spring-sown  Coss-lettuce.  Those  that 
stood  the  winter  are  all  gone  to  seed. 

Cold  frosty  air. 

The  muscadine  vine-cuttings  in  the  gutter  thrive  well ; 
&  so  do  the  cuttings  of  the  same  sort,  &  of  the  cluster-vine 
in  the  nursery. 

The  grafts  of  the  Bergamot-pear,  &  knobbed-russet 
from  Ringmer  take  well. 

This  cold,  windy  weather  likely  to  injure  the  vine- 
bloom  at  the  end  of  the  Dining-room. 

The  Cantaleupe-bed  earth'd  all  over  down  to  the 
Ground  in  an  unusual  thick  manner. 

The  Nova-Scotia-strawberry  a  good  bearer,  &  ripe  even 
before  the  scarlet. 

June  20. — Planted-out  leeks,  &  Boorcole  ;  &  sowed  a 
plot  of  turneps.  Continual  showers. 

21. — On  looking  over  the  Cantaleupes,  found  one  fruit 
set,  &  more  in  a  promising  way. 

Some  few  bunches  on  the  dining-room  end  have  some 
Grapes  set  on  them.  Showers. 

23. — The  Succado-melons  (of  which  I  have  three  basons 
in  the  space  of  two  lights)  have  got  several  fruit  in  full 
bloom. 

Vast  rains  from  the  East. 

June  26. — Great  rains. 

27. — Sowed  a  small  plot  of  Coss-lettuce. 

28. — Agreed  with  John  Wells  to  purchase  the  upper 
part  of  Lassam's  orchard. 

Stopp'd  part  of  the  vines  against  the  yard,  which  are 
in  bloom. 

July  i. — Finish'd  stopping  the  vines. 

2  O 


290     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

2. — Sowed  second  Crop  of  Endive,  &  more  lettuce. 

3. — Sultry  dry  weather  for  three  days :  vast  rains,  & 
thunder  in  the  night. 

Planted-out  two  rows  of  seedling-polyanths  all  along 
the  orchard-border. 

New-planted  two  basons  of  the  cold  cucumbers  :  all 
the  cumbers  are  in  a  strange  way,  have  no  vines  ;  &  are 
likely  to  come  to  little.  The  complaint  is  general. 

July  6. — Vast  rains,  &  a  flood. 

7. — Clear'd-out  the  melon-frames  that  were  quite  choak'd 
with  vines :  not  above  4  or  five  Cantaleupes  set :  the 
biggest  fruit  about  the  size  of  a  hen's  egg :  the  Succades 
shew  no  disposition  for  setting  yet.  Rain  still. 

Finish'd  cutting  the  tall  hedges. 

Some  grapes  as  big  as  young  pease  :  all  the  bunches 
in  bloom,  &  yield  a  smell  that  may  be  distinguish'd  at 
many  Yards  distance. 

14. — Cut  both  the  meads  ;  a  decent  Crop.  The  weather 
was  so  hot,  &  sunny  that  we  carry'd  most  of  the  Hay  the 
next  day ;  &  finish'd  the  rick  in  excellent  order  the  third. 

1 8. — Planted-out  endive,  a  large  plot,  in  the  field- 
garden. 

20. — The  vehement  sunny  weather  for  these  8,  or  9 
days  past  has  brought  on  the  annuals  strangely ;  &  for- 
warded the  white  Cucumber-plants  sown  in  the  middle  of 
May  so  much  that  they  seem  likely  now  to  come  to  good. 

July  21. — Trench'd-out  a  Crop  of  Celeri  in  Turner's 
Garden. 

The  first  hand-glass  white-Cucumbers  all  perish'd  with 
the  blight. 

Melons  make  out  lamely  :  one  Cantaleupe  full-grown  ; 
no  Succade  set. 

Trimm'd  the  vines  the  third  time.  The  grapes  swell 
this  hot  weather. 

The  tree-primroses  in  full  bloom,  &  are  a  shewey  proper 
plant  for  large  outlets. 

August  i. — Returning  from  Dene  I  found  the  Melons  in 
a  poor  way  :  but  two  Cantaleupes  full-grown,  &  those 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  291 

small ;  &  only  five  or  six  more  just  set ;  &  only  one 
Succade  set. 

The  late-sown  white-Cucumbers  begin  to  bear  a  little  ; 
the  first  are  quite  wither'd  away. 

An  universal  blight  has  this  summer  more  or  less 
affected  all  the  vegetable  world. 

The  grapes  to  the  Yard  are  very  thinly  set :  those  to  the 
South-west  are  thick  set,  &  very  forward  ;  but  the  Bunches 
are  small. 

Tull1  in  my  absence  trench'd  four  rows  of  Celeri  in 
Turner's  Garden  ;  &  planted-out  a  Crop  of  Savoys.  No 
rain  for  three  weeks  &  three  days  'till  Aug  :  i  :  &  then 
showers. 

Aug :  4. — Sowed  a  box  of  Mezereon-seed. 

7. — Planted-out  a  Crop  of  Coss-lettuce  to  come-in  in 
Septemr- 

Continual  Showers ;  &  the  Corn  begins  to  grow.2 

9. — The  Succade-melons  now  set  apace. 

The  white  cucumbers  bear  but  poorly. 

10. — Vast  rains. 

u. — Cantaleupe-melons  set  now  ;  but  are  seemingly  too 
late  for  ripening. 

Sowed  Coss,  &  Dutch  lettuce  to  stand  the  winter. 

Sowed  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  spinage  mixed  with 
white  turnep-radishes.  Put  the  bulbous  roots  in  paper- 
bags,  and  hung  them  in  the  lumber-garret.  They  are 
vastly  increased,  especially  the  Hyacinths. 

Aug:  14. — Trimm'd  the  side-shoots  of  the  vines  the 
fourth  time  :  the  fruit  thin  on  the  bunches. 

Fine  harvest  weather  for  several  days  past,  with  cold 
drying  north  winds. 

The  white-cucumber-plants,  which  produced  one  fair 
large  fruit ;  now  shew  nothing  but  spotted,  sickly  ones. 
The  early  bed  bears  pretty  tolerably  still. 

1 8th- — Cut  more  than  half  the  second  Crop  of  Clover  on 

1  Tull's  name  was  "  Robin,"  and  it  occurs  in  the  account-book  (see  Bell's  ed., 
vol.  ii.  p.  321.— [R.  B.  S.] 

2  i.e.  sprout  in  the  sheaf. — [H.  M.] 


292     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Baker's  hill,  which  by  reason  of  ye  dripping  weather  could 
not  be  housed  till  ye  23rd-  There  was  one  good  load  in 
pretty  good  order. 

23. — Some  of  the  Clusters  of  Grapes  against  the  end  of 
the  dining-room  begin  to  change  colour. 

27. — Cut  Miller's  first  Armenian-Cantaleupe :  by  no 
means  a  curious  fruit. 

Brought  three  plants  of  curious  Celeriac  from  Waltham  : 
the  leaves  are  jagged  like  curl'd  parsley. 

Septr-  i. — Housed  the  remaining  Clover  in  Baker's  Hill; 
which,  considering  the  showery  season,  was  got  in  good 
order. 

Septemr-  2. — Found  several  large  Cantaleupes  in  a 
neglected  frame. 

Tyed  up  the  first  Endives,  &  some  late  Coss-lettuce  ;  & 
earth'd-up  the  early  row  of  Celeri  quite  to  the  top. 

8.  Gathered  the  first  bunch  of  Grapes  from  the  end  of 
the  dining-room,  which  was  quite  ripe :  those  on  the  Yard- 
side  are  but  just  turning  colour.  My  Grapes  in  general  are 
but  thinly  set. 

Plenty  of  figs  in  good  ripe  order. 

Curious  summer  weather  for  many  days. 

ii. — Gather'd  the  first  Mulberry  that  my  tree  ever  pro- 
duced :  it  was  very  sweet,  &  good,  but  small. 

There  are  some  more  on  the  tree. 

12. — Cut  the  first  Succade-mellon  ;  it  was  very  weighty 
for  its  size,  which  is  always  small.  It  proved  very  fleshy 
&  highflavoured,  &  seems  a  valuable  sort. 

Cloudless  skies,  strong  sunshine,  &  strong  East-winds 
for  many  days,  which  rise  &  fall  with  the  Sun.  Fruits 
ripen  at  a  vast  rate ;  &  the  roads  are  perfectly  dry. 

Sepr-  12. — Tull  &  John  are  busy  every  day  in  grubbing, 
paring  &  burning  the  new-purchased  Garden  ;  &  harrowing- 
out  the  couch-grass. 

The  weeds  &  turf  have  produced  already  many  bushels 
of  ashes  ;  &  will  soon  be  burnt-up  if  this  dry  weather 
lasts. 

The  Persicarias  are  vastly  large,  &  fine. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  293 

All  the  annuals  are  come  to  a  good  size. 

13. — Tyed-up  20  more  Endives. 

Gather'd  two  bunches  of  Grapes,  which  were  perfectly 
sweet  &  ripe.  Very  sunny  weather  still. 

26. — The  Succado-melons  now  come  apace. 

Vast  rains,  thunder,  &  lightening  for  8  or  10  days ;  &  a 
likelihood  of  great  floods. 

Grapes  in  great  plenty,  &  perfection. 

29. — Cut  a  brace  of  Succado  melons. 

Gathered  the  Cadilliac  pears,  about  half  a  bushel :  three 
parts  in  four  were  blown  down.  Vast  rains,  and  storms. 

Octobr-  i. — Used  the  first  Celeri. 

2. — Cut  the  last  Succados,  &  a  good-looking  Cantaleupe. 
Continual  rains  ;  &  frequent  thunder  still.  The  labourers 
work  at  the  Haha  when  the  weather  permits. 

Octobr-  14. — Continual  wet  weather  for  a  month  :  so 
that  the  fallows  are  full  of  water,  &  no  corn  can  be 
sown. 

15. — Transplanted  six  Geraniums  into  six  penny-pots  to 
stand  the  winter. 

The  new  part  of  the  Garden  quite  cleared  from  trees, 
&  stools  of  trees. 

Grapes  in  plenty,  &  perfection. 

18. — Turned-out  seven  pots  of  Pyram  :  Campanulas  into 
a  mellow,  sandy  Border. 

22. — Transplanted  a  White-Muscadine  vine  of  Mr-  Budd's 
sort  into  the  border  under  ye  Dining-room  window.  John 
annointed  it  with  Dr-  Hill's  mummy,  &  planted  it  a  Cutting 
last  March ;  &  now  it  was  a  strong  plant,  &  had  a  quantity 
of  long  fibres. 

In  the  summer  it  made  a  shoot  of  about  four  feet,  & 
was  now  headed  down  to  4  or  5  buds. 

No  frosts  yet. 

24. — Put  the  whites  of  8  eggs,  shells  &  all,  with  a  little 
sand,  to  3  quartrs-  of  an  hogshead  of  raisin-wine,  which 
would  not  draw  fine. 

Put  Quart  of  Brandy. 

Grapes  continue  very  good. 


294     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Octobr-  25. — Received  from  Mre-  Snooke  a  basket  of  swans- 
egg,  Doyenne,  White  Buree,  &  Colmar-pears  f or  a  specimen  : 
also  some  Crasans,  &  Spanish  Boncretiens. 

27. — Took-up  from  the  Laurustine  -  hedge  about  40 
layers  :  laid-down  about  as  many  more. 

Nov :  8. — Began  dressing  the  vines  :  found  plenty  of 
new  wood  in  most  places. 

There  have  been  a  few  smart  frosts  this  autumn  :  but 
in  general  a  continual  run  of  wet  weather  for  these  six 
weeks  past ;  &  great  floods. 

10. — Widened  the  grass-plot  towards  the  wall-nut-tree. 

The  farmers  have  been  greatly  hind'red  in  their  wheat- 
season  by  the  rains ;  &  will  hardly  be  able  to  sow  all  their 
fallows.1 

12. — Removed  8  black-cluster,  &  6  muscadine-vines 
(which  were  planted  Cuttings  last  April)  into  the  sandy  bed 
at  the  end  of  the  Asparagus.  Most  of  them  were  well 
rooted,  &  had  made  good  shoots.  Set  the  Geranium-pots 
in  ye  Garret- Window. 

Novr-  15. — Continued  to  curve  the  leading  shoots  of  the 
two  vines  against  the  end  of  the  Dining-room,  which  in  one 
Year  more  will  be  at  their  full  length,  &  may  be  reduced  to 
a  single  stem. 

The  vines  against  the  yard  abound  in  Young  wood  of  a 
vast  length,  &  will  have  fresh  Horizontals  everywhere, 
without  bending  back  any  shoots. 

1 8. — Planted-in  between  the  rows  of  Crocuss  round 
the  dining-room  100  Scotch-Crocuss,  &  50  double  snow 
drops. 

19. — Planted  the  new  bank  with  perennial  sun-flowers, 
rose-campions,  tree-primeroses,  &  several  sorts  of  Asters. 

Planted  a  bed  of  tulips,  Hyacinths,  Ranunculus,  Ane- 
monies,  in  a  plot  well-mellowed  with  lime-rubbish.  A 
tolerable  dry  season  for  four  or  five  days,  after  a  glut  of 
rain  for  many  weeks. 

1  In  those  days  the  farmers  used  to  "fallow"  their  ground,  i.e.  plough  it 
up,  and  allow  it  to  rest  untilled  throughout  the  summer  previous  to  the  wheat- 
sowing. — [H.  M.] 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  295 

Dug  the  walks  at  the  top  &  bottom  of  the  new  garden  in 
order  to  prepare  ym  for  leveling. 

Novr-  22. — Dug-up  the  double  white  rockets  under  the 
back  of  the  melon-screen,  &  planted  them  on  the  end  of 
the  bank  next  the  dining-room  :  planted  with  them  some 
double  white  Campanulas.  Planted  20  double  daffodils 
near  the  other  bulbs.  Laid  a  shoot  of  the  Moss-provence- 
rose,  binding  it  round  very  hard  in  two  places  with  wire 
twisted  very  tight,  in  order  to  make  it  take  root. 

25. — New-planted  a  bason  of  red-martagons  :  planted 
some  Crown-Imperials,  red  Martagons  &  Jonquils  on  the 
bank :  planted  the  ofset-bulbs,  &  roots  in  a  nursery  bed. 

Finished  the  vines. 

Decent'-  8.— Sent  30  Coss-lettuces  to  Mr-  Etty's  little 
wall'd  Garden  to  winter. 

16. — Brewed  half  Hogsh  :  of  milder  strong-beer  with 
only  five  bush  :  of  malt,  &  two  pds  &  half  of  Hops  :  made 
at  the  same  time  half  hogsh  :  &  12  gallons  of  small  beer. 

17. — Trimm'd  &  tack'd  the  fig-tree,  which  is  full  of 
Young  wood ;  &  laid  a  long  tender  shoot  from  the  stool 
to  the  Corner  of  the  House  to  supply  that  part  of  the  tree 
with  fresh  wood. 

Very  mild  growing  weather  yet  for  the  time  of  Year. 

Decemr-  19. — Made  half  Hogsh  :  of  raisin-wine  with  one 
Hund  :  of  Smyrnas,  &  half  Hund  :  of  Malagas ;  &  put  to 
them  13  buckets  of  water,  each  bucket  containing  three 
Gallons. 

31. — The  Year  went-out,  as  it  had  continued  ever  since 
winter  began,  in  a  very  mild  way.  There  have  been  scarce 
more  than  two  smart  night's  frost,  &  those  early  in 
Autumn  :  so  that  the  Grass  in  pastures  has  kept  springing 
the  whole  season  ;  &  the  early,  &  hardy  flowers,  &  plants 
are  very  forward.  There  has  been  a  pretty  deal  of  gentle 
rain ;  &  now  &  then  soft  sunny  days  like  April,  which 
brought  the  flies,  &  other  Insects  out  of  their  lurking 
holes. 


296     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 


DUNG  BORROWED,  1760. 

Jan.  10. — Of  Berriman  pd-     .         .         .  2  loads. 

Feb.  8. — Of  Berriman  pd-  .         .  2  loads. 

Of  Kelsey  pd-  ...  2  loads. 

Kelsey  carried  out  for  us  2. 

Feb.  15. — Of  Parsons  pd-        .         .         .  2  loads. 

March  16. — Of  Parsons  pd-  .         .         .  5  loads. 

Of  Berriman  pd-          .         .  6  loads. 

Of  Kelsey  pd-     .        .        .  7  loads. 

Kelsey  carried  out  for  us  2. 

June  3. — Of  Kelsey  pd-  ...  5  loads. 

Of  Berriman  pd-  .         .  3  loads. 

Kelsey  carried  out  for  us  3. 


Garden-Kalendar  for  the  Year   1761 

Jan:  i. — Transplanted  a  polyanth-Narcissus,  many  of 
whose  Cups  were  in  bloom,  into  a  large  pot  to  set  within 
doors. 

2. — Finsh'd  a  new  wicker  melon-screen,  &  lin'd  it  well 
with  straw,  &  made  a  border  about  four  feet  broad  under 
it,  &  dosed  the  earth  well  with  sand,  &  some  ashes,  & 
dung ;  intending  to  make  it  a  border  for  early  Crops,  & 
to  plant  some  Espalier  pears  along  it,  &  to  run  a  narrow 
brick-walk  by  the  side  of  it. 

3. — Brought-in  two  loads  of  hot  dung  for  the  seedling- 
Cucumber-bed ;  &  many  loads  of  stones  for  the  Haha. 
The  ground  treads  sadly  for  want  of  frost. 

Sowed  a  long  row  of  persicaria-seed  under  ye  dining- 
room  window.  The  wall-flowers  begin  to  blow.  Put  some 
Cucumber-seeds  in  a  pot  by  the  parlour  fire. 

Jan :  5. — Made  the  seedling  Cucumber-bed. 

Warm  foggy  weather,  with  a  very  high  Barometer. 

6. — Tunn'd  the  wine  : l  there  did  not  run-out  sufficient  to 
fill  the  barrel  by  one  bucket  full ;  which  was  squees'd  out 
of  the  Chaff. 

8. — Earth'd  the  Cucumber  bed  with  mellow,  sanded 
mould.  The  bed  in  fine  moderate  order. 

10. —  Sowed  about  40  Cucumber  -  seeds.  The  bed 
promises  well. 

1  Or  as  some  would  say,  "racked  it  off."  It  was  a  very  common  way,  if  the 
wine  was  not  enough  to  fill  the  barrel,  to  run  some  more  water  through  the 
chaff  (i.e.  the  raisin-husks)  in  order  to  increase  the  quantity,  as  the  wine  would 
not  keep  if  the  barrel  were  not  filled. — [H.  M.] 

»97  2   P 


298     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

10. — Put  seven  bottles  of  rasp  :  syrop  to  ye  raisin- 
wine. 

12. — Tunn'd  8  gallons  of  good  small  raisin-wine  in  the 
vinegar-barrel.  What  vinegar  is  bottled,  is  very  fine,  & 
good. 

14. — Plenty  of  Cucumbers  up  in  the  Hot-bed  ;  &  in  the 
pot  by  the  fire  side. 

Planted  a  row  of  Laurel-cuttings  in  the  field-garden. 

Hot-bed  goes-on  well  :  sunny  weather  for  ye  plants. 

15. — Sowed  a  Crop  of  radishes,  lettuce,  &  Carrots  on 
the  sanded  border  under  the  melon-screen.  Transplanted 
some  Cucumber-plants  that  came-up  apace. 

17. — Smart  frost ;  which  enabled  me  to  plough  the  new 
garden  after  waiting  the  whole  winter. '  Put  more  Cucum- 
ber-seeds into  the  bed. 

19. — The  frost  continues  :  carted  into  the  new  Garden 
20  loads  of  marl  well  dissolved ;  7  loads  of  lime-Rubbish, 
&  soot  from  the  Malt-house ;  &  a  load  &  half  of  ashes. 
The  ground  began  to  thaw  towards  noon,  and  was  much 
trodden,  &  kneaded  before  the  Job  was  done. 

Put  the  rubbish  &  ashes  on  the  two  lower  Quarters,  & 
the  marl  on  the  four  upper  ones. 

24. — Long  the  mason  finish'd  the  dry l  wall  of  the  Haha 
in  the  new  garden,  which  is  built  of  blue  rags,  so  massy, 
that  it  is  supposed  to  contain  double  the  Quantity  of  stone 
usual  in  such  walls.  Several  stones  reach  into  the  bank 
20  inches. 

The  wall  was  intended  to  be  4  feet  &  an  half  high  :  but 
the  labourers  in  sinking  the  ditch  on  inclining  ground 
mistook  the  level,  especially  about  the  angle  :  so  that  at 
that  part  to  bring  it  to  a  level  it  is  5  feet  8  inch  :  high,  & 
4  feet  6  inch  :  at  the  ends  :  an  excellent  fence 2  against  the 
mead,8  &  so  well  fast'ned  into  the  clay  bank,  that  it  looks 
likely  to  stand  a  long  while.  The  workmanship,  exclusive 
of  casting  the  stones,  cost  £i  :  8s  :  lod. 

1  i.e.  made  without  mortar. — [H.  M.] 

2  No  wonder  that  the  Haha  is  still  (1899)  in  an  excellent  condition.— [R.  B.  S.] 
8  There  was  no  "  Park  "  at  "  The  Wakes  "  at  this  time.— [H.  M.] 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  299 

Jan :  24. — Cucumbers  thrive  well,  &  shew  a  rough  leaf. 
Misty,  still  weather  with  an  high  Barometer.  John  finish'd 
Mr-  Etty's  wall-trees  in  4  Jobs. 

26. — Sowed  about  14  Succado-melon-seeds  to  plant  an 
early  melon-frame,  if  they  succeed.  Cucumbers  look  finely ; 
&  begin  to  shew  a  second  rough  leaf. 

Sloped,  &  finish'd-off  the  ditch  of  the  terrass  ;  &  levell'd 
most  of  the  terrass. 

Spread  the  marie,  &  rubbish  on  the  new  garden  :  there 
is  a  good  Coat  of  each. 

Smart  frosts  for  three  or  four  days. 

29. — Frost  continues  very  smart.  Finished  cutting  all 
the  Alleys  thro'  the  new  Garden  ;  &  levelled  all  the  terrass 
as  far  as  it  can  be,  'till  it  settles.  Cleared  away  the  roots 
of  trees  in  the  meadow. 

30. — Frost  smarter  than  ever.  Wheeled  the  dung  that 
was  left  after  paying  the  farmers  out  of  the  melon-ground. 
Trench'd  a  well  dung'd  plot  above  the  earth-house  for 
melon-loam  ;  &  turned  some  old  melon-loam. 

The  heat  in  the  Cucumber-bed  declining,  order'd  the 
bed  to  be  lined  with  15  barrows  of  very  hot-dung. 

Beautiful  rimes  for  several  mornings  on  ye  Hanger.  It 
froze  within  to  night. 

31. — Carted  in  10  loads  of  Hot-dung  for  the  bearing 
Cucumber-bed. 

Succado-melons  begin  to  appear. 

Dug-out  all  the  under-ground  dung  in  ye  melon- 
Ground,  &  levell'd  the  Area. 

Feb :  2. — The  over-fierce  lining  scalded  all  the  plants. 
Sowed  more  seeds. 

3. — Potted  the  Succado-plants  that  were  not  much 
damaged. 

Very  high  barometer,  &  settled  fine  weather. 

Sowed  more  Succado  seeds. 

Feb :  5. — Made  the  bearing  Cucumber-bed  with  10  loads 
of  good  dung  :  it  is,  I  think,  too  deep  ;  being  four  feet  odd 
inch  :  behind,  &  three  feet  odd  inch  :  before.  The  bed  is 
made  full  early,  as  the  plants  are  but  just  peeping  out  of 


3oo     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

ye  ground  :  but  the  dung  being  brought-in  for  the  forward 
plants  would  not  keep  without  making-up. 

6. — Planted  seven  rows,  about  £  of  a  Gallon  of  Winsor- 
beans  in  one  of  the  middle  quarters  of  my  new  Garden. 
This  is  the  first  crop  in  my  new  purchase,  which  was  in  so 
wet  a  condition  as  only  to  be  fit  for  beans. 

7. — Last  sown  Succados,  &  Cucumbers  come-up  apace. 

9  :  10. — Levelled  the  terrass,  &  new  walks  so  far  that 
they  will  want  but  very  small  amendments  before  they  are 
turfed.  Fierce  March-like  winds  from  the  west  for  many 
days,  that  had  quite  dry'd  the  Ground. 

12. — The  wind  turning  suddenly  to  the  north,  last  night 
was  the  fiercest  frost  this  winter. 

Dug  one  of  the  lower  new  Quarters,  which  came  up 
pretty  well.  Snowed  hard  all  the  Afternoon,  &  rain'd  at  night. 

Feb :  16. — Put  the  mould  on  the  Cucumber-bed,  which 
seems  now  to  be  pretty  mild. 

Continual  showers. 

The  first  Succadoes  have  a  perfect  rough  leaf.  The 
second  sowing  are  potted,  &  look  pretty  well. 

19. — Planted-out  the  Cucumbers  in  their  bearing  beds, 
five  plants  in  an  Hill  :  each  plant  has  a  fair  rough  leaf. 
The  bed  seems  very  mild. 

Heavy  showers. 

21. — Sowed  a  dung-cart  &  an  half  of  ashes  in  the  great 
mead.  There  was  a  very  strong  wind  while  they  were 
sowing,  which  seem'd  to  carry  away  a  great  deal  into  the 
Air. 

Sowed  more  Succados  for  fear  of  accidents ;  &  some 
small  early  Cucumber-seed. 

24. — Made  a  seedling-Celeri-bed  with  one  barrow  of 
dung,  &  covered  it  with  an  hand-glass. 

25  :  26. — Clear'd  the  meadow  of  faggots,  &  wood ;  & 
levell'd  the  Ground,  where  the  hedge  was  grubb'd. 

March  2. — Sowed  12  Waverley-Cantaleupe-seeds  in  one 
of  the  bearing  Cucumber-frames. 

March  4. — Carted  into  the  melon-ground  ten  loads  of 
hot  dung  for  the  Succado-frame. 


K 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  301 

The  Cucumbers  thrive  surprizingly,  &  have  three  Joints 
each.  Earth'd  up  the  hills  a  little  to-day.  The  bed 
maintains  a  fine  gentle,  genial  heat.  The  Succado  melons 
thrive  ;  &  the  forwardest  begin  to  shew  a  Joint. 

Continual  stormy  weather  from  ye  west  with  small  rain. 

7. — The  Cantaleupes  come-up  well ;  every  seed. 

9:  10. — Long  finish'd  the  brick -walk  along  by  the 
melon-screen ;  &  Tull  sowed  the  border  with  radishes, 
lettuce,  &  Carrots.  Long  made  a  large  stone-drein  also  at 
the  bottom  of  the  new-garden  across  the  walk  into  Lassam's 
ditch  :  it  is  so  placed  that  in  great  floods  the  waters  from 
every  alley  must  run  with  a  swift  descent  towards  it. 

10. — Cucumber-plants  thrive  wonderfully,  &  begin  to 
throw-out  wires.  Some  have  five  joints,  &  are  stopp'd- 
down  for  runners. 

Stopp'd  some  of  the  forward  succades  in  pots. 

10. — Sowed  five  more  Waverley  Cantaleupe  seeds  to 
supply  in  Case  of  accident. 

Planted  about  200  Cabbage-plants  in  part  of  one  of  the 
middle  new-quarters. 

An  other  levelling  Job  at  the  terrass. 

Frequent  showers. 

ii. — Made  the  Succado-melon-bed  with  ten  loads  of 
dung  for  one  three-light  frame.  The  bed  is  very  stout ; 
full  four  feet  deep  behind,  &  near  three  before.  The  frame 
&  bed  are  more  than  six  feet  high. 

Planted  some  double  bloody-wallflowers,  from  last  year's 
cuttings,  in  the  border  of  the  melon-screen. 

Planted  the  12  Cantaleupe-plants  in  six  pots.  Frequent 
showers. 

13. — One  of  the  plants  that  was  stopp'd  down  shows  a 
Cucumber  at  the  foot  of  a  runner.  The  Sun  in  a  few 
minutes  scalded  Part  of  a  leaf  that  touch'd  the  Glass. 

14. — Mowed  the  Grass-plot  the  first  time  :  there  was  a 
vast  deal  of  Grass,  which  lined  the  Cucumber-bed. 

Sowed  a  Crop  of  Carrots,  parsneps,  Coss-lettuce,  Onions, 
radishes,  &  spinage,  in  the  first  lower  Quarter  of  the  new 
Garden  ;  which  raked,  &  crumbled  in  pretty  good  order. 


302     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

16  :  17  :  18. — Finished  leveling  the  terrass,  &  new  walks; 
&  dug  the  new  borders,  &  Quarters. 

Fine  still,  settled  weather,  with  a  rising  Barometer,  & 
wind  to  the  East,  &  North. 

The  stopp'd  Cucumbers  have  side-shoots  with  three  Joints. 

The  five  Cantaleupe-seeds  all  up. 

March  18. — Sowed  a  gallon  of  dwarf  marrowfat  pease 
in  one  of  the  middle  Quarters  :  they  made  just  nine  rows 
at  four  feet  apart,  &  exactly  fill'd  the  quarter.  The  mould 
was  hardly  mellow  enough  to  drill  them  ;  &  they  were 
covered  in  with  difficulty. 

19. — Dug  the  border  at  the  back  of  the  melon-screen,  & 
planted  a  row  of  Holy  oaks  at  five  feet  apart. 

20. — Earth'd-down  the  succade-bed ;  &  put  the  hills 
into  each  light.  Raised  the  Cucumber-frames.  The  plants 
are  Very  large,  &  have  vast  leaves. 

21. — Sowed  six  large  basons  in  the  field  with  double 
upright  lark-spurs. 

The  sun  at  a  few  minutes  neglect  scorches  the 
Cucumber  leaves. 

23. — Turned  the  Succades  out  into  their  bed,  which 
seems  very  mild.  The  best  plants  are  forward,  &  show 
runners.  Planted  besides  one  or  two  very  stocky  plants  in 
each  hill,  which  never  have  been  potted. 

Cleared  the  Cucumber  bed  of  all  pots ;  raised  the 
frames,  stopp'd  the  plants,  &  earth'd  the  bed  out  to  the 
frames. 

Fine  sunny  weather. 

Four  pots  of  succades  left. 

The  Cantaleupes  are  very  strong  in  their  pots,  &  show 
a  rough  leaf. 

Prong'd  &  raked  the  Asparagus-beds. 

Watered  the  Cucumbers  over  yr  leaves  the  first  time. 

25. — Finish'd  turfing  the  terrass,  &  new  walks,  which 
took-up  8  loads,  &  an  half  of  turf,  being  each  twelve  feet 
wide  ;  beside  the  slope  of  the  terrass. 

Hot,  dry,  sunny  weather,  which  makes  the  turf  stare, 
&  chop. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  303 

First  cucumber  blowed  before  any  male  bloom. 

Transplanted  out  forward  lettuce  from  ye  wall.  Dress'd 
Rasps. 

March  28. — The  Succade-bed  was  beginning  to  burn 
it's  mould  a  little  :  put  some  fresh  mould  round  the  bottom 
of  the  hills. 

26. — Cast  1 8  loads  of  dung  for  the  Cantaleupe-bed. 

Planted  some  Catch-flies  on  the  end  of  the  bank  next 
the  house. 

Planted  four  rows  of  fine  large  potatoes  cut  to  pieces  : 
each  row  three  feet  apart ;  &  each  piece  one  foot. 

30. — Grafted  the  tall  peaked  pear-tree  in  the  orchard 
with  Doyenne-Grafts ;  &  the  standard  pear  in  the  new 
Garden  with  Crasan,  &  Chaumontelle  Grafts.  The  Cions1 
came  from  Ringmer  ;  &  the  two  latter  sorts  were  canker'd 
&  bad.  Put  an  handful  of  salt  in  the  loam. 

Hot  sunshine  with  a  drying  east  wind. 

Cut  vent-holes  in  the  front  of  the  succade-bed  to 
prevent  burning. 

31. — Planted  some  wild,  &  Garden  Lathy russ  in  the 
bank  at  the  back  of  the  melon-screen  between  each  two 
Holy  oaks  :  they  were  two  years  old  in  the  seedling-bed,  & 
had  long  tap-roots  between  2  &  3  feet  long  running  into 
the  carrion.  The  seed  of  the  wild  Lathyrus  was  gathered 
from  a  plant  observed  by  my  Bro  :  Tom  to  flourish  most 
beautifully  in  the  midst  of  a  bush  in  the  short  Lythe. 

April  i. — The  Succade-bed  continuing  too  hot,  I  ordered 
a  pole  to  be  thrust  quite  thro'  the  bed  under  each  hill,  so 
that  one  might  see  thro'.  One  hill  being  more  furious  than 
the  rest  I  had  the  plants  (top  of  hill  &  all)  taken-off  in  a 
shovel,  &  the  hill  new  made-up  with  cold  earth.  The 
plants  grow,  &  are  not  yet  injured. 

i. — Grafted  in  two  cuttings  of  M :  Middleton's  espalier- 
Crasane,  instead  of  the  Ringmer  ones,  which  were  canker'd 
&  bad  :  left  one  Ringmer  one. 

Planted  6  basons  of  double  larkspurs  in  the  new-garden 
borders. 

1  Scions.— [H.  M.] 


304     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

2. — Sowed  in  the  seed-bed  in  the  melon-ground  Batter- 
sea  Cabbage  seed,  Savoys,  borecole,  leeks,  Holy  oaks, 
stocks,  carnations,  &  sweet  Williams. 

Bright  sunshine,  with  an  east-wind,  &  very  high  baro- 
meter. The  Ground  is  bound  like  a  stone. 

Hoed,  pronged,  &  cleans'd  all  the  home  garden,  & 
borders,  during  this  parching  season. 

Ap :  3. — Planted  a  Garden  Lathyrus  on  the  new  bank 
between  every  two  asters,  &  p  :  sunflowers. 

Stopped-up  the  vent-holes  in  front  of  the  Succade-bed  ; 
left  them  open  behind. 

Most  of  the  plants  look  well. 

Sowed  a  great  Quantity  of  Cucumber-seeds  for  the 
neighbours. 

4. — Sowed  tree-prime-roses,  beet,  &  some  seeds  of  a 
red  Cowslip  in  a  pot. 

Sunny,  burning  weather. 

Dress'd  artichokes:  in  that  hot  weather  the  beginning 
of  December  they  sprouted  thro'  their  ridges,  &  continued 
growing  very  much  the  winter  thro'  ;  &  have  now  vast 
greens. 

Hoed  &  cleansed  the  grubb'd  ground  in  the  meadow. 

April  6. — Made  the  Cantaleupe-bed  for  two  three-light 
frames  with  18  loads  of  dung.  It  is  about  14  Inches  wider 
behind  than  ye  Succade-bed,  &  about  three  feet  deep. 

7. — Turn'd  out  a  fine  pot  of  Succades  into  a  hill  joining 
to  a  former.  The  succades  were  in  great  danger  of  being 
burnt  by  the  hot  weather's  setting  the  bed  in  a  rage  again  : 
but  by  cutting  &  boring  vents,  &  frequent  opening  the 
hills  all  seems  now  to  be  safe. 

These  plants  have  long  runners  that  have  been  stopp'd 
again. 

8. — The  Cantaleupe-bed  is  in  a  great  fury,  &  comes 
very  early  to  it's  heat.  Frequent  still  fine  showers  after 
near  a  month's  dry  weather. 

Cucumbers  blow  a  great  pace. 

Made  the  annual  bed  with  7  barrows  of  dung  for  the 
biggest  one-light  frame. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  305 

9. — Sowed  one  of  the  upper  quarters  of  the  new  garden 
with  three  quarts  of  marrow-fat  dwarf  pease,  which  made 
eleven  rows  at  3  feet  apart,  &  just  fill'd  the  ground.  The 
ground,  which  had  laid  rough  all  the  late  dry  scorching 
weather,  being  slack'd  with  the  rain,  raked,  &  fell  to  pieces 
in  very  good  order  ;  the  marl  seeming  to  do  a  great  deal 
of  good. 

Apr:  ii. — Put  a  finishing  touch  to  the  new  Garden 
by  cutting  the  edges  of  the  turf  round  the  water-tables, 
&  terrass,  &  mending  any  patch  of  turf  that  was 
wanting. 

Planted  24  cuttings  of  the  fine  bloody  -  wallflower. 
Those  planted  the  beginning  of  last  June  came  to  little. 

Sowed  the  annual-bed  with  dwarf  sunflowers,  Marvel 
of  Peru,  Basoms,  China  Aster  purple,  white,  Fr  :  &  Afr  : 
marrigolds,  Pendulous  Amaranths,  &  Convolvulus  minor. 
Sowed  some  China  pinks,  Convol :  minor,  &  dwarf  Sun- 
flowers in  the  cold  Ground. 

15. — Planted  a  row  of  Laurels  of  255.  pr-  Hund  :  from 
the  filberts  against  Parsons's  down  by  the  rod-hedge  to  the 
new  part  of  the  Garden  ;  with  a  Laurustine  between  every 
two  Laurels. 

Fine  gentle  rain  for  12  or  14  Hours. 

Planted  some  laurels  at  the  lower  end  of  the  new  bank. 
The  fine  rains  make  the  new  turf  take  kindly  to  the  ground, 
&  close  up  it's  Joints. 

April  17. — Planted  half  hundred  more  cabbage  plants  ; 
&  some  forward  coss  lettuce  from  under  the  melon 
screen. 

Sowed  the  part  of  the  meadow  where  ye  hedge  was 
grubb'd,  &  the  Haha  with  rye-grass  :  some  white-Clover 
in  the  Haha. 

18. — Made  a  low  circular  mount  round  the  great  oak  in 
the  mead,  &  Turfed  it. 

Earthed-down  the  Cantaleupe-bed,  &  hill'd  the  lights  : 
found  the  bed  very  hot  still. 

Sowed  more  China-asters  on  the  end  of  the  Cantaleupe- 
bed.  Perfect  summer. 

2Q 


3o6     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

16. — Measured  my  new  purchased  piece  of  Garden, 
which  contained  forty  two  rods  of  Ground  ;  &  the  old  part 
fifty  six  :  in  all  half  an  acre,  &  eighteen  rods. 

18. — Planted  some  cuttings  of  the  black  Cluster,  & 
Muscadine  Grapes. 

20. — Made  a  frame,  or  cradle  for  annuals  of  rods,  & 
pease-haulm  about  four  feet  wide,  &  eight  feet  long ;  & 
put  into  it  about  16  barrows  of  dung,  &  grass-mowings. 

April  20. — Made  a  small  hot-bed  for  the  small  one-light 
frame  to  raise  white-cucumbers  in. 

Set-up  the  urns. 

21. — Turn'd-out  six  pots  of  Cantaleupes  in  the  six  hills  : 
there  were  two  plants  in  every  pot  except  one.  The  plants 
are  strong,  &  stocky  ;  but  seem  to  be  somewhat  injured  by 
staying  so  long  in  the  pots.  The  bed  now  seems  safe  from 
burning,  having  been  made  sixteen  days.  Sowed  some 
white-Dutch  .  .  .  Cucumbers  in  the  one-light  frame.  Cut 
the  first  Cucumber,  which  might  have  been  cut  some  days 
before.  More  fruit  were  lost  than  usual :  but  now  there 
are  abundance  set.  The  bees  frequent  the  frames 
much. 

Planted  12  cuttings  more  of  the  double  wallflower. 

April  28. — Planted  five  rows  of  dwarf- white-french-beans 
pretty  thin  in  one  of  the  new  Quarters  :  used  just  a  pint  of 
beans. 

Finding  some  of  the  Cantaleupe-plants  look  a  little 
amiss,  I  prick'd  two  seeds  into  each  hill. 

Cutting  N  :  E  :  Winds  for  many  days. 

Cucumbers  sett  at  a  vast  rate  :  there  are  now  about 
three  brace  fit  to  cut. 

Sowed  more  white-Dutch-Cucumbers  in  the  one-light 
frame  :  and  a  few  large  dark-green. 

May  12. — Fine  rain  after  a  long  dry  fit. 

Sowed  a  small  crop  of  Roman-Broccoli. 

Cucumbers  in  vast  abundance,  &  very  large. 

The  Succades  offer  fine  fruit. 

14. — Hot  summer  weather :  the  Succades  swell  &  seem 
several  of  them  to  be  set. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  307 

Began  building  my  fruit-wall.1 

15. — Disbudded  the  vines  for  the  first  time:  great 
quantities  of  fruit  especially  at  the  end  of  the  dining-room. 
The  fig  tree  shows  about  140  fruit. 

Finish'd  a  forest-Chair  on  the  bastion  ;  &  a  plain  seat 
under  the  great  oak.  Hot  burning  weather. 

May  19. — Vast  rain  with  a  very  stormy  wind,  which 
hinders  the  masons  in  their  wall-building ;  &  damages  the 
vines,  shrubs,  flowers,  &  trees  of  all  sorts. 

20. — Made  six  holes  for  the  large  white  Dutch  Cucum- 
bers, with  one  barrow  of  dung  to  each  hole,  &  planted 
three  plants  under  each  hand-glass. 

20. — My  Brother  Tho :  &  I  went  down  with  a  spade  to 
examine  into  the  nature  of  those  animals  that  make  that 
chearful  shrill  cry  all  the  summer  months  in  many  parts 
of  the  south  of  England.  We  found  them  to  be  of  the 
Cricket-kind,  with  wings  &  ornamented  Cases  over  them, 
like  the  House  kind.  But  tho'  they  have  long  legs  behind 
with  large  brawny  thighs,  like  Grasshoppers,  for  leaping ; 
it  is  remarkable  that  when  they  were  dug-out  of  their  holes 
they  shewed  no  manner  of  activity,  but  crawled  along  in 
a  very  shiftless  manner,  so  as  easily  to  be  taken.  We 
found  it  difficult  not  to  squeese  them  to  death  in  breaking 
the  Ground  :  &  out  of  one  so  bruised  I  took  a  multitude  of 
eggs,  which  were  long,  of  a  yellow  Colour,  &  covered  with 
a  very  tough  skin.  It  was  easy  to  discover  the  male  from 
the  female ;  the  former  of  which  is  of  a  black  shining 
Colour,  with  a  golden  stripe  across  it's  shoulders  something 
like  that  of  the  Humble-bee  :  the  latter  was  more  dusky,  & 
distinguished  by  a  long  terebra  at  it's  tail,  which  probably 
may  be  the  instrument  with  which  it  may  deposit  its  eggs 
in  Crannies,  &  safe  receptacles. 

It  is  very  likely  that  the  males  only  make  that  shrilling 
noise ;  which  they  may  do  out  of  rivalry,  &  emulation 
during  their  breeding  time ;  as  is  the  Case  with  many 
animals. 

1  A  small  piece  of  Gilbert  White's  fruit-wall  with  the  stone  commemorating 
its  erection  [G.  W.]  still  remains  standing,  and  is  well  cared  for  by  the  sympathetic 
owners  of  "The  Wakes,"  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Paxton  Parkin.— [R.  B.  S.] 


308     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

They  are  solitary  Insects  living  singly  in  Holes  by 
themselves ;  &  will  fight  fiercely  when  they  meet,  as  I 
found  by  some  which  I  put  into  an  hole  in  a  dry  wall, 
where  I  should  be  glad  to  have  them  encrease  on  account 
of  their  pleasing  summer  sound.  For  tho'  they  had  ex- 
press'd  distress  by  being  taken  out  of  their  knowledge ; 
yet  the  first  that  had  got  possession  of  the  chink  seized  an 
other  with  a  vast  pair  of  serrated  fangs  so  as  to  make  it 
cry-out.  With  these  strong,  tooth'd  Malae  (like  the  sheers 
of  lobster's  claws)  they  must  terebrate  their  curious  regular 
Holes  ;  as  they  have  no  feet  suited  for  digging  like  the 
mole-cricket.  I  could  but  wonder,  that  when  taken  in 
hand,  they  never  offer'd  to  bite,  tho'  furnished  with  such 
formidable  weapons.  They  are  remarkably  shy,  &  cautious, 
never  stirring  but  a  few  inches  from  ye  mouth  of  their 
holes,  &  retiring  backward  nimbly  into  them,  &  stopping 
short  in  their  song  by  that  time  you  come  within  several 
yards  of  yir  caverns  :  from  whence  I  conclude  they  may 
be  a  very  desirable  food  to  some  animals,  perhaps  several 
kinds  of  birds.  They  cry  all  night  as  well  as  day  during 
part  of  the  month  of  May  June,  &  July  in  fine  weather  ;  & 
may  in  the  still  part  of  the  night  be  heard  to  a  considerable 
distance ;  abounding  most  in  sand-banks  on  the  sides  of 
heaths,  especially  in  Surrey,  &  Sussex  :  but  these  that  I 
caught  were  in  a  steep,  rocky  pasture-field  facing  to  the 
afternoon  sun. 

21. — Frequent  showers,  &  a  strong  wind. 

Sowed  a  Crop  of  large  white-French-beans. 

22.  There  are  about  12  brace  of  Succade-melons  set; 
the  largest  of  which  are  about  the  size  of  a  pullet's  egg  :  & 
two  Cantaleupes,  which  seem  to  be  secure. 

May  27  :  28  :  29. — Vast  rains,  with  black,  cold  weather 
for  many  days. 

June  i. — Went  thro'  with  tacking  the  vines  for  the  first 
time. 

Cold  black  weather  still,  with  a  northerly  wind,  very 
unkind  for  all  vegetation. 

3. — Great  rain. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  309 

4. — Planted-out  2  hand-glasses  of  the  large  green 
Cucumbers ;  &  a  large  pot  of  Savoys,  &  late  -  raised 
Cabbages. 

8. — Cold  black  weather,  which  makes  the  Cucumbers 
pale,  &  ill-flavoured  ;  &  hurts  the  melons. 

Drew  first  Carrots  under  the  melon-screen. 

The  Rooks  are  perchers  : l  there  are  but  two  ;  &  one  of 
the  old  ones  was  some  how  destroyed  as  soon  as  they  were 
hatched. 

9. — Sowed  the  first  Crop  of  endive. 

17. — Great  rain  :  rak'd-down,  &  planted  the  winding- 
border  over-against  the  fruit-wall  with  tall  annuals  behind, 
&  a  row  of  China-asters  before. 

Cut-off  a  large  Succade  fruit  that  was  rotted  at  a  joint 
just  by  the  stem  of  the  fruit.  It  had  firm  seeds  in  it,  & 
would  have  soon  been  ripe. 

June  19. — Limed  the  vine-borders  round  the  house. 

Black  weather  without  a  gleam  of  sunshine  for  many 
days. 

Prick'd  out  more  Celeri.     Planted  more  Savoys. 

21. — Discovered  a  curious  Orchis  in  the  hollow  shady 
part  of  Newton-lane,  just  beyond  the  Cross.  It  is  the 
Orchis  alba  bifolia  minor,  Calcari  oblongo  ;  grew  with  a 
very  long  stem ;  &  has  been  in  flower  some  weeks.  I 
brought-away  the  flower,  &  mark'd  the  root,  intending  to 
transplant  it  into  the  Garden,  when  the  leaves  are  wither'd. 

22. — Hot  summer  weather.     Cut  my  Clover-hay. 

Cut  the  first  Succado. 

Hot  burning  weather,  which  grew  more  &  more 
vehement  'till  the  25  ;  &  then  a  great  deal  of  thunder,  & 
lightning  all  night. 

23. — Cut  a  brace  more  Succades. 

25. — Cut  an  other  Succade. 

1  There  is  no  Rookery  at  "The  Wakes"  now,  but  Mr.  Maxwell  drove  me 
over  on  the  5th  of  November  1899  to  Newton  Valence,  and  showed  me  a  line 
of  splendid  fir-trees  in  which  there  used  to  be  a  Rookery  within  his  memory. 
The  birds  have  deserted  this  place  also.  Could  Gilbert  White's  Rooks  have 
been  a  pair  of  Carrion  Crows  (C.  corone)  ? — [R.  B.  S.] 


3io     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

The  annuals  are  sadly  scorch'd  by  the  heat. 

The  Succades,  considering  the  long  shady  season  they 
grew-in,  &  the  early  season  of  ripening,  are  good,  &  well- 
flavoured. 

June  25. — Put  up  two  loads  of  Clover-hay  on  the  rick, 
&  covered  it  well  with  straw. 

26. — The  vines  begin  to  blow  very  fast. 

July  4. — Rick'd-up  the  meadow-hay  in  good  order. 

6. — Planted-out  leeks,  savoys,  &  two  plots  of  endive. 

10. — Most  of  the  Succades  being  cut,  I  ordered  the 
plants  to  be  watered  in  order  to  try  for  a  second  Crop. 
The  finest  Succades  weigh'd  about  20  ounces,  &  were  very 
good. 

There  are  two  Cantaleupes  only  which  are  just  near 
cutting  :  the  rest  are  only  now  setting  in  great  plenty. 

Cut  the  first  white- Cucumber. 

Took-in  the  Cucumber-frames.  The  early  Cucumbers 
are  now  full  of  fruit. 

Saved  seed  from  two  fine  Succades. 

Perfect  fine  summer-weather. 

The  Succades  have  some  second  fruit  in  bloom. 

12. — Cut  the  first  Cantaleupe  :  it  was  a  fair,  well- 
emboss'd  fruit,  &  weigh'd  one  ounce  short  of  two  pounds  ; 
but  was  pale-flesh'd,  &  not  in  so  fine  perfection  as  the 
best  Succades. 

16. — Cut  the  second  Cantaleupe,  a  small  one. 

July  1 6. — Trench'd  three  rows  of  Celeri. 

Raised  the  melon-frames  to  give  the  roots  a  little  room. 
There  are  plenty  of  Cantaleupes ;  &  a  good  second  Crop 
of  Succades. 

Large  white  Cucumbers  in  great  plenty ;  &  plenty  still 
on  the  old  forward  bed.  Stewed  20  for  dinner. 

The  Succades  have  some  second  fruit  as  big  as  hens 
eggs. 

25. — Finish'd  my  fruit-wall,  coping  the  two  returns  at 
the  ends  with  stones  of  a  sandy  nature  out  of  the  old 
priory.  The  coping-bricks  were  full  of  flaws,  &  cracks, 
being  made  of  earth  not  well-prepared,  &  instead  of  over- 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  311 

hanging  the  wall,  came  but  just  flush  with  it :  however,  by 
using  six  that  were  broken-ended,  we  had  just  enough,  & 
they  may  lie  on  the  wall  many  Years. 

Began  delving  the  fruit-border  which  was  trod  very 
hard. 

Finish'd  peat-cart ;  the  spits  were  in  excellent  order  : 
housed  four  loads ;  &  brought  in  all  my  wood  :  &  two 
loads  of  sand ;  one  for  ye  fruit-border,  &  one  for  the  hot- 
bed earth. 

July  25. — Hot,  ripening  weather  for  a  long  time. 

Inoculated  five  budds  of  the  double  Haw-thorn  on  a 
common  one  :  the  budds  were  poor  coming  from  a  sickly 
tree,  &  did  not  part  well  from  their  wood. 

27. — Look'd-over  the  melons,  that  were  run  pretty  wild. 
There  are  about  ten  brace  of  well-grown  Cantaleupes ;  & 
not  more  than  two  brace  of  second  Succades ;  their  haulm 
being  damaged  by  over  dryness. 

Sprinkled  all  the  plants  within,  &  watered  the  boxes 
round ;  as  the  mould  is  uncommonly  dry,  &  burnt,  &  the 
weather  very  scorching. 

Large  white  Cucumbers  bear  vastly. 

30. — Dress'd  the  fruit-border  the  second  time  with  lime, 
&  sand. 

Trench'd  the  next  year's  melon-earth,  &  dress'd  it  with 
a  good  coat  of  lime. 

The  earth  very  dry,  &  parch'd. 

Aug :  28. — On  my  return  from  Ringmer  after  three 
weeks  &  four  days  absence  I  found  Tull  had  cut  nine  brace 
of  melons.  The  continual  sunny  weather  had  brought  on 
the  Cantaleupes  before  I  expected  them,  &  made  them 
come  almost  all  in  a  week.  They  were  divided  among  our 
neighbours,  and  were  much  commended. 

I  found  the  annuals  very  handsome  &  very  strong ;  the 
Savoys  strangely  grown  ;  &  the  endives  very  large.  Tull 
had  planted  out  rows  of  Sweet- Williams,  &  Stocks  in  my 
absence. 

The  vines  were  grown  very  wild ;  &  have  no  fruit  yet 
turn'd  in  Colour,  notwithstanding  the  heat  of  the  summer. 


312     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

The  best  Cantaleupes  weigh'd  about  two  pounds  &  an 
half. 

Aug :  29. — Cut  a  Cantaleupe,  which  prov'd  a  very  fine 
one.  Weigh'd  the  largest  of  the  great  white-seed-Cucum- 
bers  :  it's  weight  was  three  pounds  &  14  ounces ;  &  it 
measured  14  inch  :  &  an  half  in  length. 

Tull  has  dug  the  fruit-border  twice,  &  levelled  it :  but 
there  has  not  been  rain  enough  yet  to  moisten  the  stubborn 
Clods,  so  as  to  make  them  fall  well  to  pieces. 

29. — Sowed  a  small  Crop  of  Coss-lettuce  for  plants  to 
stand  the  winter. 

Aug:  31. — Pruned  the  vines,  that  were  much  over-run 
with  shoots,  for  the  last  time. 

The  Grapes  just  begin  to  turn  Colour. 

Tyed-up  about  20  endives,  which  run  very  large  this 
Year.  All  the  buds  of  the  double  Hawthorn  seem  to  be 
dead. 

Septenf-  2. — Cut  two  Cantaleupes,  very  fine  fruit.  The 
Cantaleupes  run  to  a  fair  size,  notwithstanding  the  bed  is 
very  little  wider  than  the  frames.  The  Succades  produced 
about  6  brace  of  good  second-crop  fruit,  which  ripen'd  well, 
&  are  almost  all  cut. 

4. — Cut  a  fine  Cantaleupe  ;  the  last  of  any  size  or  value. 
It  prov'd  a  very  curious  one.  Mark'd  the  best,  &  most 
double  annuals  for  seed. 

5. — Dug  the  fruit-border  the  fourth  time  after  a  great 
rain  :  it  fell  well  to  pieces,  &  seems  to  be  well-mellow'd 
with  sand  &  lime  :  'till  this  rain  it  lay  in  great  Clods  as 
hard  as  stones,  being  so  much  trod  by  the  masons  & 
harden'd  by  a  hot,  sunny  summer.  It  has  three  coats  of 
good  mould  on  it,  &  must  be  full  two  feet  deep  in  good 
soil. 

Septr-  8. — Earth'd-up  the  Celeri  for  the  first  time.  Cut 
the  two  last  Succades :  good  siz'd  fruit.  Cut  in  the  whole 
about  30  brace  of  melons  of  both  sorts ;  many  were  very 
curious  fruit. 

It  is  to  be  observ'd  that,  as  my  frames  are  so  wide, 
a  crop  of  melons  succeeds  better  when  the  bed  is  little 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  313 

broader  than  the  boxes,  than  when  the  bed  has  been  lin'd- 
out,  &  earth'd  down  to  the  Ground.  Because  when  the 
bed  has  been  made  so  extensive  in  my  strong  soil  the  more 
delicate  sorts  of  melons  have  collected  more  moisture  than 
was  proper,  &  have  been  liable  to  mouldy  &  rotten  bines  : 
but  now  with  a  narrow  bed  there  has  been  no  decay  in 
the  plants,  notwithstanding  there  have  been  frequent  great 
showers  the  summer  thro'. 

9. — The  grapes  now  turn  a  great  pace. 

12. — Hous'd  the  lights,  &  took  the  melon-frames  to 
pieces.  Hot  sunshine  with  cold  dews. 

18. — Dug  the  fruit-border  for  the  last  time,  &  levell'd 
it  for  planting.  It  is  in  fine  mellow  order,  &  falls 
very  fine,  having  been  dug  five  times ;  &  dress'd  with 
three  Coats  of  sand,  two  of  lime,  &  one  of  morter- 
rubbish. 

It  now  lies-up  within  four  inches  of  the  upper  Joint  of 
the  stone  part  of  the  wall. 

Sad  wet  black  weather  for  a  long  time ;  &  some  very 
heavy  rains.  The  Grapes  come-on  but  poorly. 

Septemr-  28. — Planted  Sweet- Williams,  &  pinks  alter- 
nately on  the  new  bank. 

Earth'd  up  the  Celeri  the  second  time. 

Fine  settled  weather  after  above  a  month's  cold  wet 
season. 

Some  little  Succades,  secured  under  hand-glasses,  still 
continue  to  ripen. 

28.— Made  18  quarts  of  elder-juice,  &  put  to  it  36 
pounds  of  4!  sugar,  which  made  29  Quarts  of  Syrop. 
Mem:  two  gallons  &  half  of  pick'd  berries,  moderately 
squeesed,  produced  about  a  gallon  of  Juice. 

Octob :  7. — Planted-out  in  a  bed  to  blow  60  Carnation- 
plants,  &  80  stocks  :  the  best  are  to  be  removed  into 
borders. 

Octobr-  14. — Now  the  Grapes  are  good,  notwithstanding 
the  vast  continual  rains. 

The  drein  that  goes  from  the  bottom  of  the  new-gardeu 
under  the  walk,  &  fruit-wall  runs  apace. 

2  R 


314     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

21. — Dry,  fine  weather. 

Planted  130  of  Cabbages  in  the  new  Garden  at  two 
feet  apart  to  stand  ye  winter. 

22. — A  very  white-frost  with  thick  ice. 

24. — The  ground  being  very  dry  I  planted  my  bulbs ; 
a  row  of  Hyacinths  above  60,  &  a  few  Tulips,  &  polyanth- 
Narcissuss  on  the  edge  of  the  fruit  border :  a  row  of 
tulips,  &  polyanth-Narcissuss,  Cornflags,  &  Jonquils  next 
Parsons's  :  &  two  rows  of  Crocuss  under  the  buttery-win- 
dow. Planted  a  large  bed  of  Nursery-ofset-bulbs  in  a  bed 
by  themselves. 

Planted-out  against  Parson's,  &  under  ye  Buttery- 
window  several  of  my  fine  bloody-double-wallflowers.  Just 
before  I  finished  came  a  vast  rain. 

Novr-  2  :  3. — Planted  two  standard-golden-pippens  in 
the  old  orchard;  &  12  small  crab-stocks  in  the  nursery. 
Took-up  &  removed  the  things  in  the  nursery,  &  planted 
them  in  regular  lines  three  feet  apart.  Dug-up  &  planted 
6  pear-suckers  for  stocks. 

Sanded,  dung'd  &  trench'd  the  next  year's  melon-earth 
a  second  time ;  it  was  dress'd  once  with  sand  &  lime,  & 
falls  now  very  mellow. 

Dry,  soft,  delicate  weather.  Grapes  continue  very 
good  still. 

5. — Planted  four  rasp-plants  from  Chidbury-hill  Wilts 
at  the  nearest  end  of  the  rasp-border,  &  several  slips  of 
pyram  :  Campanulas  in  a  Nursery-bed. 

7. — Planted  one  Quart,  three  rows,  of  small  early  beans 
in  a  Quarter  of  the  new  Garden. 

A  smart  frost  with  Ice. 

Dress'd  the  basons  for  the  espalier-pears  with  mortar- 
rubbish  ;  &  laid  some  rubbish  at  the  bottom  of  every 
bason. 

13. — Planted  a  quart  more  of  early  beans. 

Decenf-  15. — Brewed  half  Hogsh  :  of  moderate  strong 
beer  with  5  bush  :  of  Rich  :  Knight's  malt,  &  two  pd-  & 
half  of  hops.  What  was  brew'd  in  the  same  barrel  last 
Decr-  was  excellent. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  315 

Decemr-  17. — Made  half  hogsh  :  of  raisin -wine  with 
hundred  of  Smyrnas,  &  half  hundred  of  Malagas  ;  &  put 
to  them  13  buckets  of  water,  each  bucket  containing 
3  Gal: 

22. — Wheel'd-in  20  wheel-barrows  of  hot-dung  to  cast 
ready  for  a  seedling-Cucumber-bed. 

Vast  quantities  of  rain  have  fallen  the  autumn  &  winter 
thro'  :  &  as  yet  there  have  been  but  a  very  few  days  of 
hard  frost. 

23  :  24. — Vast  rains,  &  floods. 

26. — Made  an  hot-bed  for  the  biggest  one — light  frame 
with  the  20  barrows  of  dung. 

Planted  a  Dutch-medlar,  &  a  Service  in  the  old 
orchard ;  &  a  mountain-ash  in  one  of  the  basons  in  the 
field. 

Vast  rains. 

30. — The  bed  not  coming  to  it's  heat  from  the  vast 
wetness  of  the  Dung,  I  order'd  in  a  load  from  Kelsey's ; 
which  with  10  barrows  of  my  own  made  a  new  one. 

By  the  negligence  of  Murdoch  Middleton  my  wall-trees 
never  came  'till  the  26  :  they  are  in  general  good  trees, 
were  planted  (considering  the  wetness  of  the  season)  in 
good  condition  ;  &  in  the  following  order,  beginning  from 
the  terrass  :  Breda  Apricot ;  sweet- water  vine  ;  Roman 
Nectar  :  Mr-  Snooke's  black-cluster  vine ;  Roman  Nect : 
white  Muscadine  vine  ;  Newington  Nectar  : 

Mur  :  Middleton's  Sweet-water-vine  ;  Nobless-peach  ; 
Mr-  Sn  :  White  Muscadine  vine  ;  Nobless-peach  ;  John 
Hale's  2  Passion  flowers,  one  at  each  end  of  the  wall. 

Decemr-  30. — Planted  two  Cistus's  in  Mr-  Etty's  dry 
garden  ;  &  a  Phlomis,  &  an  Halimus  in  my  own.  Planted 
some  cuttings  of  the  American  black  Poplar,  &  the 
Groundsel-tree  in  the  Nursery. 


316     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

DUNG  BORROWED,  1761. 

Jan.  3. — Of  Kelsey  dung  p^  car.  p4      .  i  load. 

He  carried  of  our's  i  load,  p*- 

31. —  Of  Kelsey  d«»>K  pd.  car.  pd.           m        t  6  loads. 

Feb.  2. — Of  Parsons  pd-  «•*•  dao&  **•            .  4  loads. 

March  3. — Of  Parsons  pd-  car.  dung  p*-  5  loads. 

4. — Of  Kelsey  dune  **•  «r- 1*-      .         .         .  4  loads. 

carried  one  of  mine.  pd- 

March  26. — Of  Berriman  pd-  car.          .  2  loads. 

Of  Parsons  pd-  car.  dun*  Pd-  .  3  loads. 

Of  Kelsey  du"gpd.  car.  pd.         <  IO  loads. 

carried  out  of  mine  3.  p4 


DRY  FINK  WEATHER 


Garden-Kalendar  for  the  Year   1762 


Jan:  I. — Put  about  20  Cucumber-seeds  into  the  Hot- 
bed  before  it  was  come  to  it's  heat :  it  has  been  made  only 
two  days. 

4. — The  bed  comes  to  a  bold  heat.  Exceeding  wet 
weather  ;  &  the  ground  full  of  water. 

There  has  been  no  settled  dry  weather  since  the  end 
of  August. 

5. — Tunn'd  the  Half  Hogsh  :  of  raisin  wine  :  there  were 
about  3  gallons  too  much  without  any  squeezing.  Coloured 
it  with  17  pints  of  Elder  Syrop.  The  wine  tastes  very 
sweet.  Added  two  more  pints. 

Jan :  5. — Cucumber-plants  begin  to  appear  :  the  bed  is 
very  warm. 

ii  :  12. — A  violent  storm  with  vast  rains,  &  floods. 

14. — The  bed,  when  covered  much  from  the  great  rains, 
too  hot  still.  Obliged  to  keep  the  light  tilted  anights.  The 
plants  a  little  damaged  by  the  steam,  &  heat.  Continue  to 
sow  more  seeds. 

14. — Bottled  out  the  barrel  of  vinegar,  which  was  very 
fine,  &  extremely  keen  ;  &  put-in  8  gall :  more  of  strong 
small-wine. 

20. — Cucumber-plants  have  a  rough  leaf.  Shut  the 
light  down  quite  close  to-night  for  the  first  time.  The 
mercury  mounts  very  high. 

26. — Brought  in  ten  loads  of  hot  dung  for  the  bearing 
Cucumber-bed.  Bright  sunny  weather  &  dry  pleasant 
frosts  for  many  days.  Trench'd  my  flower-bank,  &  some 
of  the  Kitchen-ground. 


3i8     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Feb :  i. — Sowed  8  Succade-seeds. 

The  Cucumber-plants  look  finely. 

Frequent  rains  with  a  very  high  Barometre ;  &  the 
Country  in  an  unusual  wet  condition. 

The  cast  dung  heats  furiously. 

5. — Cold,  dry,  March-like  weather  for  a  few  days,  with  a 
very  high  barometer.  The  ground  being  a  little  dry  for 
the  first  time  since  last  August,  I  sowed  a  small  Crop  of 
Coss  lettuce,  Carrots,  &  radishes  in  the  Upper  part  of  the 
melon-screen  border,  which  was  but  in  very  poor  cold 
Condition,  notwithstanding  the  quantity  of  ashes,  &  sand 
that  have  been  put  on  it.  As  to  the  lower  part,  the  water 
appeared  in  the  Clods  while  it  was  digging-up  rough. 

7. — A  strong  N  :  W  :  wind  all  night,  which  occasioned 
much  the  fiercest  frost  that  has  been  this  year,  with  ice  full 
an  Inch  thick. 

The  paths  are  now  dry,  &  white. 

Lin'd  the  seedling  Cucumber-bed  (which  begins  to 
abate  of  it's  heat)  with  seven  barrows  of  dung.  The  plants 
look  well,  &  show  a  joint. 

Hill'd  &  earth'd-down  the  bearing-bed ;  &,  as  it  comes 
but  feebly  to  it's  heat,  lin'd  it  round  with  pease-haulm. 
High  barometef,  &  a  strong  freezing  down. 

A  good  part  of  my  new  garden  has  been  dug  since  these 
dry  days  :  the  marl  has  done  great  good  in  the  Quarters,  & 
makes  them  Crumble  well.  Dunged  the  flower-bank  well, 
&  the  opposite  border.  Covered  the  roots  of  the  new- 
planted  trees  with  straw. 

Feb :  10. — A  violent  fierce  frost. 

ii. — Finding  the  fruiting-bed  by  great  covering-up  was 
much  improved  in  heat,  I  planted  the  hills  with  7  or  8  of 
my  best  plants  each. 

The  plants  have  a  large  rough  leaf,  &  some  of  them  a 
joint ;  but  have  stay'd  full  as  long  in  the  seed-bed  as  will 
do  them  any  good. 

The  new  bed  is  at  present  warm  enough ;  but  the 
danger  is  whether  such  moderate  heat  will  continue  long 
enough  to  set  the  fruit  well ;  &  'till  the  sun  gets  strong 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  319 

enough  to  make  the  fruit  grow.  There  are  many  fine  plants 
left  in  the  seedling  bed. 

12. — Sowed  14  Succade-seeds  in  the  fruiting-frames ; 
those  that  were  sown  in  the  seed-bed  included,  which  never 
vegetated. 

Strange  sudden  alterations  from  fierce  frosts  to  heavy 
rains,  &  so  back  again. 

Feb :  15. — The  bed  seems  to  be  come  to  a  good  heat. 

Succades  begin  to  appear. 

1 8. — The  bed  advances  in  heat,  &  rather  draws  the 
plants.  Potted  the  Succades. 

Nasty,  wet,  blowing  weather. 

19. — Sow'd  10  more  Succade  seeds. 

Sow'd  a  box  of  Polyanth  seed. 

The  sun,  which  quite  forsakes  the  upper  walk  of  the 
new  garden  about  the  end  of  Octobr-  begins  now  to  shine 
full  along  it  about  half  an  hour  before  it  sets.  The 
Hepaticas,  Crocuss,  snowdrops  &  double  daisies  begin  now 
to  make  a  very  agreeable  appearance  as  the  first  promise 
of  spring.  Warm  moist  weather,  which  makes  the  grass 
spring  sensibly. 

A  shoot  of  a  white  vine,  which  I  lately  short'ned,  bleeds 
pretty  much. 

The  ground  has  never  this  winter  been  once  covered 
with  snow. 

20. — Made  an  hot-bed  in  the  rod-frame  with  16  barrows 
of  dung ;  &,  after  covering  it  pretty  thick  with  mellow 
mould,  sowed  it  with  radishes. 

Feb :  20. — Sowed  two  basons  of  Persicarias  in  the  border 
against  Parsons's. 

21. — A  most  violent  N  :  E:  wind  all  the  evening,  &  all 
the  first  part  of  the  night,  with  a  small,  dry,  drifting  sort  of 
snow,  which  drove  thro'  the  tiles,  &  every  cranny  in  a  most 
extraordinary  manner.  The  ground  is  but  just  covered 
except  in  drifted  places.  A  very  hard  frost  in  the  morning. 
Many  people  froze  to  death.1 

1  Evidently  a  "  Blizzard,"  as  we  should  call  it  now. — [R.  B.  S.] 


320     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

24. — Severe  frost  with  heaps  of  drifted  snow  on  the 
Ground.  A  high  barometer. 

The  Cucumber-bed  steams  very  much  ;  &  it  has  been 
so  very  cold  lately,  that  there  has  been  very  few  oppor- 
tunities of  giving  the  plants  sufficient  air.  The  plants  look 
the  worse  for  their  Confinement. 

25. — Finding  the  bed  full  hot,  I  pull'd-off  the  pease- 
haulm-lining  at  the  back. 

Sowed  the  Clover  in  Baker's  hill  all  over  with  two  dung- 
carts  of  Ashes. 

27. — Sowed  8  basons  of  double  upright-larkspurs  along 
the  border  of  the  Garden-door  walk,  &  in  the  border 
between  the  Cherry-trees. 

Cold  black  weather :  the  snow  has  now  laid  a  week  in 
shady  places. 

The  forward  Cucumbers  look  very  poorly. 

March  i. — Fierce  frosts  a  nights,  &  strong  cutting  winds 
a  days  with  storms  of  snow. 

Murdoch  Middleton's  pear-trees  of  last  year  proving 
canker'd,  &  distemper' d,  he  changed  them  ;  &  I  added  some 
more  sorts. 

They  stand  now  as  follows  in  the  new  Garden,  begin- 
ning from  the  first  quarters  on  the  side  next  the  wall,  then 
going  down  the  middle  quarters ;  &  then  by  the  side  of  the 
terrass. 

N  :  Side  of  the  Quarters  next  the  wall  : 

Chaumontelle,  &  Virgoleuse  : 

S  :  side  of  D°-  Crasane,  &  Doyenne  : 

The  middle  quarters  : 

Sl  Germain,  Brown  Bury,  Doyenne  : 

Up  the  side  of  the  terrasse  : 

Autumn  Burgamot ;  &  Swann's  egg. 

There  are  also  at  the  inner  ends  of  the  wall-quarters  two 
Green-gage  plums  : 

One  Crasane-pear  in  the  border  of  the  walk  facing  the 
Garden-door :  &  one  le  Royal,  &  one  Queen-Claudia  plum 
in  the  melon-screen  border. 

March    2. —  Planted    a     plot    in    Turner's     with    five 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  321 

rows,  three  pints  &  half  of  early  pease  at  four  feet 
apart. 

Very  strong  frost  with  thick  ice  :  freezing  air  all  day 
with  flights  of  snow. 

6. — This  is  now  the  14  day  since  the  snow  fell ;  &  it  lies 
in  great  Heaps  still  under  the  Hedges. 

There  have  been  every  day  since  cold  cutting  winds 
with  a  dark  cloudy  skie,  &  strong  frosts  every  night. 

The  want  of  sun,  &  freezing  air  make  the  Cu- 
cumber-plants look  very  poorly,  &  quite  stop  their 
Growth. 

Sowed  a  gallon,  n  rows  of  dwarf-marrowfats,  which  at 
3  feet  &  half  a  part  just  fill'd  a  quarter. 

Sowed  two  ounces  of  spinage. 

The  dug-ground  is  quite  dusty. 

10. — Pull'd-up  the  forward  Cucumbers,  which  have 
never  thrived  since  the  fierce  weather  began ;  &  planted 
some  from  ye  seedling-bed  which  are  better. 

Sowed  a  Celeri-bed  with  seed  from  London,  &  some 
seed  of  a  jagged-leaved  sort  from  Mr-  Missing. 

Planted  some  Spanish-Chestnuts  from  Mr-  Roman,1  & 
some  variegated  Sycamore-keys  from  bro  :  Tom.  Sowed 
a  bed  of  Leeks.  This  is  the  i8th  day  of  the  frosty  weather  : 
very  thick  ice  last  night ;  &  the  snow  still  lies  in  cold 
shady  places.  A  freezing  wind. 

March  u. — This  is  the  19  &  last  day  of  the  fierce 
weather. 

13. — Cut  down  all  the  wall-trees,  &  all  the  espalier  pears. 
The  two  peaches  seem  unsound  at  the  pith  ;  all  the  rest  are 
healthy  trees. 

Widened  the  walk  down  Baker's-hill,  &  turfed  it. 
Planted  several  sorts  of  Asters  in  the  new  garden. 

Soft  spring-like  weather  for  the  first  time. 

15. — Carryed-in  ten  loads  of  Hot  dung  for  the  Succade- 
bed. 

26. — Sowed  Holy-oaks,  sunflowers,  Cullumbines,  China 
asters,  &  savoys. 

1  The  Rector  of  Faringdon,  when  Gilbert  White  was  curate  there. — [R.  B.  S.] 

2  S 


322     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

27. — Planted  four  rows  of  Potatoes ;  pieces  from  fine 
large  roots. 

April  6. — Sowed  a  bed  of  onions. 

7. — Planted  the  succade-bed,  that  has  been  now  made  a 
fortnight,  with  some  good  potted  plants,  &  some  plants 
raised  in  the  bed.  The  bed  is  full  hot.  Sowed  the  first 
Cantaleupes. 

Sowed  three  rows  of  broad-beans. 

Apr :  7. — The  f orwardest  Cucumber  about  as  big  as  the 
top  of  one's  finger.  The  plants  now  grow  away.  Fine 
summer  weather. 

Planted  holy-oaks,  asters,  &  peren  :  sunflowers  up  the 
garden-hedge  in  Baker's  hill. 

8. — Sowed  five  rows  of  marrow-fat  pease. 

9 :  10. — Brought-in  17  loads  of  hot  dung  for  the 
Cantaleupe  bed. 

Sowed  some  white  Broccoli-seed  from  Bp's  Waltham. 
The  Succade-bed  is  very  hot ;  but  the  plants  by  being 
tilted  a  nights,  &  shaded  a  days  look  very  well,  &  have 
runners. 

12. — Sowed  the  Cantaleupe-seeds,  &  some  Succades. 

16. — Sowed  some  common  Cabbage-seed,  &  some 
Roman  Broccoli. 

Made  one  hand-glass-bed  to  raise  the  large  white 
Cucumbers. 

Made  the  Annual-bed. 

Potted  the  Cantaleupes. 

17. — Sowed  the  annuals. 

19. — Made  the  Cantaleupe-bed  with  17  loads  of  dung  : 
it  is  of  a  very  proper  thickness. 

20. — Dress'd  the  Artichokes. 

24.— Earth'd  the  Cantaleupe-bed,  &  hill'd  it. 

Made  six  hand-glass  beds,  with  one  barrow  of  dung  to 
each,  for  the  large  white  Cucumbers,  &  planted  them. 

The  fruit-wall  &  espalier-trees  are  all  alive,  &  begin  to 
shoot. 

26. — Cut  the  first  Cucumber.  There  are  plenty  com- 
ing on. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  323 

Fine  hot  summer  weather  for  these  twelve  days  past, 
which  has  brought  every  thing  on  in  a  wonderful  manner. 

27. — Planted  the  Cantaleupe-bed,  the  two  first  Hills 
with  Waverley  plants,  &  the  rest  with  plants  from  my  own 
seed ;  all  save  the  last  Hill,  which  is  planted  with  Succades 
to  keep  up  a  Succession. 

The  plants  are  beautiful  &  thriving  beyond  Common  : 
but  the  bed  is  very  hot  &  wants  watching. 

Very  hot  weather  with  the  appearance  of  thunder. 

April  27. — The  first  Succades  fill  the  hills  with  their 
fibres,  &  have  runners  with  several  joints. 

The  fruit-trees  against  the  wall  push  apace.  I  disbudded 
them  to-day.  The  vines  also  are  all  alive. 

May  3. — Sowed  6  rows  of  white-Dwarf-french-beans. 
The  seed  looks  but  poorly. 

8. — The  Succades  begin  to  shew  fruit. 

Hot  sunshine  with  very  cold  winds. 

ii. — The  Succades  have  male  bloom  full  blown. 

17. — The  Succades  have  now  fruit  in  bloom. 

22. — Some  Succades  seem  to  be  set. 

Brought  some  Geraniums,  &  a  Sedum  from  Bp's 
Waltham. 

Shady  moist  weather :  prick' d-out  plenty  of  Savoys, 
Celery,  &  Celeriac. 

25. — Tack'd  the  vines,  &  disbudded  them  for  ye  first  time  : 
the  appearance  of  an  abundance  of  fruit.  Hot  sunny 
weather  for  many  days. 

June  4. — Vehement  hot  dry  weather  for  many  days  (a 
fortnight  past)  so  that  the  fields  &  Gardens  begin  to  suffer 
greatly.  The  early  Cucumbers  hardly  bear  at  all  tho'  con- 
stantly water'd  :  &  the  melons  swell  very  slowly. 

Turn'd-out  the  white  Cucumbers  from  under  the 
Glasses. 

June  8. — This  long  hot  sunny  season  has  forced  some  of 
the  vines  into  bloom.  They  did  not  blow  last  year  'till 
about  the  26. 

Cut  my  Clover-hay. 

The  forwardest  Succades  nearly  full-grown :  the  Canta- 


324     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

leupes  have  abundance  of  fruit  in  full  bloom,  but  hardly 
any  male  bloom. 

A  long  dry  hot  season  :  the  Corn  begins  to  suffer. 

1 6. — Cut  first  white  Cucumbers  from  the  hand-glasses. 
Hot  burning  weather  still. 

Began  stopping-down  the  vines. 

They  are  all  in  full  bloom. 

The  Cantaleupes  begin  to  set. 

17. — This  morning  a  valuable  shower  for  an  Hour  & 
half  that  made  the  Cartway  run. 

Cantaleupes  &  Succades  now  set  at  a  vast  rate. 

June  1 8. — Sowed  four  rows  of  white-dwarf-french-beans : 
soak'd  the  seed  in  water. 

Sowed  a  small  plot  of  Endive. 

26. — Dry  and  hot  weather  yet. 

Some  bunches  of  Grapes,  that  used  in  general  to  be 
only  just  in  full  bloom,  now  so  forward,  that  they  are 
grown  pretty  well  to  the  third  part  of  their  full  size. 

An  abundance  of  Cantaleupes  set :  the  vines  are  in 
good  health  ;  &  some  fruit  are  the  size  of  a  large  apple. 

The  Succades  have  but  a  scanty  first  crop,  which  is  near 
cutting :  but  promise  well  for  a  second. 

We  transplant  the  annuals  only  a  few  at  a  time  as  they 
can  be  water'd.  They  are  stocky  in  their  nursery  bed. 

The  fruit-trees  against  the  wall,  by  being  sprinkled  over 
the  leaves  two  or  three  times  a  week  during  this  burning 
season,  have  been  kept  in  a  constant  growing  state,  &  have 
not  one  curled  leaf. 

A  fine  shower  on  June  20. 

28. — A  fine  rain.  Planted  out  some  Savoys  ;  &  more 
annuals.  The  pine-strawberries  bear  well. 

30. — Hot  summer  weather. 

July  3. — Cut  first  Succade. 

5. — Set-out  for  Tidworth.  During  that  week  Tull  cut 
4  brace  of  Succades. 

About  the  ioth  Mr-  Cane  began  to  cut  his  crop  of 
Cantaleupes,  which  were  extraordinary  delicate,  &  of  a 
good  size. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  325 

On  my  return  to  Selborne  the  24  I  found  3  brace  &  an 
half  of  Succades  cut,  and  ready  to  cut  in  the  early  box. 
The  late  hill  of  Succades  are  not  come  ;  &  the  Cantaleupes 
are  small  &  not  very  rough  ;  but  the  vines  look  healthy. 

People  are  in  the  midst  of  wheat-harvest,  &  have  cut 
some  oats.  Not  the  least  rain  since  Wednesday  seven  night. 
The  country  is  burnt-up  in  a  most  deplorable  manner, 
beyond  what  any  middle-aged  person  remembers ;  all  the 
ponds  &  many  wells  are  dry. 

The  grapes  are  uncommonly  forward,  &  flourishing  ;  & 
the  vines  have  made  vast  shoots. 

July  28. — Cut  the  first  Cantaleupe  at  six  weeks  from  the 
setting:  it  was,  I  suppose,  hurried  by  the  vehement  hot 
summer  ;  but  was  not  very  curious. 

29. — Cut  second  Cantaleupe. 

Cut  the  first  Succade  of  the  Hill  in  one  of  the  Canta- 
leupe-boxes ;  which  came  not  'till  after  two  Cantaleupes ; 
tho'  planted  at  the  same  time. 

There  usually  is  a  fortnight  difference  in  their  ripening. 

31. — The  Succades  of  the  latter  hill  come  apace. 

Those  in  the  first  box  have  been  well  watered ;  &  shew 
a  pretty  good  second  Crop. 

Vehement  hot  weather  still. 

August  3. — Cut  all  the  Succades  of  the  farther  hill, 
which  came  a  great  pace  this  very  hot  dry  weather. 
Watered  the  hill  well,  to  try  for  a  second  Crop.  They 
were  excellent. 

4  :  6. — Frequent  showers  with  a  strong  wind  that  blew 
down  many  apples  &  pears.  The  first  rain.  The  rain 
improved  Mr-  Etty's  wall-fruit  visibly  in  a  day  or  two. 

Cut  a  large  delicate  Cantaleupe. 

7. — Planted-out  Savoys ;  &  sowed  half  pd-  of  spinage,  & 
some  radish-seed. 

The  ground  is  moist'ned  in  but  a  little  way. 

Aug :  4. — Cut  my  field  of  oats. 

10. — A  fine  rain.  Sowed  a  plot  of  turnep-seed  &  trench'd 
out  the  first  Celeri,  four  rows  in  Turner's  Garden. 

12. — A  fine  rain  with  some  distant  thunder. 


326     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

The  Grapes  begin  to  turn  Colour. 

Planted  in  the  new  garden  two  trenches  more  of  Celeri ; 
&  two  of  Mr-  Missing's  parsley-leaved  Celeriac.  Mr-  Etty's 
Nectarines,  &  Peaches  begin  to  shew  their  fine  ripening 
Colours. 

13. — Frequent  heavy  thundershowers  with  hot  growing 
weather. 

14. — Hot  moist  weather.  The  Succades  have  plenty  of 
new  wood,  &  shew  several  brace  of  promising  second-crop 
fruit. 

The  grass-walks  have  in  ten  days  quite  recovered  their 
verdure  ;  tho'  they  were  so  deplorably  burnt. 

Planted  12  stock-gilliflowers  from  Mr-  Etty.  Eat  a  very 
curious  Cantaleupe  :  it  weigh'd  two  pounds,  &  an  half,  & 
was  very  dry,  &  thick  in  flesh. 

Aug:  1 6. — Cut  the  last  Cantaleupe.  Many  were  very 
delicate,  cracking  both  at  Eye,  &  stem. 

21. — Planted  three  rows  of  Polyanths  on  the  bank  next 
the  Alcove  :  planted  two  plots  of  backward  Savoys. 

Septemr-  8. — The  wasps  (which  are  without  number  this 
dry  hot  summer)  attack  the  grapes  in  a  grievous  manner. 
Hung-up  1 6  bottles  with  treacle,  &  beer,  which  make  great 
havock  among  them.  Bagged  about  fifty  of  the  best 
bunches  in  Crape-bags.  Some  of  the  forwardest  bunches 
are  very  eatable,  tho'  not  curiously  ripe.  Mr-  Snooke's 
grapes  were  eat  naked  to  the  stones  a  fortnight  ago,  when 
they  were  quite  green. 

There  are  about  3  brace  of  second-crop  Succades,  which 
will  come  in  good  time  if  the  weather  proves  good. 

Frequent  showers  since  the  4th  of  Aug  :  now  a  promise 
of  dry  weather.  The  fields  abound  with  grass  as  if  there 
had  been  no  drought  this  summer. 

Septemr-  18. — Delicate  autumn  weather  for  a  fortnight. 
Began  eating  the  grapes,  which  are  good,  but  not  curiously 
ripened  yet. 

By  means  of  bottles  &  bird  lime  I  have  prevented  in- 
numerable swarms  of  wasps  from  doing  the  grapes  any 
considerable  damage.  They  are  reduced  now  to  a  very 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  327 

moderate  number  ;  not  more  than  appear  in  common  Years. 
Gather'd  some  nonpareils  &  golden-rennets,  which  are  very 
fair,  &  ready  to  be  laid  up,  being  a  fortnight  at  least  earlier 
than  common. 

Cut  a  decent  second-crop-succade. 

Walnuts  &  apples  are  innumerable  this  year  ;  but  there 
are  no  small-nuts. 

20. — Tyed-up  a  large  parcel  of  endives  :  they  are  but 
small  this  year. 

21. — Cut  a  succade. 

23  :  24. — Exceeding  heavy  rains  with  tempestuous  winds, 
which  blowed  down  an  abundance  of  apples. 

Gather'd-in  the  Cadillac-pears :  near  one  third  were 
blown-down. 

Cut-up  a  very  good-flavoured  Succade. 

Octob :  5. — Trimm'd  &  tack'd  the  wall  fruit  trees  for  the 
winter.  They  are  all  alive,  &  healthy. 

Planted-out  some  Coss-lettuce  to  stand  the  winter  under 
the  fruit-wall. 

13. — Grapes  very  curious.  The  wasps  begin  to  be  very 
troublesome,  so  that  we  caught  200  of  a  day.  Eat  two 
very  good  Succades  within  these  few  days.  Dry  weather, 
with  white  frosts. 

15. — Supply'd  the  row  of  Hyacinths  on  the  fruit-border 
with  several  double  blue,  &  a  few  very  double  flat-blowing 
flowers. 

Very  dry  seasonable  weather. 

16. — Dug-up  the  Crown-imperials  on  the  bank,  &  took- 
out  a  large  basket  full  of  roots,  &  planted  only  two  roots  in 
each  bason. 

Grapes  very  curious. 

17. — First  very  great  white  frost. 

23  :  24  :  25. — Vast  floods.     Vast  damage  in  many  parts. 

26. — Plenty  of  Grapes,  &  very  curious. 

29. — A  flight  of  snow  for  a  few  hours. 

Nov :  i. — Grapes  very  fine. 

3. — Gathered  the  last  Grapes,  which  were  above  thirty 
curious  bunches,  from  the  vine  over  ye  Entry  door. 


328     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Planted  four  curious  gooseberry-trees  from  Waltham, 
&  two  basons  of  rag- wort  from  Funtington. 

Novr"  ii. — Great  snow. 

Planted  some  very  small  Coss-lettuce  against  the  fruit- 
wall. 

Shut-up  the  Alcove l  with  straw  doors  for  ye  winter  ;  & 
took-in  the  urns. 

13. — Severe  frost  with  very  thick  Ice. 

Eat  the  last  Grapes. 

19. — The  frost  still  continues  very  fierce.  Bearing  Ice 
for  many  days.  Uncommon  early  frost. 

The  fierce  frost  continued  eleven  nights. 

24. — Trimm'd  &  tack'd  the  vines,  whose  shoots  are  both 
smaller  &  shorter  than  usual :  perhaps  owing  to  the  vast 
Crop,  &  very  burning  Year.  However  there  is  wood 
enough  to  fill  the  walls. 

29. — Planted  the  border  by  the  necessary  full  of  tulips, 
Polyanth-Narcissuss,  Double  daffodils,  &  Jonquils. 

Moved  the  two  plum-trees  from  the  melon-border  to  the 
rasp-border.  They  had  taken  poor  root. 

Decemr-  5. — Planted  one  hundred  &  a  Quarter  of  stocky 
Cabbage-plants,  to  stand  the  winter.  Made  a  strong  rod- 
hedge  against  Parsons's  Yard. 

10. — Sowed  three  pints  of  small  early  beans.  The 
ground  was  in  fine  order  ;  there  having  been  hardly  any 
rain  for  a  month  past. 

1 8. — By  the  favour  of  the  long,  dry  weather  I  prevailed 
on  Parsons  to  set-about  cleansing  the  river  course  from 
Gracious-Street  to  Webbs  bridge,  which  was  quite  choak'd, 
&  in  great  rains  occasion'd  a  very  troublesome  flood.  We 
threw  out  about  50  loads  of  mud,  &  have  open'd  so  free  a 
channel,  that  the  road  is  quite  dry,  &  the  water  will  have 
an  easy  passage  as  fast  as  it  comes  to  those  parts. 

1  Mr.  Grant  Allen  assigns  the  site  of  the  Alcove  to  the  Bostal.  I  believe 
that  it  was  at  the  end  of  Gilbert's  mead,  and  the  foundation  is  still  to  be  seen 
in  Gracious  Street.  Mr.  Maxwell  pointed  out  this  piece  of  stone  work,  and 
related  that  Professor  Bell  had  informed  him  that  it  was  the  foundation  of  one 
of  Gilbert  White's  summer-houses. — [R.  B.  S.] 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR 


329 


Finish'd  a  paved  foot-path  from  the  Butcher's  shop  to 
the  Blacksmith's,  above  70  Yards  :  it  cost  just  one  pound.1 

Decenf-  24  :  1762.  Made  a  seedling-Cucumr  -bed  with 
two  dung-carts  of  hot  dung,  which  was  in  fine  order,  & 
had  never  received  any  wet  since  it  was  thrown-out. 

27. — Very  hard,  still  frost.  Pleasant  weather,  &  no  rain 
for  several  weeks. 

31. — Extream  severe  frost  with  a  cutting  wind. 


DUNG  BORROWED  FOR  1762. 

Of  Kelsey — Dung  pd-  Car.  pd- 
Jan :  26. — Of  Kelsey  D  :  pd-  Car.  pd-     . 

Car.  3  of  my  own. 
March  15. — Kelsey  Dung  pd-  Car.  pd-    . 

Parsons  Dung  pd-  Car.  pd 
April  8. — Kelsey  Dung  pd-  Car.  pd- 
10. — Parsons  Dung  pd-  Car.  pd- 


i  load. 

7  loads. 

5  loads. 
5  loads. 

8  loads. 

9  loads. 


1  This  path  still  exists.     In  these  days  it  would  have  cost  at  least  £10, 
[H.  M.] 


2T 


Garden-Kalendar  for  the  Year   1763 


Jan :  i. — Sowed  about  20  seeds  :  the  bed  is  in  very  fine 
order.  Very  fierce  frost  indeed,  which  begins  to  reach 
things  within  doors.  The  wall-flowers  seem  to  be  much 
damaged. 

There  has  been  no  fall  now,  except  a  trifling  shower, 
since  the  n  of  Novemr-  when  there  was  a  pretty  deep 
snow.  The  ponds  begin  to  get  low. 

Extream  hard  frost  still.    The  Cucum"-  begin  to  appear. 

Jan :  n. — Fierce  frost  still,  but  not  very  windy. 

The  sun  has  scarce  appeared  for  many  days  :  so  that 
the  paths  &  roads  have  been  hard  &  dry  all  day  long.  The 
Thames,  it  seems,  is  so  frozen,  that  fairs  have  been  kept  on 
it ;  &  the  Ice  has  done  great  damage  to  the  ships  below 
bridge. 

Covered  the  bulbs  with  straw,  &  the  Artichokes,  &  some 
of  the  most  curious  Asters  :  &  put  straw  round  the  bloody 
wall-flowers. 

Lined  the  Cucumr-  bed  a  little  :  the  plants  look  pretty 
well. 

This  frost  began  on  Xmas-day. 

15. — The  frost  more  fierce  than  ever  with  vast  rimes  in 
the  night,  &  sunny  days.  No  snow  yet.  I  have  covered 
the  wall-trees,  &  ajl  tender  things  with  straw. 

The  frost  has  been  three  weeks  today. 

17. — Carted-in  &  cast  10  loads  of  good  hot  dung  for  the 
bearing  cucumber-bed. 

Most  severe  frost  still.  There  has  been  no  rain  since 
Nov.  IIth-  The  country  is  all  in  a  dust,  &  many  people 
are  obliged  to  draw  water  for  all  their  Cattle. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  331 

19. — Vast  rimes  all  day  long  for  these  two  days  without 
the  least  thaw. 

20. — To  day  is  10  weeks  since  there  was  rain. 

21. — Vast  rimes  still  day  &  night. 

22. — To-day  the  frost  has  been  a  month. 

24. — Made  my  bearing-cucumber-bed  with  ten  loads  of 
very  good  dung. 

The  first-sowed  cucumber-plants  look  very  well  for  such 
a  severe  season,  &  have  a  rough  leaf,  &  an  other  opening. 
I  keep  sowing  more  seeds  every  week.  Very  bright  still 
weather. 

25. — I  measured  in  a  new-dug  grave  in  Faringdon 
Church-yard,  &  found  the  frost  had  enter'd  the  ground 
about  10  inches.  Vast  fog. 

27. — This  day  the  dry  weather  had  lasted  eleven 
weeks. 

28. — The  frost  begins  to  slack. 

Jan:  29. — Strong  south-wind  with  rain,  &  a  mild  thaw. 
The  frost  began  this  day  five  weeks. 

31. — A  thoro'  thaw  with  strong  wind,  &  a  great  rain. 

Feb :  5. — After  ten  days  absence  at  Ringmer  I  found  the 
Cucumber-plants  in  pretty  good  order  ;  but  the  bearing-bed 
too  hot  to  plant-in. 

8. — Planted  my  Cucumber-plants  in  the  bearing-bed, 
which  seems  to  be  pretty  mild. 

The  plants  are  of  different  ages  :  the  forwardest  have 
a  joint,  &  a  broad  rough  leaf. 

Wet  blowing  weather  for  several  days. 

Feb :  9. — Brewed  half  Hogsh  :  of  strong-beer  with  5 
bush  :  of  malt,  &  two  pds-  &  half  of  hops. 

Used  only  rain-water  to  try  the  difference. 

Added  one  bush  :  of  malt,  &  made  an  hogsh  :  of  table- 
beer. 

12  :  13. — Heavy  snow  for  14,  or  16  hours. 

14. — Deep  snow  notwithstanding  the  ground  was  so 
wet ;  &  a  pretty  hard  frost,  &  bright  sunshine. 

The  cucumber-plants  grow,  &  look  very  well ;  &  some 
of  them  have  two  joints. 


332     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

15. — A  second  deep  snow  in  the  night,  which  goes-off 
today  with  a  swift  thaw,  &  rain. 

15. — Made  half  an  Hogsh  :  of  raisin-wine  with  one 
hund  :  of  Malagas,  &  half  an  hund  :  of  Smyrnas. 

One  basket  of  ye  Smyrnas  were  pretty  much  candyed  : 
the  rest  were  pretty  good.  Put  to  the  raisins  12  buckets  of 
water,  each  bucket  containing  3  gallons. 

19. — Frequent  rain,  &  dark  weather  in  general  since 
the  thaw. 

Sowed  12  Succade-seeds  in  the  Cucumber-bed.  Lined 
the  bed  round  with  hay  to  keep-in  the  heat.  The  plants 
look  very  green,  &  thrive. 

The  bed  seems  in  fine  gentle  temper. 

21. — Sowed  two  Jobbs  of  ashes  of  my  own  making; 
which  with  what  few  more  I  may  make  will  manure  the 
great  meadow  all  over. 

22. — Constant  rains. 

23. — The  Succade-plants  come-up  well. 

The  Cucumbers  thrive. 

A  very  soft  spring-like  day. 

25. — Sowed  8  rows  of  marrow-fat  pease  :  the  first  crop 
on  account  of  the  frost  &  rain. 

Planted  a  white  muscadine-vine  from  Ringmer  at  the 
end  of  the  Dining  room  :  a  moss-provence-rose  from  a 
layer  in  the  border  opposite  the  fruit-wall ;  &  a  monthly- 
rose  in  the  same  border.  Mended  the  Laurustines  against 
Parsons's. 

Sowed  ten  more  Succade-seeds  :  eleven  of  the  former 
sowing  look  well. 

Dry  sunny  weather  for  three  days. 

26. — Potted  the  first  Succades,  which  are  fine  plants. 
The  Cucumbers  begin  to  fill  the  Hills  with  their  fibres,  & 
to  want  earthing. 

26. — Sent  a  small  flitch  of  bacon  to  be  hung  in  Mr- 
Etty's  smoke  loft :  it  lay  in  salt  six  weeks ;  but  two  of  them 
were  fierce  frost. 

Lay'd  several  small  twigs  of  the  Moss-Provence-rose  : 
the  larger  shoots  do  not  root  kindly. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  333 

March  i. — Planted  about  three  Quarts  of  broad  beans 
in  the  room  of  the  small  ones  which  were  all  kill'd  by  the 
frost. 

Vast  rains  still.  We  are  now  entred  into  the  5th  week  of 
the  wet  weather. 

The  last-sow'd  Succades  are  coming-up. 

2. — Great  rains  for  several  days  past :  to  day  stormy 
wind  &  thunder. 

There  are  vast  floods  about  the  Country  :  &  incredible 
damage  is  said  to  be  done  in  the  Island  of  Ely  by  the 
breaking  of  the  banks.  It  has  been  a  very  wet  season  now 
for  near  five  weeks.  The  ground  is  so  wet  that  nothing 
can  be  done  in  the  Garden. 

5. — Tunn'd  the  raisin-wine,  which  held-out  exactly, 
leaving  about  a  gallon  for  filling-up.  Coloured  it  with 
twelve  bottles  of  elder-syrop ;  &  put  to  it  one  quart  of 
brandy.  I  have  usually  put  but  a  pint  at  the  beginning. 

March  5. — Made  the  Succade-bed  with  ten  cart-loads  of 
dung,  brought-in  the  same  day.  The  bed  &  frame  are  full 
seven  feet  high  behind  :  somewhat  the  higher  for  it's  being 
made  by  mistake  full  scanty  for  the  frame. 

Several  of  the  best  Cue  :  plants  are  just  ready  to  burst 
into  male  bloom. 

They  &  the  melon-plants  thrive  well,  &  have  been 
earth'd  twice.  Potted  to  day  the  second-sown  Succades. 

Fine,  sunny  weather  for  two  days. 

The  Passion-flowers  at  the  ends  of  the  fruit-wall  appear 
to  be  much  injured  by  the  great  frost,  tho'  they  were  in 
appearance  well  covered  with  straw. 

6. — Two  of  the  Cucumr-  plants  have  male-bloom  full- 
blown. Beautiful  weather. 

7. — Sowed  a  Crop  of  Carrots,  radishes,  Coss-lettuce,  & 
parsneps  altogether  in  part  of  one  of  the  lower  quarters  of 
the  New-garden.  The  ground  is  in  good  order.  Planted 
a  standard  Orleans-plum,  &  a  standard  Autumn-Ber- 
gamot-pear  in  the  Orchard  next  Baker's  Hill.  Beautiful 
weather. 

Cucumbers  blow  male-bloom  apace. 


334     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

The  Succade-bed  begins  to  fume. 

10. — Sowed  a  row  of  parsley. 

Sowed  an  Ounce  of  Onion-seed  in  one  of  the  new 
Quarters  :  the  ground  in  excellent  order. 

Fine  sunny  weather  for  a  week. 

12  :  13. — Furious  N  :  E  :  winds  with  so  very  keen  an 
air,  that  things  froze  within  doors  in  not  much  less  degree 
than  they  did  in  January. 

14. — Fierce  clear  frost,  but  a  still  air. 

Sowed  carrots,  radishes,  &  Coss-lettuce  under  the 
melon-screen. 

The  Cucumber-plants  first  began  to  discover  some  fruit 
on  the  13. 

15. — Fierce  still  frost,  &  strong  sunshine. 

These  frosts  cut-down  the  wallflowers  &  Polyanths  in  a 
sad  manner  just  as  they  are  coming  into  bloom. 

The  Succades  are  stopp'd-down,  &  thrive  vastly. 

March  17.— Earth'd,  &  hill'd  the  Succades,  the  bed 
being  very  moderate  in  appearance. 

Soft,  spring-like  weather. 

Sowed  a  spot  of  Polyanth-seed  on  a  border  facing  to 
the  South  :  the  seed  was  saved  in  1761. 

19. — Planted  the  Succade-bed  with  two  pots  of  plants 
in  each  hill.  Each  pot  contain'd  two  fine  stocky  plants, 
that  have  each  two  large  rough  leaves ;  &  have  been  stopp'd 
down,  &  show  for  runners.  The  bed  seems  to  be  mild  ;  & 
has  been  made  a  fortnight  to  day. 

Matted-down  the  bed  with  three  of  my  9  new  London- 
matts  ;  &  trigg'd  the  lights  a  little. 

A  stormy  west  wind. 

22. — Found  several  Cucumbers  in  bloom  this  morning. 
Wet  windy  weather. 

24. — Sowed  1 8  Cantaleupe-seeds  in  the  Succade-frame. 
They  were  saved  from  a  fine  fruit  in  1756,  &  are  very 
plump,  &  large ;  &  are  the  same  with  those  from  which 
Mr  Cane  raised  such  fine  Melons  last  year  at  Tidworth. 

Set  several  of  the  Cucumbers  in  bloom. 

The  bed  rather  declines  in  heat. 


• 

_.     -     »     -  - 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  335 

The  Succades  begin  to  grow,  &  extend  their  roots  in 
their  new  hills. 

Some  of  the  young  Nectarines  are  in  bloom ;  &  one 
peach. 

The  Hyacinths  under  the  wall  are  blowing  apace:  some 
are  blown. 

25. — Gave  the  Cucumber-bed  a  strong  lining  of  hot 
dung  to  set,  &  forward  the  fruit. 

The  plants  had  extended  their  fibres  quite  without  the 
frames. 

Planted  20  good  Cauliflowers  from  Hartley1  in  a  well- 
dung'd  spot,  &  covered  them  with  hand-glasses,  &  pots. 

March  25. — Transplanted  into  a  good  mellow  plot  of 
Ground  those  few  Coss-lettuces  under  the  fruit-wall  that 
survived  the  severe  winter. 

26. — Planted  five  rows  of  Potatoes  quite  across  one  of 
the  middle  quarters  of  the  new-garden  in  well-dunged 
deep  mould.  The  pieces  were  cut  from  large  firm  roots 
that  had  been  well-preserved  from  ye  frost.  If  the  pieces 
had  not  been  planted  15  inc  :  apart,  they  would  not  have 
held-out. 

Sowed  a  good  large  plot  of  Savoys ;  &  a  plot  of  leeks. 

Fierce  frosts  with  very  thick  Ice. 

28. — Sowed  London-Celeri,  &  Mr-  Missing's  Parsley- 
leaved  Celeriac  under  an  Hand-glass  with  two  barrows  of 
dung. 

Earth'd  the  Succades  (which  had  pretty  well  run  their 
hills)  for  the  first  time. 

The  middle  hill  was  hot ;  but  there  were  no  tokens 
of  burning. 

The  young  Cucumbers  begin  to  swell,  &  seem  to  be  set. 

29. — Earth'd  the  Cucumber-bed  for  the  last  time. 

One  of  the  forwardest  fruit  is  gone-off. 

Removed  the  Cantaleupe  seeds,  that  did  not  come-up 
so  soon  as  they  should  do,  into  a  warmer  part  of  the  bed. 

30. — Moss'd  the  Cucumbr-  bed  all  over  to  see  if  that  will 

1  Probably  from  Sir  Simeon  Stuart. — [H.  M.] 


336     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

promote  the  swelling  of  the  fruit  by  keeping  the  bed  moist 
&  warm.  It  is  a  practice  much  in  use  among  Gardeners. 

April  i. — Sowed  in  the  borders  round  the  Garden  21 
•little  basons  of  double  upright  larkspurs ;  from  an  ounce 
of  London  seed. 

Sowed  a  plot  of  stocks  from  seed  of  my  own  saving  : 
they  came  first  from  Ringmer. 

All  my  stocks  were  kill'd  last  winter. 

Sowed  18  more  Cantaleupe-seeds  :  the  last  now  come- 
up  pretty  well. 

The  Succades  extend  their  fibres  a  second  time  without 
their  hills ;  &  have  runners  four  or  five  inches  long. 
Delicate  soft  dry  weather.  The  ground  works  well. 

April  2. — Sowed  a  bed  of  Sweet- Williams. 

Earth'd  Succades  the  second  time. 

Beautiful  soft  grey  weather. 

Sowed  a  few  more  Bentworth-Cantaleupes,  &  a  few 
Succades. 

Put  a  bottle  of  brandy  at  the  time  of  tunning  to  the 
raisin-wine ;  &  now  an  other  to  prevent  it's  working  too 
long. 

4. — Planted  several  sorts  of  curious  Asters,  &  Golden- 
rods  sent  me  by  Mr-  Gibson  in  the  borders,  &  field- 
basons. 

Potted  the  first-sown  Cantaleupes,  ten  good  plants. 

5. — Cut  the  first  Cucumber,  a  good  fruit,  to  carry  to 
London.  The  rest,  several  brace,  are  swelling-away ;  but 
are  yet  of  no  size.1 

The  Hyacinths  are  blowing-out  apace. 

7. — Sowed  second  crop  of  marrow-fats. 

8. — Carted-in  17  loads  of  hot  dung  for  the  Cantaleupe- 
bed. 

9. — Made  the  Cantaleupe  bed. 

1  During  Gilbert  White's  absence  from  home,  as  happened  on  the  present 
occasion  till  the  2ist  of  April,  his  "  Kalendar"  must  have  been  kept  by  some  one 
else,  probably  by  his  faithful  servant  Thomas.  It  is  evident,  however,  that  he 
re- wrote  the  items  on  his  return  home,  as  the  whole  of  the  MS.  of  the  "  Kalendar  " 
for  1763  is  in  Gilbert  White's  handwriting.— [R.  B.  S.] 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  337 

ii. — Sowed  a  plot  of  white  helebore-seed  :  &  potted 
the  Succades. 

13. — Made  i  hand-glass  bed,  &  sowed  it  with  white- 
cucumbers. 

13. — Cut  13  large,  well-grown  Cucumbers,  which  were 
sent  me  to  London  by  the  coach  when  they  were  two  shill : 
apiece  in  town. 

16. — Planted  half  hund  :  of  Cabbage-plants. 

1 8. — Sowed  more  savoys. 

21. — Earthed  the  Cantaleupe,  &  annual  beds. 

22. — At  my  return  from  London  found  the  Cucumber- 
bed  full  of  fine  fruit ;  &  the  Succade-plants  well-grown ; 
but  not  yet  in  bloom. 

The  Hyacinths  are  now  in  high  beauty  :  there  are  many 
curious  ones  in  the  nursery  that  must  be  mark'd  for  trans- 
planting. 

25. — Earth'd-up  the  Succades  for  the  last  time  :  the 
plants  are  very  stout ;  but  do  not  shew  any  bloom  or 
fruit. 

April  25. — Sowed  the  annual-bed  with  Alton ;  &  London- 
Balsoms,  China  Asters,  African  &  French-Marrigolds,  Pen- 
dulous-Amaranths, Marvel  of  Peru,  &  dwarf  Sunn1  : 

26. — Stak'd  and  tack'd  the  espalier-pears,  &  plums ;  & 
eased,  &  disbudded  the  fruit-wall  trees.  Dry  cold  weather. 

27. — Planted  five  hills  with  Cantaleupe-plants  from  Seed 
of  my  own  :  &  in  two  hills  where  there  were  only  two 
plants  to  a  pot  I  put-in  one  more  from  Mr-  Acton's  seed. 
Planted  the  first  Hill  with  Succades  to  keep-up  a  Succes- 
sion. The  bed  has  been  made  18  days ;  but  yet  is  hot,  & 
must  be  tilted  when  covered  ;  &  well-watched  in  very  hot 
sunshine.  Mr-  Acton's  plants  (from  his  seed  which  I  gave 
him  first)  are  in  the  first  &  second  hills. 

The  Cucumbers  bear  wonderfully,  &  large  well-grown 
fruit. 

30. — There  have  been  cut  this  month  from  four  lights 
only  above  40  well-grown  Cucumbers. 

Sowed  some  of  Gordon's  Celeriac  (much  commended) 
between  the  Cantaleupe  boxes. 

2  U 


338     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

The  Cantaleupe-hills  by  tilting  a  nights,  &  frequent 
waterings  go-on  very  well. 

Tyed  those  Hyacinths  that  are  white  with  a  pink-eye 
with  a  piece  of  scarlet  worsted  as  a  mark  to  save  ofsets 
from.  Mark'd  the  blue  Hyacinths  with  a  blue  piece  of 
worsted  tyed  to  the  sticks  that  stand  before  them. 

May  2. — Sowed  six  rows  (about  three  fourths  of  a  quart) 
of  white  dwarf  french  beans  in  Turner's  Garden.  The 
Ground  is  very  mellow.  Extreme  sharp  wind  with  hail  for 
these  two  days  past. 

Stopp'd-down  the  Cantaleupes,  which  are  settled  in 
their  Hills,  &  seem  past  all  danger  of  burning. 

Layed-down  several  branches  of  the  fine  bloody  wall- 
flowers. Many  of  the  wallflowers  were  kill'd  last  winter  : 
as  the  Artichokes  seem  all  to  be. 

May  4. — Several  smart  claps  of  thunder,  which  appeared 
extraordinary  in  the  midst  of  such  cold  weather. 

Very  white  frosts  every  night. 

6. — Made  a  row  of  Hand  glass-beds,  with  one  barrow 
of  dung  to  each,  for  the  white  cucumb"- 

White  frosts,  &  sunny  days. 

The  succades  begin  to  shew  fruit. 

7. — Planted  the  Hand-glasses  with  white-Cucumber- 
plants. 

Weeded  the  brick  walks  in  the  Garden. 

The  Cantaleupe-plants  take  well  to  their  Hills,  &  begin 
to  shew  runners. 

8. — A  strange  tempestuous  day,  with  violent  thunder, 
storms  of  hail,  &  gluts  of  rain.  Very  cold  weather  before, 
&  since. 

10. — Observing  that  some  of  the  Cantaleupes  were  a 
little  of  a  yellowish  hue,  I  examined  the  hills,  &  found  that 
notwithstanding  the  cold  black  weather,  &  that  the  bed 
had  been  made  a  month,  yet  the  mould  began  to  be  a  little 
burnt.  Upon  which  I  gave  them  a  good  watering,  &  a 
second  earthing,  which  will  soon  bring  them  right.  The 
fibres  were  run  thro'  the  hills ;  &  most  of  them  shew  good 
runners. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  339 

One  imperfect  male-blossom  of  the  Succades  is  blown- 
out. 

ii. — Added  a  pint  more  of  brandy,  in  all  five  pints,  to 
the  last  raisin-wine,  which  still  hisses  pretty  much.1 

13. — Lined  &  earth'd-out  the  Succade  bed,  which  seem'd 
to  be  declining  in  it's  heat. 

Several  male-blossoms  are  open. 

Hot  summer.    The  grass  grows  apace  in  the  meadows. 

14. — The  Succades  have  now  a  fruit  in  bloom.  The 
Cantaleupes,  which  seem'd  a  little  injured  by  too  much 
heat,  by  watering  are  pretty  well  restored  to  a  good  Colour. 

15. — Planted  about  40  late  Cabbages  in  the  new  Garden. 

Prick'd  about  200  fine  Savoy-plants  from  Mr-  Etty's  in 
the  Garden  near  the  tub. 

25. — The  Succades  blow  pretty  well ;  but  no  fruit  is 
set  yet. 

One  Cantaleupe  has  a  male  bloom,  &  a  weak  fruit 
blown  :  the  rest  are  in  good  healthy  order. 

One  of  the  Newington-Nectarines  has  three  fruit  that 
seem  likely  to  stand. 

The  vines  on  the  House  shew  well  for  fruit :  the  Mus- 
cadine-vine (which  was  planted  a  cutting  April  was  three 
years)  promises  to  have  31  bunches  of  Grapes. 

Continual  cold  N  :  E  :  Winds. 

26. — Observing  that  the  Succades  were  backward  in 
setting,  &  went-off  soon  after  blowing  ;  I  examined  into 
the  mould  that  lay  on  the  lining,  &  found  that  it  was  so 
over-heated  by  a  thick  coat  of  mowed  Grass  as  to  be 
scalding  hot,  and  quite  unfit  for  vegetation.  Took-off  the 
grass,  &  trod-down  the  earth  close  to  the  bed,  where  it  was 
sunk  away,  watered  it  very  stoutly,  &  fill'd  it  up  to  the 
frames  with  good  fresh  earth. 

1  This  raisin-wine  was  much  in  vogue  in  Selborne  and  the  neighbourhood 
within  my  memory.  The  farmers  and  their  friends  would  meet  occasionally 
at  each  other's  houses  in  the  winter  for  a  game  of  cards  about  six  o'clock,  and 
play  till  supper-time,  raisin-wine  being  then  taken.  After  supper  the  custom 
was  to  sit  round  the  fire  with  a  glass  of  gin-toddy,  when  each  one  sung  a  song 
or  recited  in  turn. — [H.  M.] 


340     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

27. — Planted  six  rows  of  dwarf  white  french-beans  in 
the  new  garden.  The  first  crop  are  come-up  pretty  well. 

27. — Earthed  the  Cantaleupes  quite  out,  &  raised  the 
frames. 

Cold,  black,  dry  weather  :  no  rain  for  a  fortnight. 

28.— Prick'd-out  the  first  Celeri. 

Added  about  half  a  pint  more  of  brandy,  in  all  five  pints 
&  an  half,  to  the  last  made-wine,  which  hisses  still  pretty 
much. 

Cold,  bright  weather. 

June  4. — The  weather  has  been  dry,  except  one  trifling 
shower,  for  these  three  weeks  to  day. 

No  Succades  set  yet. 

The  Cantaleupes  thrive,  &  show  fruit. 

Water'd  the  Succades  well  at  their  stems. 

Sunny,  dry  weather  :  rain  is  much  wanted. 

5. — The  Succades  now  begin  to  set.  The  Cantaleupes 
have  some  fruit  that  promise  for  setting.  The  Succades 
this  very  dry  Season  wanted  more  water  at  their  hills. 

The  fields  &  gardens  begin  to  suffer  by  the  long  dry 
season. 

Cold,  dry  weather  with  a  high  Barometer. 

June  6. — Tack'd-up  the  vine-shoots. 

ii. — It  is  exactly  a  month  to  day  since  there  has  been 
any  rain  except  a  trifling  shower  or  two  that  did  not  half 
lay  ye  dust.  The  fields  &  Gardens  begin  to  suffer  ;  &  there 
is  but  a  poor  prospect  of  a  Crop  of  hay ;  &  most  people's 
old  stock  is  quite  spent.  There  have  been  great  showers 
about  for  this  week  past ;  but  we  have  had  none  of  them 
yet. 

The  Succades  have  now  many  brace  set ;  &  there  are  a 
brace  or  two  of  Cantaleupes  secure. 

The  Succades  have  lost  a  fortnight  for  want  of  more 
water  this  severe  dry  season.  Widen'd-out  the  Cantal : 
Bed  before  &  behind,  &  laid-on  a  good  depth  of  earth. 

Heavy  showers  now  about. 

13. — Only  a  few  showers  that  did  not  lay  the  dust. 

14. — Hot  burning  weather  again. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  341 

14. — Potted  two  curious  Pyram  :  Camp  :  one  has  23 
stalks,  the  other  17.  They  were  so  large  that  no  garden- 
pot  would  hold  them  ;  so  were  planted  in  large  butter-pots 
with  Holes  bored  in  the  bottom. 

Several  large  roots  were  broken-off  in  the  removal ;  but 
possibly  that  loss  may  not  affect  the  blowing. 

15. — Vast  rain  at  Alton  ;  but  only  a  small  sprinkling 
here. 

The  Cantaleupes  set  apace. 

1 6. — Small  showers  that  refresh  the  fields  &  Gardens  a 
little. 

The  Cantaleupes  set  all  their  first  fruit,  &  promise  for  a 
good  Crop. 

Some  of  the  Succades  are  pretty  well  grown ;  but  they 
are  all  on  second  &  third  wood. 

Planted-out  the  annuals,  which  are  backward  &  weak. 

Sowed  Endive,  &  Coss-lettuce. 

The  vines  are  beginning  to  blow. 

Today  compleats  the  fifth  week  since  there  was  any  rain 
here  except  a  few  small  showers  lately,  which  never  laid 
the  dust.  The  grass-walks  look  rusty.  There  have  been 
fine  rains  round  the  Country. 

20. — Raised  &  earthed  the  melon-frames  for  the  last 
time  :  the  boxes  are  now  even  with  the  tops  of  the  hills, 
&  the  beds  are  earth'd-down  with  a  great  depth  of  mould. 

The  Cantaleupes  continue  to  set  well ;  &  the  single  Hill 
of  Succades  :  hardly  any  of  the  first  fruit  has  been  lost. 
But  they  have  had  a  deal  of  water  this  burning  season. 
Prick'd-out  some  of  Gordon's  Celeriac,  &  some  Common 
Celeri  in  the  shady  end  of  the  melon-border. 

Planted  the  bank  in  the  new-garden,  &  part  of  the  back 
of  the  melon-screen  with  annuals. 

China-asters  run  very  scanty  this  Year. 

Some  of  the  Succades  seem  to  be  full  grown. 

Trod-down  the  mould  on  the  melon-bed,  &  spread 
some  loose  earth  over  it. 

June  25. — This  is  now  the  sixth  week  of  the  dry  weather. 
A  small  shower  this  evening  that  has  not  laid  the  dust. 


342     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Watered  the  Cantaleupes  well,  round  the  frames,  &  laid 
some  short  hay  over  the  mould  to  keep  it  moist. 

The  Cabbages  begin  to  look  blue. 

27. — Gather'd  first  marrow-fat  pease. 

The  Corn  begins  to  suffer  by  the  long  dry  weather. 

I  Continue  to  water  the  melon-beds  often. 

The  Grass-walks  look  exceeding  rusty. 

28. — Cut  the  grass  in  the  meadow,  &  slip. 

29. — Just  as  all  the  grass  was  spread-about  came  a  great 
rain  all  day  from  the  east :  the  only  rain  to  do  any  good 
for  six  weeks,  &  three  days. 

30. — Vast  showers  with  Thunder  &  hail. 

Planted  a  plot  of  very  forward  Savoys ;  &  a  plot  of 
later-sown  ones. 

The  thunder-shower  damaged  the  zigzag  a  good  deal. 
The  rain  has  thoro'ly  soak'd  the  ground  down  to  the 
roots. 

July  4. — Tyled  the  Succades  that  are  but  a  middling 
Crop.  There  is  a  second  Crop  coming  on. 

Took-off  the  frames  from  the  early  cucumbers,  which 
bear  still  vastly. 

Half  the  hay  is  housed  on  waggons  in  barns  :  the  rest 
is  in  Cock. 

Soft,  showery,  growing  weather. 

The  Cantaleupes  come-on  unequally  ;  some  scarce  swell 
at  all,  &  some  are  full-grown. 

5. — Rick'd  the  hay  in  very  moderate  order  :  the  load 
that  stood  in  Kelsey's  barn  was  strangely  damp,  &  heated ; 
&  was  spread  &  dry'd  over  again. 

6. — Finish'd  stopping-down,  &  tacking  ye  vines  :  they 
are  in  full  bloom. 

Planted  a  good  plot  of  leeks  in  Turner's. 

Showery,  growing  weather. 

8. — Put  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  hops  to  the  strong- 
brewed  in  Feb  :  which  promises  to  be  good. 

9. — Showery  weather  still. 

Putty'd  the  melon  frames  to  keep-out  the  wet :  housed 
the  cucumber-frames.  The  plants  that  were  in  full  bearing 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  343 

are  much  check'd  by  being  exposed  at  once  to  the  open 
air  :  but  their  fruit  is  not  much  wanted,  now  the  hand- 
glass-hills are  in  full  bearing. 

14. — Trenched-out  four  rows  of  stocky  Celeri  in  one  of 
the  lower  quarters  of  the  new  garden. 

Showery  weather. 

13.— Mr  Tho  :  Mulso,  &  Lady,  &  Mr-  Edw  :  Mulso  & 
Miss  Harriot  Baker  came  to  visit  me. 

19. — Finished  planting-out  6  trenches  of  Celeri,  &  a 
second  plot  of  Endive. 

Cut  the  first  Succade. 

Very  wet  weather. 

26. — Succades  come  very  fast.  Cut  some  tollerable 
Cauliflowers.  Succades  weigh  24  ounces,  &  are  very  dry. 
Continual  showers,  &  a  quantity  of  hay  damaged. 

Planted  two  rows  of  Gordon's  Celeliac. 

27. — Divided-out,  &  planted  round  the  new  garden  Mre- 
Snooke's  fine  double  Pheasant-ey'd-pinks. 

28. — Drank  tea  20  of  us  at  the  Hermitage  :  the  Miss 
Batties,  &  the  Mulso  family  contributed  much  to  our 
pleasure  by  their  singing,  &  being  dress'd  as  shepherds, 
&  shepherdesses.  It  was  a  most  elegant  evening  ;  &  all 
parties  appear'd  highly  satisfyed.  The  Hermit  appeared  to 
great  advantage. 

July  29. — A  vast  rain.  The  hay  lies  about  in  a  miserable 
way. 

30. — Cut  the  first  Cantaleupe,  which,  considering  the 
wet  season,  proved  a  good  one. 

Aug :  i. — Wet  weather  still. 

2. — Took-up  my  Hyacinths  under  the  fruit-wall  :  they 
have  many  offsets,  &  seem  not  to  be  damaged  with  the  wet 
season. 

3. — Terrible  rain,  &  my  neighbour's  hay  in  a  de- 
plorable way.  The  rainy  season  has  lasted  just  five  weeks 
today. 

Cut  a  fine-looking  Cantaleupe,  &  sent  it  by  the  Ladies 
(who  left  Selborne  this  day)  to  Dr-  Battie. 

Cut  several  Succades  :  they  want  sun  &  dry  weather. 


344     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

4. — Vast  rains  still.  The  wet  has  lasted  five  weeks 
yesterday. 

5. — Eat  an  extraordinary  fine  Cantaleupe  notwithstand- 
ing the  rains. 

9 :  10. — Two  fine  days  :  during  which  my  Neighbours 
got-in  their  Hay  rather  better  than  was  expected. 

ii. — Sowed  a  crop  of  spinage.  Dry  weather  for  three 
days ;  but  distant  thunder. 

Aug :  15. — Sowed  a  plot  of  turneps. 

Dry  weather  for  some  days. 

1 6. — Showers  again.     Cut  some  fine  Cantaleupes. 

People  are  just  entering  on  wheat-harvest. 

22  :  23. — Showery  weather,  &  very  little  wheat  housed  : 
it  begins  to  grow  under  the  hedges. 

Finished  cutting  my  Cantaleupes,  &  Succades. 

The  grapes  are  very  backward  &  small,  having  seen 
nothing  but  black  showery  weather  for  these  eight  weeks. 

25. — Mr-  Mulso's  family  left  me. 

26. — Now  a  long  rain  after  two  fine  days.  The  wheat 
grows  pretty  much. 

Septemr-  4. — Now  frequent  showers  after  some  fine  days. 
There  is  a  good  deal  of  wheat  still  abroad. 

7. — Now  wet  weather  after  some  fine  days.  Much 
wheat  abroad  still. 

10. — Tyed  up  endive.     Showery,  bad  weather. 

13. — Many  days  black  wet  weather. 

The  Grapes  begin  to  change  Colour. 

Planted  a  row  of  stocks  on  the  fruit-wall  border,  &  under 
the  dining-room  window. 

18. — Black  wet  weather. 

The  rainy  season  continued  12  weeks;  since  which 
there  has  been  some  delicate  weather  in  the  latter  end  of 
Septemr  &  Octobr-  that  has  made  the  grapes  better  than 
could  be  expected. 

Ocr-  18. — Planted  an  hundred  of  Cabbages  to  stand  the 
winter. 

24. — Dug  up  the  potatoes  which  are  large  &  fine. 
Trimm'd  &  tack'd  the  fruit-wall  trees  :  the  wet  summer 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  345 

had  forced  most  of  them  into  too  much  large  willow- 
like  wood,  which  will  not  blow  so  well  next  year  as 
smaller. 

The  vines  against  the  wall  have  got  well-ripen'd  shoots, 
&  promise  for  plenty  of  fruit  next  year. 

The  garden  abounds  with  good  Celeri,  &  spinage,  &  a 
very  fine  sort  of  Savoys.  Tolerable  grapes  in  plenty.  Hares 
or  some  vermin  have  gnawed  almost  all  the  fine  Pheasant- 
eyed  pinks,  &  the  new-planted  cabbages.1 

30. — Now  rain,  &  stormy  wind  after  just  three  weeks 
soft,  still,  dry,  summer  like  weather. 

Nov :  4  :  9. — Vast  rains,  &  floods. 

Very  fine  grapes  still :  there  have  been  no  frosts  to  any 
degree. 

1 6. — Serene,  beautiful  weather  for  several  days,  with 
the  Mercury  within  half  a  degree  of  settled  fair.  Planted 
my  Hyacinths  in  two  rows  all  along  the  border  opposite 
the  fruit-border  :  dug-in  first  some  well-rotted  dung.  Put 
the  blue  and  best  pink-eyed  intermixed  in  front.  Planted 
my  Tulips,  Narcissuss,  &  Jonquils  in  the  border  opposite 
the  bank.  Dug  &  cleared  the  banks,  &  dining-room- 
shubbery  this  fine  season. 

18  :  19  :  20. — Most  severe  frost  indeed  with  thick  bear- 
ing Ice,  &  a  very  cutting  wind  :  a  small  snow.  There  has 
been  a  very  mild  season  'till  now. 

Decenf-  19. — Planted  some  Hepticas,  fritillarias,  &  winter 
aconites  from  Ringmer,  &  some  fine  Persian  Jasmines,  & 
cob-nuts.  Vast  rains  &  floods  of  late. 

21. — Brewed  half  Hogsh  :  of  strong  beer  with  6  bush  : 
of  coal-dry'd  malt,  &  2  pds-  &  an  half  of  hops ;  the  water  all 
from  the  well. 

Continual  wet  weather. 

1  I  have  known  Hares  to  do  this. — [H.  M.] 


2  X 


346     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 


DUNG  BORROWED  IN  1763. 

Kelsey  p^  Car.  Dung  pd-       .        .        .  i  load. 

Brought-in  of  my  own  i  load. 

Jan :  17. — Kelsey  pd-  Car.  Dung  pd*      .  5  loads. 

my  own  3  loads. 

Parsons  Dung  pd-        .        .  2  loads. 

Jan:   18. — Pd-  Kelsey  his  last  five  loads  of   dung  by 

allowing  him  to  take  three  loads  from  the  dung-hill   in 
the  orchard. 

March  5. — Kelsey  Car.  pd-  Dung  pd-      .  5  loads. 

my  own  2  loads. 

Parsons  Dung  pd-        .        .  3  loads. 

Apr:  8. — Kelsey  Car.  pd-  Dung  pd-      .  10  loads. 

my  own  2  loads. 

Parsons  Dung  pd-  5  loads. 


Garden  Kalendar  for  the  Year   1764 


This  year  begins  as  the  former  concluded  with  continual 
heavy  rains,  &  vast  floods.  There  has  indeed  been  little  else 
but  wet  weather  (a  few  short  intervals  excepted)  ever  since 
the  29th  of  June. 

Jan :  5. — Made  a  seedling  Cucumber-bed  with  dung  that 
had  been  very  much  wash'd. 

9. — Finding  the  bed  come  to  a  pretty  good  heat  I  sowed 
about  20  seeds. 

13. — A  most  violent  storm  all  night,  that  must  have  in 
all  appearance  done  great  damage  :  vast  rains  at  the  same 
time. 

The  Cucumbers  are  come-up  and  look  well. 

The  wind  blew-down  the  hot-bed  screen. 

23. — The  second  sowing  of  Cucumbers  are  come-up 
very  well. 

28. — Very  stormy  weather  still,  with  great  showers. 

The  Crocuss  begin  to  blow. 

31. — Vast  rains,  &  storms  of  wind.  Prodigious  inun- 
dations all  over  England,  Holland,  &  Germany.  Lined  the 
Cucumber-bed  with  many  barrows  of  hot  dung. 

Feb :  7. — Brewed  45  Gallons  of  strong-beer  with  eight 

347 


348     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

bushels  of  malt  dryed  with  Welch-coal ;  &  three  pounds  & 
three  quarters  of  good  hops. 

The  strong-beer  was  closely  covered  down  with  sacks, 
while  infusing  in  the  mash-vat :  &  the  yeast  was  beat  into 
the  beer  several  times,  'till  it  was  put  into  the  barrel.  Made 
with  the  same  malt  Half  an  hogsh  :  of  ale,  &  an  Hogsh :  of 
small.  The  strong-beer  was  made  entirely  with  rain-water. 
Tunn'd  the  strong  beer  the  third  day.1 

10. — Made  a  bearing  Cucumber-bed  with  between  eight 
&  nine  loads  of  good  hot  dung  for  two  two-light  frames. 

Vast  rains,  &  high  winds  still. 

Sowed  the  great  mead  all  over  with  about  30  bushels  of 
my  own  ashes;  &  the  little  mead  with  12  bushels  bought 
of  Mr-  Etty. 

13. — Bottled-out  half  an  Hogsh  :  of  Mre-  Atherley's  port- 
wine.  It  had  not,  I  think,  quite  so  good  a  smell  &  flavour 
as  usuall ;  &  seem'd  always  to  shew  a  disposition  to  mantle 
in  the  glass. 

Feb :  17. — Put  the  Hills  of  earth  on  the  Cucumr-  Bed  : 
the  earth  by  means  of  the  long  wet  season  was  not  in 
curious  order. 

18. — Planted  the  Cucumber-plants  on  their  Hills.  The 
plants  are  grown  to  two  Joints,  &  are  stopped  down.  The 
bed  seems  to  be  in  good  order. 

20. — It  has  been  now  pretty  dry  ever  since  the  fifteenth 
day.  There  have  not  been  so  many  dry  days  for  some 
months.  The  weather  glass  is  very  high,  &  the  wind  N  :  E. 

21. — Sowed  ten  Succade-seeds  in  the  Cucr-  bed. 

A  very  white-frost  &  bright  sunshine. 

The  snails  after  so  mild  a  winter  are  very  numerous,  & 
get  into  the  bed  &  eat  the  plants. 

26. — This  is  now  the  eleventh  day  of  the  dry  weather  : 
the  roads  are  finely  dry'd.  A  strong  North  E  :  wind,  &  a 
sinking  Glass. 

1  Those  of  us  who  brew  our  own  beer  in  these  days  use  about  I  Ib.  of  hops  to 
a  bushel  of  malt.  In  olden  times  the  bitter  flavour  of  beer  was  not  appreciated 
as  it  is  now,  and  their  strong  beer  used  to  be  very  sour  and  intoxicating.  The  old 
farmers  of  fifty  years  ago  used  to  be  very  proud  of  their  strong  beer. — [H.  M.] 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  349 

27. — A  considerable  snow  on  the  ground.  A  severe 
frost  this  evening.  The  snails  continue  to  annoy  the 
Cucr-  bed ;  &  have  destroy'd  all  the  plants  in  one  hill, 
&  damaged  several  others. 

Feb :  29. — Very  hard  frost,  &  snow  on  the  ground. 

The  hot-bed  goes-on  but  poorly  :  the  plants  don't  grow, 
the  snails  damage  them  every  night,  &  the  succades  don't 
come-up. 

March  I. — Gave  the  hot-bed  a  good  lining  of  hot  dung. 
In  general  the  plants  don't  grow  but  one  begins  to  shew  a 
runner.  Blowing  black  weather,  &  snow  on  the  ground. 

5. — The  frost  has  been  so  bad  for  a  day  or  two  past 
that  the  plants  in  the  bed  seemed  in  a  very  poor  way,  &  the 
bed  almost  cold  :  but  now  the  lining  begins  to  take  effect, 
&  there  is  some  warm  sunshine  that  will  set  ym-  to  growing 
again.  The  snails  continue  to  gnaw  the  plants  tho'  we 
kill  numbers. 

Sowed  12  Succade-seeds.  A  mouse  devoured  the  first : 
indeed  the  bed  would  not  bring  them  up.  The  frost  has 
been  now  a  week  last  Saturday.  The  rose-trees,  Crocuss, 
Hyacinths,  &  polyanths  are  much  pinch'd  by  the  severe 
weather. 

10. — Very  severe,  black,  cutting  weather  for  a  fortnight 
past,  with  several  pretty  large  falls  of  snow,  that  do  not  lie 
long  at  a  time.  The  hot  bed  succeeds  very  poorly. 

March  12. — Sowed  five  rows  of  marrowfat  pease,  the 
first  crop  ;  &  some  radishes  &  Coss-lettuce  under  the  fruit- 
wall  :  the  border  is  very  mellow. 

Planted  a  row  of  laurels  against  Parsons's  behind  the 
filbert  hedge.  There  has  been  now  no  rain  for  these  three 
weeks  :  the  landsprings  are  much  abated. 

15. — Gave  the  hot-bed  a  strong  lining. 

Planted  six  rows  of  broad  beans. 

Planted  a  row  of  Laurustines  before  the  laurels  against 
the  street. 

16. — Sunny,  summer-like  weather,  &  the  ground  in  good 
dry  order.  The  Hot-bed  comes  into  good  Condition  again, 
&  the  Cucr-  plants  throw  out  runners. 


350     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Mossed  the  bed  round  the  hills.  The  second  sowing  of 
Succades  come-up  well  at  last :  there  are  only  four  plants 
of  the  first  sowing. 

Dress'd  the  border  next  Parsons's,  &  new-planted  the 
perennials  ;  &  planted  a  row  of  sweet  Williams  in  the  front. 
Dress'd  the  Rasp  bed. 

The  Crocuss,  that  seem'd  to  be  so  much  coddled  with 
frost,  now  make  a  great  shew  again. 

March  17. — Planted  half  hund  :  of  Cabbadge  plants  ; 
the  second  planting. 

18. — Very  bright  sunny  weather  with  a  vast  white  frost 
after  several  grey  days.  During  this  late  dry  weather  the 
Garden  has  been  cleaned  &  put  in  pretty  neat  order. 

19. — Now  rain  after  a  fit  of  dry  weather  that  would  have 
lasted  five  weeks,  had  it  held  out  'till  tomorrow.  The  long 
fit  of  wet  that  occasioned  such  floods  &  devastations  all 
Europe  over,  lasted,  with  very  few  Intervals  of  dry  between 
from  June  29  :  1763  :  to  Feb  :  15  :  1764. 

One  of  the  Cucr-  plants  has  got  a  male-bloom  full 
blown.  The  Cucumrs-  now  thrive,  &  the  melon-plants 
come-up  well.  Potted  all  the  first-sown  Succades,  which 
were  a  little  drawn,  in  three  pots.  The  last-sown  come-up 
very  well.  Soft,  showery  weather. 

20. — Made  the  Succade-bed  (the  dung  brought-in  the 
same  day)  with  eight  loads  of  dung  :  it  proves  full  stout 
enough,  but  is  made  rather  too  narrow,  &  longer  than 
needs  be.  Blowing  March-weather.  Mowed  part  of  the 
grass-plot  for  the  first  time  :  there  was  a  great  swarth  of 
grass,  that  made  a  good  lining  for  the  Cucr-  bed,  which  now 
works  well  :  Several  plants  have  male-bloom. 

March  22. — Planted  five  rows  of  potatoes  in  a  mellow 
rich  part  of  the  garden  with  pieces  from  very  large  sound 
roots  that  had  been  very  well-preserved.  The  ground  had 
been  well  dunged,  but  no  thatch  was  used. 

Sowed  a  deep,  well-dug  plot  with  a  Crop  of  Carrots, 
Coss  lettuce,  &  parsneps  together. 

Planted  a  row  of  pine,  &  Nova  Scotia  strawberry- 
plants  :  the  bed  is  run  to  ruin  &  must  be  destroy'd. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  351 

Raked-down  the  Asparagus-beds. 

Planted  some  basons  in  the  field  with  Sweet-Williams. 
The  garden  is  now  mowed  all  round. 

Blowing  cold  weather  with  some  showers  in  the  evening. 

The  Cucr-  bed  heats  well ;  &  the  plants  keep  throwing- 
out  male-bloom. 

Made  a  hill  with  one  good  barrow  of  dung  for  an  hand 
glass,  &  sowed  it  with  Celeri-seed. 

24. — Earth'd  the  Cucumber-bed  :  the  plants  extend  their 
fibres  very  fast. 

Sowed  four  pots  with  fraxinella-seeds. 

March  28. — Sowed  a  Crop  of  Onions,  &  a  plot  of  leeks. 
Planted  Horse  chestnuts  in  the  nursery. 

29. — Earth'd  the  Succade-bed  :  &  sowed  some  white 
Cucumbers. 

April  3rd- — Lined  the  Cucumber  bed  again. 

5.  —  Planted-out  the  Succades.  Two  Cucumbers  in 
bloom.  Sowed  sixteen  Cantaleupe  seeds,  &  6  succade 
seeds. 

7. — Planted  the  second  Crop  of  pease. 

13. — Potted  the  Cantaleupes  :  they  are  fine  plants. 

The  Succades  come-up  poorly.  The  Succades  in  the 
hills  are  fine  stocky  plants,  &  full  of  runners.  There  are 
two  Cucumbers  of  some  size ;  &  more  setting. 

16. — Sowed  about  18  basons  in  the  best  garden  with 
larkspurs,  one  ounce  of  seed. 

17. — Rain  &  snow. 

19. — Sudden  transitions  from  hard  rains  to  fierce  frost, 
&  ice. 

21. — Cut  a  brace  of  Cucumbers,  large  fruit,  the  first  this 
season. 

Made  the  Cantaleupe-bed  for  six  lights  with  sixteen 
loads  of  dung. 

Many  Cucumbers  are  now  set,  &  coming  on. 

All  the  wall-trees  had  each  a  little  bloom. 

Planted  about  three  doz  :  of  wall-flower  cuttings. 

27. — Made  the  annual  bed,  &  sowed  it  with  African, 
&  French-marrigolds,  marvel  of  Peru,  Iroquois-Gourds, 


352     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Pendulous  Amaranths.     Sowed   Dwarf-sunflowers   in   the 
cold  ground. 

Sowed  a  crop  of  Savoys  :  &  a  little  plot  of  burnet. 

30. — Earthed  the  Cantaleupe-bed,  &  made  the  hills  for 
the  plants. 

May  2. — Sowed  four  rows  of  white-dwarf-french-beans. 

Planted-out  the  Cantaleupes  in  the  Hills. 

May  5. — On  my  return  from  Ox5n  I  found  the  Succades 
in  great  vigour,  with  third  wood  of  some  length,  that  shewed 
the  rudiments  of  bloom. 

The  Succades  take  well  to  their  Hills,  &  look  very  green. 
The  Cucumbers  are  full  of  fruit. 

Many  of  the  blue,  &  white  Hyacinths  are  very  beautiful 
indeed. 

Bright  summer-like  weather ;  &  all  things  in  a  very 
growing  Condition. 

May  7. — Earth'd-out  the  Succades. 

Disbudded  the  wall-fruit  trees,  that  were  grown  very 
rude.  In  all  appearance  they  will  have  no  fruit  this  Year. 

Open'd,  &  painted  the  Alcove. 

Cut  the  Laurustine-hedge  in  the  Yard  down  to  the 
Ground. 

12. — One  Succade-fruit  is  blown  before  any  male-bloom. 

15. — Great  showers  for  several  days  with  a  S  :  W  :  Wind 
that  damages  the  flowers  &  trees. 

The  Ground  is  well  soak'd.  The  grass  grows  very  fast, 
&  the  spring-corn  comes-up  well. 

Many  of  the  double-stocks  are  very  beautiful. 

The  Cantaleupes  throw-out  good  runners. 

17. — Hot  weather  :  things  grow  very  fast  after  such  fine 
showers. 

Planted  out  4  Iroquois-Gourds  against  the  fruit-wall. 
The  Cucumbers  bear  well. 

Finished  weeding  the  brick-walks. 

The  Succades  are  full  of  male-bloom,  &  begin  to  shew 
pretty  good-looking  fruit. 

21. — Lined  the  Succade-bed  with  two  loads  of  hot  dung, 
one  before,  &  one  behind.  The  plants  now  throw-out 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  353 

plenty  of  promising  fruit ;  some  of  it  is  in  bloom.  Tacked 
the  vine-shoots  against  the  wall  for  the  first  time.  The  vines 
round  the  House  shew  for  fruit ;  but  not  in  such  Quantities 
as  for  some  years  past. 

May  26. — The  weather  for  some  days  very  sultry  :  to 
day  was  thunder  &  rain ;  &  in  some  places  very  heavy 
showers  ;  but  not  at  Selborne. 

June  2. — On  my  return  from  Fifield  I  found  an  abun- 
dance of  Succades  set ;  &  some  as  large  as  Goose-eggs. 
The  Cantaleupes  (tho'  the  Haulm  has  not  half-filled  the 
boxes)  are  setting  very  fast.  The  very  hot  weather  has 
drawn  the  stalks  of  the  fruit  pretty  long. 

4. — Earth' d-out  the  Cantaleupes  &  Succades  to  the  full ; 
&  brought  the  mould  in  front  quite  down  to  the  Ground  : 
raised  all  the  melon  frames  quite  above  the  mould. 

Planted  100  of  Savoy-plants  from  Ludgershal  in  a 
nursery-bed  :  but  was  forced  to  water  the  ground  very 
much  before  it  would  plant.  The  ground  by  means  of  the 
wet  winter  &  late  drying  winds  is  as  hard  as  a  stone  ;  so 
that  there  is  no  sowing  or  planting  any  quantity  'till  rains 
come.  On  account  of  the  hardness  of  the  Ground  the 
Lent-corn  begins  to  want  rain  very  much.  The  fine  double 
stocks  are  still  in  full  bloom. 

Very  cold,  black,  drying  weather  for  these  ten  days 
past. 

June  6. — Sowed  a  Crop  of  Endive  :  watered  the  Ground 
to  make  it  rake. 

7. — Prick' d-out  a  plot  of  Celeri. 

8  :  9. — Now  fine  rains,  after  the  Ground  had  been  bound- 
up  like  so  much  stone  for  some  time. 

Thinn'd-out,  &  tack'd  the  peaches  &  nectarines  in  a 
very  regular  manner ;  so  that  the  shoots  will  have  the 
benefit  of  the  sun  &  air  to  ripen  them.  There  was  not  one 
fruit  to  be  found. 

The  trees  are  kept  open  in  the  middle,  but  make  a  very 
regular  appearance  on  the  sides. 

12. — Sowed  second  crop,  a  pint  of  white  dwarf-french- 
beans  in  five  rows.  The  ground  is  still  very  hard,  &  dry  ; 

2  Y 


354     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

the  late  rains  were  not  plentiful  enough  to  make  it  work 
well.  The  first  sowing  of  french  beans  are  tolerable. 

Some  few  of  the  Burnet-plants  have  escaped  the  fly,  & 
are  got  pretty  large. 

June  13. — Very  hot  summer  weather. 

15. — The  vine  against  the  fruit-wall  from  M1"5-  Snooke's 
black  sort  is  now  in  bloom  before  any  of  my  black  Grapes 
against  the  House  ;  which  confirms  me  in  my  suspicions 
that  her  sort  was  earlier  than  mine. 

Turn'd  out  the  white  Cucumbers  from  under  the  Hand- 
glasses :  they  are  full  of  fruit. 

Hot  weather ;  &  the  garden  requires  a  deal  of  water. 
Finish'd  tacking  the  vines. 

1 8. — Mowed  the  greatest  part  of  the  great  mead  :  but 
was  deterr'd  from  finishing  the  whole  by  a  vast  tempest  of 
thunder  &  lightening  that  lay  along  to  the  N.W.N.  & 
E.  all  the  afternoon.  It  thundered  loudly  for  hours 
together  ;  but  not  one  drop  fell  with  us.  The  heat,  being 
reflected  from  white  thunder-clouds,  was  unusually  severe. 
The  weather-cock  stood  all  day  plumb  S.,  but  the  storm 
came  up  from  the  N.W.  There  is  a  very  fine  crop  of 
Grass  in  the  meadow.  This  day  has  burnt  &  scalded  things 
in  the  Garden  in  a  strange  manner.  Gave  the  Cantaleupes 
a  good  watering  within  the  frames  :  but  gave  no  water  to 
the  Succades,  as  many  brace  of  them,  at  least  ten,  are  full 
grown,  &  near  ripening. 

June  19. — The  thunder-storm,  which  threat'ned  so  hard, 
sunk  quite  away  in  the  night.  A  fine  sunny  day  with  a 
brisk  wind  at  E. 

20. — The  same  weather  ;  &  the  hay  makes  at  a  vast  rate. 
Carry'd  four  Jobbs  to  the  rick. 

21. — A  Continuance  of  hot  sunshine  with  brisk  air. 
Carry'd  four  more  Jobbs,  all  my  hay  in  most  curious  order 
without  one  drop  of  rain. 

This  is  now  the  ninth  day  of  hot  sunshine  :  so  that  the 
ground  is  greatly  burnt  ;  &  the  grass  walks  look  very 
rusty.  Nothing  can  be  done  in  the  Garden,  which  is  like 
an  heap  of  stones.  Laid  pease-haulm,  &  straw  round 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  355 

the  outsides  of  the  melon-beds  to  keep  out  the  fierce 
heat.  Water'd  the  Cantaleupes  well  round  the  extremities 
on  the  straw.  They  have  several  fruit  about  half  grown  ; 
&  several  that  never  moved  at  all  after  setting  :  they  now 
begin  to  throw-out  fresh  shoots,  &  fair  fruit.  The  succades 
have  had  no  water  all  this  fierce  sunny  weather.  The 
Cucumber-frames  are  beat-out  of  bearing  by  the  Heat. 

The  hand-glass  Cucumbers  are  shaded  all  day,  &  yet 
are  injured  by  the  intense  sunshine. 

There  has  been  no  weather  to  plant-out  annuals  :  they 
are  damaged  by  the  hot  season. 

The  selfsown  Larkspurs  all  turn  out  single  :  the  basons 
of  double  seed  never  came-up. 

22. — Thunder  in  the  morning ;  &  a  little  shattering  of 
rain,  being  the  skirts  of  the  storm  :  clear  burning  weather 
the  rest  of  the  day. 

23  :  24. — Little  soft  showers  :  but  heavy  rains  at  Faring- 
don,  &  all  round  us.  Such  gluts  of  rain  near  Odiham  as 
did  great  damage  to  the  Corn  &  hay.  Vast  damage  in 
London,  &  round  Reading. 

25. — The  grapes  of  Mrs-  Snooke's  black-Cluster  fairly 
set.  The  black  Hambro',  Sweet-water,  &  Muscadine  but 
Just  coming  into  bloom.  My  own  black-Cluster  on  the 
House  but  just  blowing.  Prick'd-out  more  Celeri :  the 
ground  is  very  little  moistened.  Stopped-down  the  vines 
against  the  wall.  Began  planting-out  the  annuals :  &  tyled 
the  Succades  ;  which  are  a  fine  plentiful  Crop. 

26. — Finished  planting-out  the  annuals ;  &  sowed  a 
Crop  of  turneps  mixed  with  Coss-lettuce.  Frequent  soft 
showers  :  but  the  Ground  yet  but  little  moistened. 

June  28. — A  good  lasting  rain  that  moisten'd  things  well 
down  to  the  roots. 

Rak'd-down  the  rough  ground,  &  planted-out  a  large 
plot  of  Endives,  &  a  plot  of  savoys ;  &  a  plot  of  leeks. 

Potted-out  two  Pyramidal  Campanulas,  one  with  14 
stalks,  &  one  with  two. 

The  Martagons  make  a  vast  figure. 

Cut  the  first  white  Cucumbers. 


356     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Sowed  a  row  of  curled-parsley. 

The  Grapes  of  M1*-  Snooke's  sort  quite  large :  some  of 
my  own  just  set:  the  other  sorts  just  coming  into  bloom. 

29. — Several  showers.     Planted  more  Savoys. 

30. — Planted  half  hundred  of  common  cabbages. 

Cut  the  laurel-hedge  against  the  necessary  very  neatly 
with  a  knife. 

July  2. — Hot,  burning  weather  for  two  days. 

Cut  the  first  Succade  ;  but  a  small  fruit. 

Housed  my  Cucumber-frames,  &  Glasses. 

3. — Cut  the  second  Succade.    Very  hot  weather. 

4. — Cut  a  brace  more  Succades.  Stopped-down,  & 
tacked  all  the  vines  against  the  House  :  they  are  now  in 
full  bloom,  &  smell  very  sweetly. 

Fine  soft  showers.  Dug  up  the  tulip-bed ;  &  several 
Hyacinths  from  an  old  nursery. 

July  5. — Planted  some  stocks  from  Mr-  Budd's  in  a 
nursery  bed.  Stopped-down,  &  trimmed  the  Laurels 
against  Parsons's  Yard,  &  the  street. 

The  Cantaleupes  run  vastly  to  bine,  but  do  not  fruit 
well.  Some  few  Cantaleupes  in  every  light  are  almost  full- 
grown,  &  look  very  black,  &  rough. 

6. — The  first  stout  shower,  that  soaked  the  Ground 
well. 

7. — Cut  a  Succade  that  was  crack'd  very  deeply  at  the 
eye.  The  Cantaleupes  usually  crack  so  ;  the  Succades  never 
before.  Sunny  weather. 

Cut  two  brace  more,  the  most  choice  fruit  of  the  whole 
Crop. 

9. — Cut  all  the  crop  of  Succades,  three  brace  &  an 
half,  tho'  they  were  not  crack'd  at  the  tail,  to  carry  them 
to  Fifield.  Hot  sunny  weather. 

Ordered  the  bed  to  be  well-watered  for  a  second  Crop. 
Saved  the  seeds  of  a  very  delicate  Succade,  that  grew  close 
to  the  stem. 

The  Succades  proved  good  at  Fyfield. 
21. — At  my  return  from  Fyfield  I  found  the  Cantaleupes 
greatly  over-run  with  haulm,  but  no  more  fruit  set.     There 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  357 

will  be  a  slender  crop  ;  not  more  than  a  brace  to  a  light,  & 
those  but  small.  The  Grapes  on  the  fruit-wall  are  large 
(especially  those  on  Mrs-  Snooke's  black  Cluster)  &  much 
forwarder  than  those  on  the  walls  of  the  house.  The 
peaches,  &  nectarine-trees  grow  too  much,  &  run  into 
willow-like  wood. 

Showery,  hot  weather  for  a  fortnight  past. 

22. — Cut  the  first  Cantaleupe  :  it  proved  a  very  good 
one,  tho'  under-sized. 

Put  some  hops,  &  sand  into  the  strong-beer  brewed  in 
Decemr-  to  fine  it  down. 

The  Iroquois-Gourds  are  very  peculiar  in  their  growth  : 
they  are  short  stocky  plants  without  any  runners.  Some 
of  them  have  variegated  leaves. 

The  Pyram  :  Camp  :  are  drawn  by  standing  in  the 
brew-house  :  put  them  in  the  Alcove.  The  white  Cucum- 
bers bear  plentifully. 

27. — Trenched  three  good  long  rows  of  Celeri  in 
Turner's  Garden.  The  Ground  is  in  good  order. 

Showery  weather.  Planted  a  plot  of  Savoys  from 
Hartley. 

28. — Cut  two  fine  Cantaleupes,  that  crack  at  the  eye  ; 
but  they  are  undersized. 

Aug.  i. — Cut  a  fine  black  Cantaleupe  :  it  was  crack'd 
at  the  eye.  Sowed  a  large  plot  of  Ground  with  prickly 
spinage,  &  Coss  lettuce. 

Showery  weather  with  a  strong  wind  that  damages  the 
Garden.  Cleaned  the  vines  of  their  side  shoots. 

Aug.  2. — Planted  three  more  rows  of  Celeri  in  Turner's 
garden  :  the  six  rows  make  a  large  stock.  Black,  windy, 
showery  weather. 

The  black  Cantaleupe  proved  a  curious  one. 

Thinn'd  the  leeks  in  the  seedling-bed,  &  left  the  largest 
to  stand  as  part  of  a  Crop. 

Dresh'd  the  bank,  and  borders.  The  Iroquois-Gourds 
shew  pretty  large  fruit ;  but  have  no  runners. 

The  grapes  on  the  fruit-wall  are  much  larger  &  for- 
warder than  those  on  the  House.  Saved  a  little  Polyanth- 


358     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

seed.  Trimmed  the  side-wood  from  the  shoots  of  the 
wall-trees,  &  tacked  them  down  close  as  they  grow. 

There  will  be  a  small  second  Crop  of  Succades  :  2  brace 
of  small  succades  of  the  single  hill  are  not  yet  come. 

Many  people  have  just  began  Harvest. 

7  :  8. — Two  dismal  wet  days :  vast  quantities  of  water 
fell. 

ii. — Tyed-up  25  Endives  ;  the  first  tying. 

12  :  13  :  14. — Showery,  bad  harvest- weather. 

Aug.  15. — Put  a  pint  of  brandy  to  the  Half  hogsh  :  of 
raisin  wine  made  Jan  :  I763.1  In  the  spring  it  was  got  fine, 
&  in  good  order  :  but  now  it  is  in  a  great  ferment.  I  have 
beat-up  the  bung,  and  left  it  open. 

Very  wet  weather  still. 

17. — A  pretty  fine  day  with  a  brisk  drying  wind.  Many 
people  were  housing  wheat  all  day,  which  went-in  in  better 
condition  that  (sic)  could  be  expected. 

1 8. — Vast  heavy  drowning  rains.  The  white  Cucumbers 
were  in  full  bearing  ;  but  are  damaged  by  the  rains,  &  long, 
cold  black  weather. 

The  annuals  are  injured  by  the  wet.  The  Grapes  on  the 
House  are  small,  &  backward  ;  those  on  the  wall  are  much 
before  them. 

The  first  sown  french  beans  bear  vastly  :  the  latter  don't 
come  on. 

24. — No  rain  since  the  18  :  &  this  is  the  fourth  most 
beautiful  harvest-day  that  ever  was  seen  ;  during  which  the 
farmers  in  these  parts  have  quite  finish'd  their  wheat- 
harvest.  Those  that  had  the  most  patience  will  have  by 
much  the  best  corn. 

Planted  two  ofsets  of  a  fine  sort  of  Lychnidea,  given  me 
by  Mr.  Gibson,  in  my  flower-border  ;  &  a  sucker  of  a  fine 
purple  lilac  in  the  nursery. 

Planted  half  a  doz.  of  my  fine  bloody  wallflowers  on 
the  fruit-border  :  they  are  fine  plants. 

Cut  a  Cantaleupe-melon  that  is  much  crack'd  at  the  eye. 
Figs  are  large  &  good. 

1  This  made  6£  pints  of  brandy  !     See  entry  of  May  28,  1763.— [R.  B.  S.] 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  359 

The  grapes  on  Mrs.  Snooke's  black  cluster- vine  just 
begin  to  turn  :  those  on  the  house  are  small,  &  backward. 

The  vine  Murdoch  Middleton  sent  for  Warner's  black 
Hambro',  seems,  as  it  approaches  towards  ripening,  to  be 
some  ordinary  sort  of  white  Grape.1  The  barometer  is  very 
high. 

25. — Beautiful  weather  still ;  but  the  Glass  falls.  The 
Canteleupe,  tho'  it  had  but  little  smell,  was  very  fine. 

Put  a  bottle  more  of  brandy  to  the  raisin-wine,  which 
works  much.2 

Made  &  housed  the  second  cutting  of  the  shrubbery, 
&  orchard  in  fine  order,  without  a  drop  of  rain.  Housed 
two  of  the  melon-frames,  and  put  a  few  fruit  under  the 
hand-glasses.  Tyed-up  the  second  Crop  of  Endive  :  they 
are  very  large. 

26. — Cut  a  brace  of  very  fine-flavoured  Cantaleupes, 
the  last  of  the  season :  they  were  not  large.  Housed  the 
last  frame.  The  wasps  were  got  to  be  very  troublesome 
at  the  melon-bed,  knawing  great  holes  in  ye  fruit.  Set 
bottles  of  treacle,  &  beer. 

27. — Very  hot,  summer-like  weather  :  the  glass  after  sink- 
ing a  day  or  two,  is  now  going  up  again.  M1*-  Snooke's 
black  Clusters  change  Colour  apace ;  &  the  white  sorts 
begin  to  grow  transparent.  The  wood  of  the  vines  ripens 
apace.  The  wood  of  the  peaches  &  Nectarines  ripens 
well,  &  begins  to  shew  it's  blowing  budds  surrounded  with 
three  leaves. 

There  are  two  braces  of  pretty  good  Succades  under 
the  hand-glasses. 

29. — Sowed  some  more  Coss-lettuce  :  those  among  the 
spinage,  as  well  as  the  spinage,  come-up  but  poorly.  The 
grapes  against  the  yard  just  begin  to  turn.  A  soft  rain 
after  ten  hot,  dry  days. 

Aug.  31. — Very  hot  sunny  weather.  Cut  the  first-tyed 
endives,  they  are  delicately  blanched. 

The  barometer  is  now  very  high. 

1  Again  some  negligence  on  Middleton's  part ! — [R.  B.  S.] 

2  See  note  on  p.  358.— [R.  B.  S.] 


360     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Septemr-  i. — Got  a  stone-mason  to  fix  the  stone  with 
my  name  &  the  date  of  the  wall  in  the  middle  of  the  fruit- 
wall.1  When  the  mason  came  to  chizzel  a  hole  for  the 
stone  he  found  the  wall  perfectly  sound,  dry,  &  hard. 

9. — Returned  the  raisin-wine  (which  had  been  drawn 
into  a  tun-tub  two  days)  into  the  barrel  again,  &  put-in  one 
more  pint  of  brandy  : 2  there  is  left  behind  near  three  Gallons 
of  grout. 

Hot  sunny  weather  still.    The  wine  frets  a  little  still. 

7. — Tyed-up  more  endives  :  the  third  tying  :  the  endives 
are  very  large,  &  fine.  Earthed-up  two  rows  of  Celeri  for 
the  first  time. 

Beautiful  weather  still ;  it  has  now  lasted  three  weeks. 
Harvest  is  finished  in  general ;  except  some  vetches,  & 
barley  that  are  not  yet  ripe.  The  Grapes  on  the  fruit- wall 
ripen  very  fast.  During  this  sunny  weather  fresh  Canta- 
leupes,  &  succades  set  very  fast  since  the  frames  have  been 
taken  away. 

Sepr-  12. — Now  a  great  rain  after  three  weeks,  &  three 
days  delicate  weather. 

1 6. — Cold,  windy  weather  still.  The  annuals  are  much 
damaged. 

1 8. — Gathered  the  sweet- water  grapes  on  the  fruit-wall 
which  are  ripe ;  &  some  of  Mrs-  Snooke's  black-cluster- 
grapes,  which  are  very  eatable  ;  but  not  highly  flavoured. 

In  the  night  between  the  16  :  &  17  :  my  melons  & 
Cucumbers  were  pulled  all  to  pieces  ;  &  the  horse-block, 
three  hand  glasses,  &  many  other  things  were  destroy 'd 
by  persons  unknown.3 

1  This  stone  still  remains. — [R.  B.  S.] 

2  This  made  8£  pints  of  brandy  1— {R.  B.  S.] 

3  It  seems  difficult  to  imagine  that  Gilbert  White  could  become  an  object  of 
spite  to  any  of  the  villagers,  but  he  seems  to  have  taken  the  outrage  very  calmly, 
as  we  read  no  more  about  it.     Mr.  Maxwell  writes  to  me  :  "  This  sort  of  thing 
was  of  common  occurrence  even  within  my  memory — say  fifty  years  ago.     Any 
person  or  persons  you  might  have  offended  would  damage  your  property  in  re- 
venge, or  set  fire  to  your  ricks  if  you  had  any ;  but  after  the  police  were  estab- 
lished as  an  institution  in  the  village,  and  the  officers  had  settled  down  to  their 
work,  this  kind  of  outrage  ceased."— [R.  B.  S.] 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  361 

22. — Fine  settled  weather  :  the  Grapes  are  now  good, 
but  not  delicate.  The  wasps  are  not  very  numerous ; 
but  have  damaged  some  bunches. 

24. — A  very  white  frost,  &  Ice  in  some  places. 

Gather'd  a  plate  of  Grapes  from  the  wall  of  ye  House 
next  the  yard ;  these  are  the  first  that  have  been  perfectly 
fine. 

25. — A  second  very  white  frost.  Beautiful  sunny  still 
weather  with  a  very  high  barometer. 

The  annuals  are  much  cut-down.  Took  in  three  of 
the  Iroquois  Gourd,  which  are  very  peculiar  fruit :  those 
from  the  variegated  plants  are  of  a  yellowish  Cast ;  those 
from  the  green-leaved  of  a  dark-green  Colour. 

The  succades  that  were  taken-in  before  they  were  ripe, 
&  hung  to  the  beam  over  the  Kitchen-fire,  have  ripen 'd 
well ;  &  proved  of  a  good  Colour  &  flavour ;  but  are 
somewhat  moist  and  flabby. 

Dug  the  border  of  the  fruit-wall,  &  took-away  all  the 
gourds,  &  annuals.  Tyed-up  more  endives  :  they  are 
vastly  large ;  but  somewhat  damaged  by  the  frost.  There 
have  been  a  few  good  mulberries  ;  but  they  ripen  too  late. 
Earthed-up  all  the  rows  of  Celeri ;  &  two  rows  for  the 
second  time.  The  Mich  :  Daiseys  covered  with  butter- 
flies, and  other  gaudy  insects  make  a  very  gallant  appear- 
ance in  the  sunshine. 

We  have  continued  to  catch  the  wasps,  &  hornets, 
which  are  not  very  numerous,  with  bird-lime.  The  late 
Cabbages,  &  savoys  are  in  great  perfection  :  the  french- 
beans  are  quite  cut-down,  &  destroy'd.  The  potatoes  are 
good,  but  not  very  large. 

Sep.  30. — A  very  sharp  March-like  wind  from  the  N. 
many  days  with  frosts  and  Ice.  The  ground  is  very  dry ; 
&  the  Clays  have  a  fine  season  for  wheat. 

Sep.  30. — Wind  &  rain,  &  a  low  glass. 

Octbr-  i. — Now  a  brisk  wind,  &  sunshine. 

Planted-out  several  double-bloody-wall-flowers  under 
the  fruit- wall,  &  melon-screen. 

Planted  several  ofsets  from  the  potted  Campanulas. 

2  z 


362     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Sent    a    basket    of    Grapes,    &    Cadillac    pears   to    Lady 
Stuart. 

6. — Gather'd  in  a  moderate  quantity  of  all  the  keeping 
apples :  they  are  well-coloured,  but  small,  being  vastly 
thick  on  the  trees. 

The  Grapes  are  now  delicate,  both  white  &  red. 
Fine,   serene,   summer-like  weather  :   except   now  and 
then  a  small  shower  :   the   dry  season   has   lasted  seven 
weeks  to-day. 

7. — Beautiful  clear  weather. 

20. — Fine  soft  weather  intermixed  with  some  gentle 
showers.  This  delicate  weather  makes  most  curious 
Grapes.  The  farmers  put  their  wheat  into  the  ground  in 
fine  order. 

23. — Dry  sunny  weather  with  an  high  barometer. 
Earth'd-up  the  Celeri  for  the  last  time  :  made  use  of 
some,  which  was  well-blanched,  &  well-grown. 

Ocf-  24. — Bright,  cold  weather.  Grapes  in  the  greatest 
perfection. 

26. — Planted  100  of  Cabbages  to  stand  the  winter. 
Planted  my  Coss-lettuces,  some  very  large,  some  very 
small,  against  the  fruit-wall  to  stand  the  winter.  The 
farmers  carried  out  their  dung  from  the  melon-bed  in  a 
fine  dry  season.  The  weather  very  dry  &  cold.  Gather'd 
6  medlars,  the  first  fruit  that  ever  the  tree  produced. 

28. — Very  bright,  cold,  sharp  weather  with  consider- 
able Ice.  Gather'd  in  a  considerable  part  of  the  grapes, 
which  are  very  curious.  The  dry  fit  has  lasted  ten  weeks 
to  day. 

Noif-  i. — Planted  out  some  stocks  from  Mr.  Budds  &  a 
few  from  Ringmer.  Dry  still  weather ;  but  thick  Ice  in 
the  morning.  The  ground  is  dry  like  summer.  The 
ponds,  &  wells  are  exceeding  low  :  many  wells  are  quite 
dry. 

Novr-  5  :  6. — Put  the  tulips,  taken-up  in  Summer,  into 
the  ground ;  &  made  a  nursery  of  the  best  offsets.  Dug 
up  the  Polyanth-Narcissus,  &  Daffodils,  that  had  stood  two 
years,  &  transplanted  them  :  they  were  greatly  encreased. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  363 

M1"5-  Snooke's  tulips  are  planted  in  the  border  where  the 
two  Cherry-trees  stand.  My  own  filled  out  the  Border 
towards  the  alcove,  &  made  a  bed  near  the  tub  for  water. 
Planted  a  row  of  Jonquils  on  the  fruit-border  near  the 
Haha. 

The  rain  that  has  fallen  yet  is  very  trifling,  only  just 
enough  to  make  the  ground  slippery.  To-day,  the  6,  a 
stormy  wind,  &  sinking  glass. 

6. — Now  a  very  heavy  rain  with  a  violent  stormy 
wind. 

7. — Gather'd  in  a  large  basket  of  Grapes,  the  last  of  the 
season  :  they  are  in  fine  order. 

8. — A  very  great  rain  :  so  that  the  dry  season  might 
be  said  to  last  just  eleven  weeks  from  the  19  of 
August. 

8. — Bottled  half  an  hogsh  :  of  elder-raisin  wine,  made 
in  Feb  :  1763 :  it  took  a  second  fermentation  last  spring ; 
but  is  now  very  good  except  a  little  snatch  of  the  brandy l 
which  I  put  in  to  stop  the  working. 

Naif-  6:8:  10. — A  great  deal  of  rain. 

14. — Trimm'd  &  tack'd  all  the  trees  against  the  fruit-wall. 
The  peaches,  &  nectarines  all  promise  to  produce  bloom  : 
some  have  made  shoots  too  gross  &  willow-like.  Dug 
and  laid  down  the  border  in  curious  order.  Tack'd  the 
vines  some  perpendicularly,  some  horizontaly.  A  smart 
frost  in  the  morning. 

Novr-  22. — Eat  my  last  Grapes. 

23. — Planted  a  Golden-pippin,  &  a  Queen-Claud-plum, 
both  standards,  in  the  orchard :  &  a  Portugal-laurel  in  the 
shrubbery.  The  golden-pippins  planted  in  the  orchard 
two  or  three  years  ago  are  both  much  annoy'd  with  the 
Canker,  tho'  they  were  planted  on  Hillocks  to  avoid  the 
wet. 

1  See  note  on  p.  358.— [R.  B.  S.] 


364    NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 


DUNG  BORROWED  IN  1764. 

Feb.      8. — Of  Kelsey  Dung  pd-  Car :  pd-        .5  loads. 

Of  Parsons  Dung  pd-  Car :  pd-          2  D°- 
March  i. — Of  Kelsey  (no  Car :  to  pay  for  this)  i  load. 
19. — Of  Kelsey  Dung  p4  Car :  pd-        .5  loads. 
20. — Of  Parsons  Dung  pd-  Car :  pd-      .3  loads. 
Apr.    ii. — Of  Parsons  Dung  pd- Car :  pd-      .     3  loads. 
Of  Kelsey  Dung  pd-  car  pd-  .    4  loads. 

Car  :  out  two  of  my  own  car  pd- 
Of  Berriman  Dung  pd-  waggon-loads  2  car.  pd- 

19. — Of  Kelsey  Dung  pd-  car  pd'          .     3  loads. 
May     21. — Of  Kelsey  Dung  pd-  car  pd-  .     i  load, 

car  :  of  my  own  one.  car  pd- 


-  I  i 


I 


Garden-Kalendar  for  the  Year  1765 

Jan.  4. — Made  half  an  Hogsh  :  of  raisin-wine  with  one 
Hund :  of  Malagas,  &  half  an  hund  :  of  Smyrnas  :  one  of 
the  half  hund  :  of  Malagas  was  very  indifferent,  the  rest 
were  fine. 

Put  to  the  raisins  eleven  buckets  of  water  containing 
three  Gallons  each.  The  Smyrnas  cost  325 :  pr-  Hund : 
the  Malagas  303. 

From  the  eve  of  last  Xmass-day  to  the  eve  of  New-year's 
day  was  a  very  dry,  severe  frost :  it  went-off  with  a  very 
mild  thaw. 

5. — Received  a  ten  gallon  barrel  of  mountain-wine  from 
my  Bro  :  Thomas. 

12. — Great  rains,  &  strong  winds  for  several  Days. 

8. — Made  an  hot -bed  for  the  one -light  Cucumber 
seedling  frame. 

14. — The  Cucumrs-  come-up  very  well ;  but  the  bed  is 
full  hot.  Moist,  foggy  weather. 

Jan.  19. — Tunn'd  the  half  Hogsh  :  of  wine  :  it  ran  the 
barrel  full,  all  save  about  one  Gallon  that  was  squeezed. 
Put  to  it  14  bottles  of  elder-syrop  for  colouring.  Put-up 
on  the  raisins  four  buckets  of  water  to  make  vinegar,  & 
raisin-wine.  Put  one  pint  of  brandy  to  the  wine. 

22. — Wet  mild  weather  since  new  year's  day. 

The  snow-drops  are  in  bloom ;  &  the  Crocuss  swelling. 

24. — Press'd-out  the  second  run  of  raisin-wine,  four 
buckets  of  water  having  been  put-up  after  the  first  wine  was 
drawn-off.  Fill'd  the  vinegar  barrel  about  three  parts  full  : 

&  there  remained  about  8  gallons  for  present  drinking. 

365 


366     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

30. — A  high  barometer,  &  N  :  E  :  wind,  with  some  dry 
days  :  but  frequent  fogs,  &  some  sunshine. 

The  first-sown  Cucum"-  have  now  a  rough  leaf.  There 
is  now  a  good  Quantity  in  the  earth-house  of  mould  for  the 
bearing-cucumr-  bed,  consisting  of  some  old  melon-mould, 
some  from  the  bottom  of  the  faggot-stack,  &  some  earth 
cast-up  by  the  moles  on  the  Common ;  all  well  turned  & 
blended  together.  The  Hepticas  are  well-blown :  &  some 
Crocuss  are  blown-out. 

31. — Sowed  my  own  ashes,  which  were  sufficient  for 
what  used  to  be  called  the  great  mead.  Bought  ten  bushels 
of  Mr-  Etty,  which  sowed  the  slip. 

Feb.  i. — Sowed  a  box  with  Polyanth-seed  from  Bp's 
Waltham  said  to  be  good.  Dry  but  dark  weather. 

4. — Carry'd  into  the  melon-ground  8  loads  of  hot  dung 
for  the  bearing  Cucumr-  bed. 

A  very  severe  frost  all  day  with  a  great  rime.  The 
ground  was  so  very  hard  that  the  carting  all  day  made  not 
the  least  Impression.  There  has  been  some  frost  for 
several  days. 

Empty'd  the  dung  hole. 

7. — Very  hard  frost  still,  with  great  white  dews.  Things 
begin  to  freeze  within.  The  sun  shines  hot  &  strong  all 
day.  The  glass  fell  much  some  days  agone ;  but  rises 
again.  It  is  most  probable  snow  fell  farther  north: 
here  was  a  little  scattering  one  morning.  The  sun  now, 
just  before  setting,  shines  plumb  into  the  Dining-room- 
Chimney. 

9. — A  very  swift  thaw. 

10. — Rain  all  day  :  this  second  frost  lasted  just  a  week. 

Feb.  12. — Made  the  bearing  Cucumr-  bed  for  two  two- 
light  frames  of  ye  8  loads  of  dung. 

The  dung  has  never  shewed  any  great  Heat.  The  bed 
is  of  a  good  thickness,  &  is  well  made. 

The  Cucumre-  have  one  broad  rough  leaf ;  &  shew  a 
second. 

13. — Sent-down  a  large  portmanteau  full  of  all  sorts 
of  perennials  to  my  Brother  Harry  at  Fifield.  Gave  the 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  367 

flower-bank  a  large  dressing  of  rotten  dung.  Dug-up  the 
bank  at  the  end  of  the  barn,  to  prepare  it  for  planting. 

1 6. — Hard  black  frosts  for  many  mornings.  Today 
frequent  flights  of  snow.  The  Cucumrs-  have  a  joint,  & 
two  rough  leaves.  The  bearing-bed  begins  to  heat  well. 

17. — A  very  severe  frost  with  a  scattering  of  snow. 

There  has  never  yet  been  snow  enough  at  one  time  to 
cover  the  Ground. 

18. — A  very  severe  frost.  Laid  the  Hills  of  earth  on  the 
Cucumr-  bed.  The  bed  seems  in  fine  temper. 

It  froze  hard  all  day  in  the  shade.  Stopped  down  the 
Cucumr-  plants. 

19. — A  very  severe  frost ;  &  the  ground  as  hard  as  Iron ; 
strong  sunshine,  &  a  freezing  air  all  day. 

Turned-out  the  Cucumrs-  into  their  Hills :  they  were  well 
rooted  in  their  pots. 

20. — A  most  severe  frost,  which  came  in  a  doors,  &  froze 
under  my  bed.  Strong  clear  sunshine. 

The  ice  that  was  broken  Yesterday,  could  not  be  broke 
to  day  without  great  violence.  It  is  difficult  to  cover  the 
Hot-beds  enough. 

Cut-down  two  beechen-stocks  at  Lawn-acre  for  boards, 
&  planks.  They  yielded  593  feet  of  sawn  stuff ;  out  of 
which  there  were  three  planks  for  a  manger;  the  rest 
were  all  boards.  The  stock  out  of  which  the  planks  were 
cut  proved  faulty  :  so  that  they  were  not  so  good  as  could 
be  wished. 

Plunged  the  planks  Yesterday  in  James  Knight's  pond.1 

Hung  an  Ham  of  my  own  making  in  a  paper-bag  in  the 
Chimney. 

Destroyed  24  bullfinches,  which  lay  very  hard  on  the 
Cherry-trees,  &  plum-trees,  &  had  done  a  great  deal  of 
Mischief. 

21. — Hard  frost  &  bright  sunshine  ;  but  nothing  near  so 
severe  as  it  was.  The  wind  from  full  E  :  is  turned  full  W  : 

Feb.  22. — Sowed  about  a  doz  :  Succade  seeds. 

A  thaw  with  a  very  sharp  wind  at  S  :  E  :  the  ground  is 

1  See  note  to  p.  261. 


368     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

still  very  hard  under  the  surface,  &  the  Ice  very  thick  on 
the  waters. 

23. — The  mercury,  which  was  very  low  yesterday,  now 
rises  again  very  fast;  &  the  frost  seems  likely  to  go  off 
without  any  fall  at  all.  The  ground  would  dig  well,  if  the 
frost  was  out. 

26. — The  Succades  are  come-up  extraordinarily  well 
every  seed.  The  frost  went-off  on  the  24*  with  some  rain. 
The  Cucum1"5-  seem  to  be  settled  in  their  hills,  &  begin  to 
shew  runners. 

27. — Potted  the  succades  in  four  pots.  A  good  deal  of 
rain  &  wet  melting  snow. 

28. — A  great  snow  with  a  fierce  driving  wind  from  the 
West,  which  forced  it  into  every  cranny  &  opening ;  so 
that  the  peat  &  mould  in  the  houses  were  covered.  It  lies 
in  very  unequal  depths  on  the  Ground,  being  drifted  by  the 
strong  wind :  but  would  have  been  about  ten  inches  in 
general  had  the  air  been  still. 

The  ever-greens  were  so  loaded  that  they  were  weigh'd- 
down  to  the  Ground.  The  wind  was  so  strong,  &  the 
snow  so  searching,  that  the  Hotbeds  were  not  uncovered 
above  two  Hours  all  day. 

The  sun  broke  out  in  the  evening  :  but  ye  Horizon  looked 
very  threatening,  being  of  a  very  livid  Colour,  &  promising 
more  fall.  The  Mercury  fell  very  low  indeed  in  the  night ; 
&  was  quite  concave  at  the  top  when  I  went  to  bed. 

March  Ist- — A  pretty  smart  frost  in  the  night ;  but  a 
swift  thaw  all  day  with  some  rain.  The  snow  lies  very 
thick  still ;  so  deep  that  I  could  not  get-out  on  Horse-back 
at  the  Northfield-lane  end.  The  Glass  very  low  still.  The 
Cucum15-  look  well,  &  the  bed  is  not  injured  by  the  bad 
weather.  Sowed  twelve  more  Succade-seeds  :  those  in  the 
pots  look  well. 

2.  A  frost  in  the  morning,  &  strong  sunshine  all  day. 
The  snow  is  still  very  deep,  &  melts  only  by  the  Heat  of 
the  sun.  Newton-lane  has  been  quite  stopp'd-up,  &  im- 
passable. The  Glass  keeps  rising  but  is  still  very  low. 
The  lane  towards  Rood  is  not  passable. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  369 

3.  Exceedingly  bright  sunshine  ;  a  frost  in  the  morning, 
&  a  rising  Glass.  I  found  on  going  to  Faringdon l  that  the 
snow  had  been  much  deeper  than  I  was  aware.  Newton- 
lane  below  the  Cross  was  barely  passable.  People  more 
than  50  years  old  hardly  remember  such  a  snow. 

March  4. — A  smart  frost,  &  very  strong  sunshine  all  day. 
The  bees  work  very  briskly  on  the  Crocuss  amidst  the 
banks  of  snow.  The  snow  melts  only  where  the  sun 
shines.  The  blackbirds  begin  to  whistle. 

5. — A  great  rain  from  the  E  :  which  melted  the  snow 
at  a  vast  rate. 

6. — Great  rains,  a  flood  at  Gracious  street. 

7. — The  snow  is  all  gone,  except  under  some  Hedges ; 
&c.  Removed  some  of  the  Cucumr-  plants,  &  put  in  some 
from  the  pots,  which  have  a  better  Countenance. 

The  bed  has  been  a  little  too  hot. 

8. — Brewed  half  an  Hogsh  :  of  beer  with  six  bushels 
of  Richd-  Knight's  malt,  &  two  pounds  &  three  quarters  of 
good  Hops  of  the  second  year.  When  Hops  were  new 
2  pds-  &  |  used  to  be  sufficient. 

Made  an  half  hogsh :  of  ale  &  \  hogsh  :  of  small  of  the 
same  brewing.  The  water  for  the  strong  was  all  rain  & 
snow  water ;  which  stood  some  days  in  tubs  to  mellow 
&  soften. 

Put  about  a  Quarter  of  a  pound  of  Hops,  and  an 
handful  of  sand  into  the  45  Gall :  barrel  of  strong-beer 
brewed  Feb  :  1764,  to  fine  it  down  for  use. 

8. — Cast  8  loads  of  hot-dung  for  the  Succade-bed. 

Put  a  second  pint  of  Brandy  to  the  new-made  wine: 
it  is  very  quiet  for  its  age. 

10. — A  vast  rain  and  flood.  The  snow  lies  very  thick 
still  in  some  ditches,  and  hollow  places. 

ii. — Tunn'd  the  strong-beer,  having  stirred-in  the  yeast 
two  or  three  times  a  day  while  it  stood  in  the  tun-tub. 

Hung  the  flitch  of  bacon  in  Mr-  Etty's  Chimney. 

14. — Great  storms  of  Hail,  rain,  &  snow,  with  several 

1  The  bridle-path  by  which  Gilbert  White  used  to  ride  to  Faringdon  can 
still  be  followed.— [R.  B.  S.] 

3A 


370    NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

loud  Claps  of  thunder.  The  farmers  are  much  behind  in 
their  season. 

18. — Vast  rains  ;  &  nothing  done  in  the  Garden. 

The  Cucum15-  have  got  male-bloom. 

Sowed  12  more  Succade  seeds:  those  sowed  last  die 
in  the  pots  :  the  first  sowing  thrives,  &  has  a  rough  leaf. 
Turn'd  the  Succade-dung  in  the  Yard  :  it  was  very  hot. 

19. — Farmer  Parsons  brought  60  bush  :  of  tan  from 
Alton  for  the  Cantaleupe-bed.  Vast  hail  storms  with  some 
thunder. 

21  :  22. — Continual  heavy  showers.  The  floods  are 
much  out.  Cucum*5-  thrive. 

March  23. — The  Cucumrs-  are  full  of  male-bloom.  No 
fruit  shows  yet. 

24  :  25. — Vast  showers.  Gave  the  Cucumr-  bed  a  lining 
in  front  for  the  first  time.  Moss'd  the  bed. 

The  Apricot-tree  has  two  blossoms  blown-out;  which 
seem  to  be  the  only  promising  ones  it  is  likely  to 
have. 

Some  Peach-blossoms  are  just  ready  to  open. 

26. — Made  the  succade-bed  with  the  8  loads  of  Dung 
which  has  been  brought-in  ever  since  the  eighth  of  this 
month,  &  turn'd-once.  As  it  seem'd  to  make  but  a  shallow, 
weak  bed,  I  laid  about  twenty  bushels  of  tan  on  it. 

A  very  great  rain.  The  Country  is  in  a  sad,  wet 
Condition. 

27. — One  of  the  Cucr-  plants  shews  a  fruit.  A  vast 
storm  from  the  west,  which  blow'd  one  of  the  melon- 
lights  quite  off  the  frame  against  the  espalier-plum-tree, 
but  without  breaking  any  panes.  The  Cucr-  lights  were 
in  danger  of  being  blown-off,  &  were  secured  by  heavy 
slabs. 

28. — Mowed  the  grass-plot  the  first  time.  A  great  rain. 
The  succades  decay  in  their  leaves  thro'  the  dampness  & 
shadiness  of  the  weather. 

March  29. — i.  Planted  five  fann'd  Elmes  to  screen 
Will :  Carpenter's  necessary  House ;  &  five  large  Laurels 
in  a  curve  to  screen  my  own,  which  I  propose  to  move  to 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  371 

the  Corner  next  Parsons's  Yard :  &  three  elms  in  the 
corner  of  Parsons's  Yard  to  conceal  my  own  from  the 
street. 

Continual  rains  still. 

30. — Put  a  little  mould  in  the  Succade-bed,  &  sowed 
sixteen  Cantaleupe-seeds  in  it.  The  bed  is  yet  full  hot  to 
lay-on  the  hills  of  earth. 

Raked-down  the  asparagus-beds,  &  sowed  five  rows  of 
pease ;  the  first  Crop  of  any  kind  put  into  the  Ground 
this  year.  A  stormy  wind  all  day,  &  frequent  Showers. 

31.  &  first  of  April. — Stormy  Winds,  &  great  rains. 

2. — Earthed  the  Succade-bed,  &  put-on  the  Hills. 

The  mould  in  a  cold,  clammy  Condition.  Planted 
three  Dutch-Honey-suckles  in  the  new-Garden. 

Sowed  16  basons  of  double-upright-larks-spurs. 

A  very  wet  afternoon.    A  vast  rain  at  night. 

4.  Planted  three  pots  of  Succades  in  their  Hills  :  those 
that  were  forward  were  so  damaged  in  their  leaves  by  the 
long  continuance  of  bad  weather,  that  the  second  sowing 
were  preferable,  which  shew  only  seedling-leaves. 

Sowed  more  Cantaleupe-seeds  in  the  Succade-bed  :  the 
first-sown  are  just  coming-up.  Sowed  more  Succade- 
seeds.  Lined  the  back  of  the  Cucumr--bed  with  one  load 
of  Dung.  Planted  seven  rows  of  Rasps  in  one  of  the 
upper  quarters  of  the  new  Garden ;  three  of  white,  & 
four  of  red.  Planted  five  rows  of  beans,  the  first 
planting. 

Made  a  Celeri-bed  for  an  Hand-glass  with  two  barrows 
of  dung. 

The  peaches  &  Nectarines  begin  to  blow-out. 

Frequent  showers  still ;  &  the  Ground  sadly  wet. 

Berriman  brought  20  bushels  of  tan  ;  in  all  80. 

The  Cantaleupe-dung  brought  in  is  12  loads. 

Set  some  boards  a  nights  against  the  fruit  trees  in 
bloom.  Sowed  some  spots  of  Persicarias  ;  &  a  drill  of 
parsley. 

April  6. — The  Cucumr-  is  blown-out  to-day.  A  vast 
rain  last  night,  &  great  wind  to-day.  A  very  great  flood 


372     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

at  Gracious-street     The  springs   are  vastly  high  ;    &  the 
Lavants l  broke-out  at  Chawton. 

Turn'd  the  Cantaleupe-dung. 

7. — Tempestuous  winds,  with  vast  rains,  hail,  &  thunder. 

8  :  9. — Stormy  wind,  &  showers.  The  farmers  are 
vastly  backward  in  their  season.  Very  little  lent-corn 
sown. 

Frequent  Claps  of  thunder,  &  a  very  cold  air. 

April  12. — The  first  fine  spring-like  day,  &  no  wet  the 
whole  day  long. 

Potted  the  Cantaleupes.  Sowed  a  Crop  of  Carrots, 
parsneps,  Coss-lettuce,  radishes,  onions,  leeks,  &  savoys ; 
&  sowed  one  long  row  of  finochia  in  a  drill  with  a  little 
rotten  dung  mixed  with  the  mould.  The  ground  worked 
as  well  as  could  be  expected.  The  Mercury  is  shot  up 
very  tall ;  but  the  skie  threatens  again  for  wet. 

Lined  the  Cucumber-bed  with  some  grass-mowings  : 
fruit  blows  every  day. 

The  Nightingales  begin  to  sing.  The  Hyacinths  begin 
to  blow. 

Planted  five  rows  of  potatoes  in  Turner's  Garden,  &  put 
old-thatch  in  four  of  the  trenches,  &  peat-dust  in  one  for 
experiment  sake.  Exchang'd  roots  with  Mr-  Etty,  as  his 
ground  is  so  different  :  his  sort  came  originally  from  me. 

13. — Made  the  Cantaleupe-bed  for  two  frames  in  the 
new  Garden  with  12  loads  of  dung  that  had  been  brought-in 
just  a  fortnight,  &  cast  once,  &  60  bushels  of  tan  on  the 
top  of  it. 

It  is  a  stout  bed  ;  &  the  tan  lies  at  least  six  Inches  thick. 
There  have  been  three  pretty  fine  days  together,  without 
any  wind,  &  with  very  little  rain.  Some  peaches  &  Nect : 
blow  finely  :  some  have  little  bloom. 

Farmer  Knight  is  to  fallow,  &  plow  Baker's  Hill  in  an 
Husband-like  manner,  this  summer,  &  to  sow  it  with  wheat 
at  Mich  :  &  to  allow  me  the  straw  of  the  Crop  for  the  use 
of  the  Ground. 

The  Year  following  he  is  to  sow  it  with  oats,  &  allow 

1  t.e.  water-springs. — [H.  M.] 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  373 

me  the  straw  :  &  I  am  to  sow  a  Crop  of  Sl-  foin  along  with 
his  Corn. 

April  17. — Layed-down  about  100  Laurustines ;  & 
grafted  6  crab-stocks  with  Cuttings  from  ye  Lunning  tree. 
Made  a  new  bed  for  aromatic  Herbs. 

Little  rain  for  a  week  past ;  but  shady  mild  weather. 

18. — Bright,  spring  weather.  Cut  the  first  Cucumr-  a 
small  one  :  there  are  many  swelling  away. 

19. — Laid-on  the  Hills  on  the  Cantaleupe-bed. 

The  earth  is  all  prepared  in  the  earth-house  ;  because 
the  mould  will  not  work  at  all  in  the  new  Garden.  Now 
heavy  showers  after  several  fine  days. 

23. — No  Sun  at  all  for  several  days ;  but  black  weather 
&  frequent  showers.  It  rains  from  all  Quarters  of  the 
Compass.  To-day  several  Claps  of  thunder.  The  Ground 
is  in  a  wet  Condition.  Some  thing  bites-off  the  Cucr-  bloom, 
&  gnaws  the  fruit.  The  grass  grows  very  fast. 

April  24. — Turn'd-out  the  Cantaleupes  into  their  Hills ; 
they  are  fine  plants,  &  well  rooted. 

The  Succades  succeed  but  poorly. 

A  soft,  spring-like  day,  &  some  sunshine. 

Caught  the  mouse  that  eat  the  Cucrs- 

25. — A  very  heavy  rain. 

26. — Extraordinary  foggs,  &  moist  air  without  any 
Sun. 

27. — Cucumb"-  come  every  day.    Hot  growing  weather. 

29. — Made  an  annual-bed,  &  sowed  it  with  China-asters, 
Fr  :  Marrigolds,  Dwarf-sunflowers,  Chrysanthemums,  & 
pendulous  Amaranths. 

Sowed  some  large  white  Cucumre>  for  the  Hand-glasses. 
There  have  been  two  beautiful  summer-like  days  together. 

There  are  99  considerable  trees  in  Sparrow's  hanger ; x 
94  beeches,  3  ashes,  &  two  oaks  :  there  are  also  three  large 
oaks  in  the  pasture-field  adjoining. 

May  3. — Sowed  a  second  Crop  of  Pease  in  the  ground 
where  the  turneps  stood ;  sowed  four  rows  of  dwarf  white 

1  This  was  apparently  Gilbert  White's  property.      It  now  belongs  to  Mr. 
Henry  Maxwell.     The  trees  have  long  since  been  felled. — [R.  B.  S.] 


374     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

french-beans.  Harsh,  cold  winds  from  the  N  :  E  :  with 
an  high  barometer. 

6. — Cut-down  an  Head  of  the  Burnet,  &  gave  it  the 
Mare.  The  Heads  are  very  large,  &  just  offering  for 
Bloom.  Very  fine  dry  weather. 

May  7. — Planted  half  Hund :  of  Cabbage-plants  for  a 
succession.  Planted  some  slips  of  the  double  wall-flower. 
The  melon-plants  grow  but  poorly. 

Very  dry  weather ;  &  the  ground  very  much  bound. 
The  fleas  eat  the  Savoys. 

Cut  some  Heads  of  Burnet,  &  gave  it  the  Horses, 
intending  to  observe  how  long  it  will  be  before  they  spring 
again.  Each  root  has  a  vast  head. 

8. — Made  four  Hills  for  hand-glass  Cucumrs-  with  two 
barrows  of  dung  to  each  Hill.  Very  sultry  weather ;  & 
showers  about. 

13. — Hot  burning  weather  :  the  ground  is  bound  very 
hard.  There  has  been  hardly  any  rain  for  18  days.  The 
peaches  &  Nect:  by  being  sprinkled  with  water  now  & 
then  this  dry  time,  swell  away.  One  Nect :  tho'  treated 
with  the  same  care  with  the  rest,  is  quite  over  run  with 
blistered  leaves  &  shoots ;  &  must,  in  all  appearance,  be 
taken  away. 

The  Succades  in  one  Hill  have  long  runners  that  have 
been  stopped  down.  The  Cantaleupes  seem  not  to  take 
well  to  their  Hills. 

All  the  tulips  seem  to  have  run  from  their  original 
beauty. 

May  14. — Rack'd-off  half  an  hogsh  :  of  raisin-elder 
made  last  January,  which  was  not  quite  free  from  fretting. 
Let  it  stand  one  night  in  the  Kiver,  &  return'd  it  into  the 
same  barrel  well  wash'd ;  with  half  a  pint  of  brandy.  The 
wine  is  strong  &  sweet  enough  at  present.  There  came- 
out  about  a  Gallon  of  Grout ;  so  that  the  barrel  is  not  full. 

No  rain  yet,  but  a  sinking  Glass. 

The  melons  grow  now. 

Stopp'd-down  some  of  the  most  vigourous  of  the  peach, 
&  Nect:  shoots,  which  seem  to  threaten  to  run  to  Willow- 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  375 

like-wood.  There  is  some  fruit  on  each  tree.  All  the  trees 
save  one  look  healthy.  The  vines  promise  a  great  deal 
of  bloom. 

15. — A  very  moderate  rain,  that  just  moistened  things. 

18. — Burning  sunshine  with  a  strong  drying  E.  wind. 
I  have  sprinkled  the  peach,  &  Nect :  trees  twice  a  week 
during  this  drying  weather.  Most  things  want  watering. 
The  melons,  which  have  been  earthed  and  watered  fre- 
quently, grow  away.  There  has  been  rain  but  once  for 
these  three  weeks. 

21. — No  rain  yet ;  but  strong  sunshine,  &  a  very  drying 
East  wind.  The  Ground  is  much  parch'd  on  the  surface. 
The  Succades  begin  to  shew  the  rudiments  of  bloom. 

•May  24. — Very  harsh  winds  with  some  flights  of  Hail. 
No  rain  now,  save  one  little  shower,  for  a  month  past. 
The  ground  bound  like  Iron. 

Earth'd-out  the  melons  to  the  full  in  their  frames. 

Put  10  field-crickets  in  the  bank  of  the  terrass  :  made 
the  Holes  with  a  spit. 

26. — Several  small  showers  from  the  N. 

27. — Now  dry  weather  again  with  a  very  high  Glass. 
The  Succades  begin  to  blow,  &  to  shew  some  fruit.  The 
Country  is  in  great  want  of  rain. 

June  i. — No  rain  yet ;  but  drying  scorching  weather. 
The  corn,  &  Gardens  suffer  greatly.  I  do  not  remember 
my  Garden  to  be  so  totally  overcome  with  heat  &  dryness 
so  soon  in  the  Year.  The  walks  are  burnt-up  past  mowing. 

2. — Thunder  was  heard  at  a  distance. 

3. — Drying  winds,  &  fierce  sunshine. 

The  succades  have  fruit  blown. 

4. — No  rain  yet :  scorching,  sunny  weather.  A  sinking 
glass,  &  some  tokens  of  showers. 

6. — Thunder  in  the  evening,  &  very  black  clouds  to  the 
E.  &  S.E.  a  fine  rain  at  Petersfield,  but  not  one  drop  here.1 

1  One  might  think  from  this  that  Selborne  had  a  less  rain-fall  than  the 
surrounding  localities,  but,  owing  doubtless  to  the  proximity  of  the  Hanger, 
we  get  an  average  of  32^  inches  in  the  year,  while  Alton  gets  31^  inches. 
Gilbert  White's  average  for  1780  to  1788  was  36  inches,  but  the  woods  were 
more  extensive  then  than  they  are  now. — [H.  M.] 


376     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

7. — Lined  the  succade-bed  :  as  the  dung  was  very  stale 
&  dry  we  intermixed  some  layers  of  new-mown  grass,  & 
some  weeds.  The  horses  have  been  all  so  long  at  Grass 
that  there  will  be  no  getting  any  fresh  Dung. 

8. — The  Succade-fruit  begins  to  set.  We  water  the 
melon-beds  a  good  deal  this  scorching  weather.  The 
drought  has  continued  six  weeks  from  the  6th-  &  is  now 
entered  on  the  seventh  week.  The  succade-lining  heats 
furiously. 

10. — The  weather  continuing  very  burning,  we  water 
the  melons  largely.  The  Succades  set  apace,  &  the  bines 
are  of  a  good  strength  :  the  Cantaleupe-vines  run  rather 
weakly. 

ii. — Earthed-out  the  Succades  to  their  full  depth,  & 
extent ;  raised  the  frame,  &  found  the  roots  were  got-out 
very  strong.  Planted  the  basons  in  the  field  with  annuals 
which  are  weak  &  drawn  :  there  was  no  planting  but  by 
dint  of  great  waterings  :  &  no  making  melon-earth  but  by 
the  same  expedient.  The  stones  &  bricks  are  so  extreamly 
dry,  that  the  mason,  who  is  facing  my  stable,  is  obliged 
to  dip  them  all  in  water.  The  grass  in  the  walks  breaks  & 
crumbles  under  peoples  feet  as  they  tread. 

The  lining  of  the  succade-bed  is  very  hot,  &  throws  a 
good  heat  into  the  bed. 

12. — I  set  about  five  brace  of  promising  Cantaleupes  in 
the  first  frame  :  there  are  a  few  succades  about  as  big  as 
pidgeons  eggs. 

Finish'd  tacking  the  vines,  which  have  an  unusual 
quantity  of  budds  for  bloom.  Some  shattering  showers ; 
&  some  large  ones  about. 

June  13. — Sowed  four  long  rows,  one  pint  of  white 
kindney-beans  ;  &  prick'd-out  a  large  plot  of  Celeri.  The 
ground  was  well-watered  before  anything  could  be  done. 
Planted  annuals  in  the  borders  of  the  Garden.  Several 
very  soft  showers  many  times  in  the  day ;  but  not  moisture 
enough  to  lay  the  dust,  or  make  the  eaves  drop. 

14. — Soft  showers  for  four  Hours  this  morning ;  & 
showers  again  in  the  evening.  So  that  Yesterday  the  dry 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  377 

weather  might  be  said  to  last  exactly  8  weeks,  beginning 
the  day  after  Sl-  Mark. 

Turn'd-out  the  white  cucumbers  from  under  ye  Hand- 
glasses :  they  are  very  strong,  &  shew  fruit. 

15. — Sowed  a  Crop  of  Endive ;  two  rows  of  fenochia, 
&  some  vast  white  kidney-beans  from  Lima. 

Hot,  sunny  weather. 

17. — Trimm'd-out  the  Succades,  which  were  grown  very 
rude  &  wild  :  the  fruit  keeps  setting  here  &  there,  but  not 
very  fast.  The  bed  is  very  warm,  &  has  been  pretty  fre- 
quently water'd.  The  Cantaleupes  seem  to  be  setting  ;  the 
bines  are  still  but  weak. 

Some  little  shattering  showers,  which  refresh  the  leaves 
of  things  :  but  the  ground  is  still  as  hard  as  ever.  Mrs- 
Snooke's  black-cluster  Grape  is  beginning  to  blow  before 
any  of  the  other  vines,  even  the  white-sweetwater. 

June  19. — Hot  dry  weather  with  an  high  Glass. 

Cut  my  Grass  :  four  mowers  cut  the  great  mead,  ye  slip, 
&  the  shrubbery  by  dinner-time.  Some  of  the  Succades  are 
almost  grown,  some  setting,  &  some  plants  have  no  fruit 
swelling  yet.  Watered  the  outsides  of  the  Succade-bed 
this  very  dry  weather.  Tack'd  &  thinn'd  the  Peach,  & 
Nect :  trees  :  there  is  but  little  fruit.  Some  of  the  trees 
run  to  too  vigorous  wood.  The  ground  is  strangely  dry'd, 
&  burnt.  My  Crop  of  Grass  is  very  well  for  so  burning 
an  Year. 

21. —  Pick'd-up  my  Hay  without  one  drop  of  rain;  tho' 
the  Clouds,  a  sinking  Glass,  &  an  hollow  wind  threatned 
very  hard  :  there  were  five  jobbs. 

Water'd  the  Crops  very  much. 

22. — A  N.  Wind,  a  rising  Glass,  &  all  tokens  of  rain  over 
for  the  present.  Water'd  the  Cantaleupes  :  there  are  a 
good  many  fruit  set  in  ye  first  frame ;  but  a  poor  promise 
in  the  second. 

Water'd  the  things  again. 

24. — Gave  the  Cantaleupe-bed  a  good  lining  with  two 
waggon  loads  of  dung ;  &  some  layers  of  Grass  from  the 
orchard  to  set  it  in  a  ferment.  The  Cantaleupes  now  shew 

3B 


378     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

a  good  many  likely  fruit.  Very  hot  dry  weather  &  no  rain 
yet.  We  are  obliged  to  water  very  much  to  keep  things 
alive.  The  melons  have  had  an  unusal  share  of  Water. 

June  28. — A  little  rain  ;  which  was  a  noble  watering  at 
Fyfield  for  12  hours. 

July  5. — A  little  rain. 

6. — On  my  return  from  Fyfield  I  found  a  large  Crop  of 
Cantaleupes  set ;  &  some  above  half  grown  :  &  a  good 
many  Succades  coming-on  :  the  forwardest  are  full  grown. 
The  bed  is  well  lined  out,  &  very  warm ;  &  the  fibres  are 
running  very  strong  without  the  frames. 

There  have  been  fine  rains  round  Andover  &  Salisbury : 
the  verdure  on  the  Downs  is  very  delicate,  &  the  sheep 
ponds  are  full  of  water.  But  when  I  came  on  this  side 
Alresford  I  found  all  the  ponds  without  one  drop  of  water ; 
&  the  turf  &  Corn  burnt-up  in  a  very  deplorable  manner ; 
&  every  thing  perishing  in  the  Gardens.  The  peaches,  & 
Nectarines  keep  casting  their  fruit.  Cherries  are  now  very 
fine. 

The  downs  between  Alresford  &  Andover  are  full  of 
Burnet :  so  full  in  many  places  that  it  is  almost  the  only 
herb  that  covers  the  Ground ;  &  is  eaten  down  very  close 
by  sheep,  who  are  fond  of  it. 

The  Case  is  the  same  between  Andover  &  Sarum  where 
in  many  places  the  Ground  is  covered  with  Burnet  now  in 
seed  :  a  Child  might  in  those  places  gather  a  considerable 
Quantity  in  a  day.  It  is  worth  observation  that  this  herb 
seems  to  abound  most  in  the  poorest,  &  shallowest  chalkey 
soil.  On  Selborne  Common  (a  rich  strong  piece  of  Ground) 
it  has  not  been  yet  discovered. 

Near  Waller's  Ash  I  rode  thro  a  piece  of  Ground  of 
about  400  acres,  which  had  been  lately  pared  by  a  breast 
plough  for  burning  :  here  the  burnet  was  coming-up  very 
thick  on  the  bare  ground,  tho'  the  crown  of  the  root  must 
have  been  cut  off  of  course  along  with  the  turf :  this  shews 
that  it  is  a  plant  tenacious  of  life,  since  it  springs  from  the 
severed  root  like  plantain. 

Pd  Will  Dewey  for  8  Doz  :   of  young  sparrows. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  379 

The  drought  has  lasted  10  weeks  last  Thursday. 

The  peaches,  and  Nect :  have  cast  most  of  their  fruit. 

July  8. — A  gentle  rain  most  part  of  the  day  :  &  in  the 
evening  a  great  shower  for  about  half  an  Hour  that 
moistened  things  well.  The  cart  way  ran  with  water, 
which  is  more  than  it  has  done  before  since  the  25th  of 
April.  This  rain  did  not  reach  Faringdon  or  Empshot ; 
so  that  it  was  of  small  extent. 

9. — Planted-out  a  bed  of  leeks ;  and  sowed  a  little  spot 
with  Batavian-Endive  ;  &  a  quarter  with  turneps. 

IQ. — Finished  stopping-down,  &  tacking  the  vines. 

The  Grapes  on  Mrs-  Snooke's  tree  as  big  as  small  pease. 
Harsh  drying  winds.  The  garden  quarters  not  moistened 
enough  to  plant.  Dug-up  the  Hyacinth-roots,  which  seem 
very  moist  considering  the  very  dry  time. 

12. — Tiled  8  of  the  forwardest  Succades.  Hot  dry 
weather,  with  cold  dews  at  Night.  My  Cherries  are  now 
in  high  perfection.  Large  showers  about  yesterday ;  but 
a  few  drops  only  fell  here.  Some  of  the  Cantaleupes  swell 
very  fast.  It  appears  by  the  trial  sticks  that  the  bed  has 
now  as  good  a  ground  heat  as  most  beds  when  made  only 
five  or  six  weeks;  this  must  be  owing  to  the  lasting  heat 
of  tan.  The  Swallows  &  martins  are  bringing-out  their 
young.  Young  partridges  that  were  flyers  seen. 

July  13. — Farmer  Knight,  having  plowed  Bakers  Hill 
twice  before,  stirr'd  it  across  to-day.  The  weeds  are  all 
kill'd,  &  the  soil  is  baked  as  hard  as  a  stone ;  &  is  as  rough 
as  the  sea  in  an  hard  Gale  :  the  Clods  stand  on  end  as  high 
as  one's  knees. 

14. — Saw  Pheasants  that  were  flyers. 

16. — A  good  rain  for  about  three  Hours.  A  great  rain 
at  Haslemere,  where  I  was  then.  Several  fern-owls  or 
Goat-suckers  flying  about  in  the  evening  at  Black-down 
House. 

18. — Cut  the  first  Succade-melon,  a  very  delicate  one  ;  & 
deeply  crack'd  at  the  Eye  :  it  had  not  one  drop  of  moisture 
in  it.  Dry  hot  weather  ever  since  the  rain. 

19. — Rains  about,  but  none  here.    Hot  ripening  weather. 


380     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

The  dry  fit  has  lasted  12  weeks  yesterday.  The  wheat  turns 
colour  very  fast.  Added  some  earth  to  the  melon-bed, 
where  the  lining  was  crack'd  away  from  the  main  bed. 

20. — Gather'd  a  good  quantity  of  Burnet-seed  from  my 
plants.  This  plant  sheds  it's  seed  as  soon  as  ripe  ;  &  there- 
fore whenever  it  becomes  a  field  plant,  it  must  be  cut  as 
soon  as  it  shews  any  tendency  to  ripeness. 

The  melon-bed  has  still  a  moderate  Heat. 

Some  shoots  of  the  Laurustine  are  blowing,  others 
budded  for  bloom. 

July  21. — The  Glow-worms  no  longer  shine  on  the 
Common  :  in  June  they  were  very  frequent.  I  once  saw 
them  twinkle  in  the  South  hams  of  Devon  as  late  as  the 
middle  of  Septemr- 

The  Redbreast  just  essays  to  sing. 

Dry  dark  weather  with  an  high  glass.  The  garden 
dry'd-up  as  hard  as  a  stone  :  the  Crops  come  to  nothing  ; 
&  no  opportunity  of  planting  out  the  Autumn,  &  winter 
Crops.  Cherries  still  very  fine. 

The  haulm  of  the  Cantaleupes  (notwithstanding  the 
continual  drought)  shews  some  disposition  for  rotting  :  in 
many  parts  it  splits  longitudinally,  &  heals  up  again.  There 
will  be  a  very  fine  Crop  of  Succades. 

23. — Cut  the  second  Succade,  a  small  one.  The  field- 
crickets  cry  yet  faintly.  Hot  dry  weather  still.  No  rain 
coming  we  were  forced  to  put-out  more  Annuals  in  the 
dusty  border ;  to  shade  'em  well,  &  to  give  them  a  vast 
quantity  of  water.  The  garden  looks  quite  destitute  of 
crops  :  no  turneps  will  come-up  ;  no  Celeri  can  be  trench'd, 
nor  endives,  nor  Savoys  planted-out.  The  ponds  in  most 
parishes  are  quite  dry'd-up. 

July  24. — Succades  come  apace. 

25. — Some  people  have  hack'd  pease.  Two  most  sultry 
days.  Succades  come  by  Heaps.  The  wells  in  the  street 
begin  to  fail.  Turn'd  all  the  large  Cantaleupes. 

This  day  the  dry  weather  has  lasted  just  13  weeks. 

Some  of  the  Succades  crack  very  deeply  at  the  eye  : 
those  are  always  delicate. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  381 

26. — Gathered  a  good  basket  of  french  beans ;  the  first 
of  the  season.  Put  some  tall  sticks  to  the  Lima-beans. 
Gave  the  Garden  a  good  watering. 

27. — Housed  my  billet  in  curious  order. 

Abraham  Low  has  got  above  50  bunches  of  grapes  on 
a  vine  of  my  Sort,  which  is  but  three  years  growth  from  a 
Cutting. 

Many  samples  of  new  wheat  were  shown  this  day  at 
Alton  market :  the  Corn  was  said  to  be  very  fine. 

28. — The  Martins  begin  to  assemble  round  the  weather- 
cock ;  &  the  swallows  on  the  wallnut-trees. 

Dry  hot  weather  still,  with  a  N.  wind. 

The  Goldfinch,  Yellow-hammer,  &  sky-lark  are  the 
only  birds  that  continue  to  sing.  The  red-breast  is 
just  beginning.  The  field-crickets  in  the  Lythe  cry  no 
longer. 

29. — Eat  a  most  curious  Succade  ;  &  saved  it's  seed. 

The  beetles  begin  to  hum  about  at  the  Close  of  day. 

Trench'd  one  row  of  Celeri  to  try  if  it  can  be  saved. 

July  31. — Berriman  began  to  reap  in  ye  Ewel-close. 
The  best  of  the  Succades  being  cut,  I  gave  the  bed  a  good 
watering  within  &  without :  water'd  the  Cantaleupe-bed  on 
the  outside.  Sultry-weather.  Wind  S.  for  two  days. 

Aug.  i. — This  day  the  drought  has  lasted  14  weeks. 
Sultry,  cloudless  weather.  Planted-out  four  rows  of  loaf- 
cabbages,  &  two  of  Savoys  between  the  Rasps  in  the 
midst  of  this  burning  weather,  as  there  is  no  prospect  of 
rain.  The  well  sinks  apace ;  we  have  watered-away  26 
well-buckets  in  a  day.  No  Endives  can  be  planted-out 
yet.  No  rain  at  all  since  the  16  of  July. 

3. — A  plentiful  rain  for  five  hours  &  an  half  with  a  great 
deal  of  thunder  &  lightening.  It  soaked  things  thoro'ly  to 
the  roots,  &  filled  many  ponds. 

4. — Cut  the  first  &  the  largest  Cantaleupe,  it  weighed 
three  pounds.  The  Succades  keep  coming.  The  swifts 
have  disappeared  for  several  days.  Newton-pond  was  just 
got  empty ;  &  yet  there  was  a  pretty  good  share  of  water 
in  the  pond  on  the  Common. 


382     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

The  Cantaleupe-bed  by  the  trial-stick  shews  still  a 
considerable  Heat  :  it  is  owing  no  doubt  to  the  tan. 

Laurustines  cast  their  old  leaves. 

Aug.  5. — Did  a  great  stroke  of  Gardening  after  the 
rain  :  sowed  a  quarter  with  turnep  seed,  &  planted  it  with 
savoys,  the  rows  wide  apart.  Planted-out  five  more  rows 
of  Celeri ;  in  all  six  long  rows  :  &  planted  a  plot  of  endives. 
The  endives  seem  to  be  planted  too  late  to  come  to  any 
size ;  &  the  Celeri  &  savoys  probably  will  not  be  large. 
The  ground  falls  to  pieces,  &  works  as  well  as  can  be 
expected. 

Gather'd  the  only  &  first  Apricot  the  tree  ever  bore,  it 
was  a  fair  fruit,  but  not  the  sort  sent  for  ;  being  an  Orange 
&  not  a  Breda.  Scarce  any  of  Murdoch  Middleton's  trees 
turn-out  the  sorts  sent-for.1 

7. — Dripping  warm  weather  since  the  thunder-storm. 

8. — The  first  Cantaleupe,  growing  on  a  faulty  stem,  was 
not  curious.  Very  showery  weather. 

Cut  the  second  Cantaleupe  :  it  is  cVack'd  at  the  eye. 
Great  showers  with  distant  thunder. 

Mr-  Yalden  saw  a  single  swift.  Glow-worms  appear'd 
again  pretty  frequent ;  but  more  in  the  Hedges,  &  bushes 
than  in  June,  when  they  were  out  on  ye  turf. 

9. — Melons  keep  coming.  Saw  two  swallows  feeding 
five  Young  ones  that  had  just  left  their  nest :  they  usually 
bring  them  out  the  beginning  of  July. 

Aug.  9. — Planted  a  double  row  of  Polyanths  all  along 
the  great  bank  in  the  garden  :  they  are  all  very  small,  being 
much  stunted  by  the  dry  weather.  Planted  also  some  slips 
of  the  double  Pheasant-ey'd  pinks,  which  have  very  near 
blowed  themselves  to  death. 

Some  hard  rain,  and  distant  thunder. 

10. — A  beautiful  dry  day.  Many  people  are  housing 
their  wheat.  The  dripping  week  past  has  done  a  world  of 
service. 

Planted  a  large  plot  with  savoys,  &  sowed  it  with  turnep 
seed.  The  last-sown  turneps  come-up  by  hundreds. 

1  Once  more  a  disappointment. — [R.  B.  S.] 


'.'3  Life  size. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  383 

Cut  a  large  Cantaleupe  that  was  crack'd  neither  at  eye 
nor  tail. 

ii. — Cut  an  other  not  crack'd. 

12. — Vast  showers  :  very  little  wheat  carry'd. 

The  rains  have  restored  a  fine  verdure,  to  the  grass- 
walks  that  seemed  to  be  burnt  to  death  for  many 
weeks. 

14. — Great  showers.  The  Cantaleupes  come  very  fast, 
but  do  not  crack  well  in  general.  Ten  showery  days 
restore  a  verdure. 

Aug.  14. — Sent  a  brace  &  an  half  of  Cantaleupes  &  a 
Succade-melon  to  Bro  :  Benjn-  at  London. 

Some  small  Cantaleupes,  that  were  not  at  all  crack'd 
are  delicate.  A  very  rising  Glass.  Penny  royal,  baum, 
sage,  mint,  thyme,  rue,  marjoram,  &  lavender  in  high 
bloom. 

Baker's-hill  is  harrowed-down  after  these  great  rains  : 
it  was  no  easy  matter  to  subdue  the  clods  at  all.  Some 
of  the  old  elders  round  the  garden  are  almost  leafless. 
Wallnuts  are  this  year  innumerable.  The  white-apples 
are  fit  to  make  pies.  Grapes,  peaches,  Nect :  are  very 
backward. 

The  Ground  is  now  well-soaked. 

The  yellow-hammer  continues  to  sing. 

Wheat  grows  in  the  gripes. 

Tremella  abounds  now  on  the  walks ;  &  the  lichens 
encrease  in  size.  The  french-beans  are  still  lousy  in  some 
degree. 

14. — Sowed  a  Quarter  of  a  pound  of  prickly-seeded 
spinage,  &  some  Coss-lettuce  to  stand  the  winter. 

The  ground  was  in  good  order,  &  fell  well  to  pieces. 

A  cold  north  wind. 

Planted  several  slips  of  red  pinks  round  ye  borders,  & 
some  stocks,  &  bloody  wall-flowers. 

The  burnet-seed,  where  it  shatters  on  the  Ground, 
comes-up  very  thick. 

The  catkins  for  next  year  are  formed  on  the  Hasels. 

Aug.  16. — A  cold  N.E.  wind,  &  rising  glass. 


384    NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Much  wheat  has  been  housed  to-day.  Some  Canta- 
leupes,  &  Succades  crack  well  at  ye  eye. 

The  stone-curlews  clamour.  The  mornings,  &  evenings 
are  chilly.  Plums,  and  figgs  are  very  back-ward.  The 
large  Aster  with  yellow  thrums,  supposed  to  be  Virgil's 
Amello,  begins  to  flower. 

Trimm'd  the  vines  of  second  wood  for  ye  last  time  : 
the  grapes  are  very  backward. 

The  Yellow-hammer  continues  to  sing. 

The  uncommon  Aster  with  a  black  thrum  blowing. 

The  variegated  Epilobium  in  bloom. 

17. — Very  cold  weather  for  the  season,  with  a  N.  Wind. 
People  house  their  wheat  very  briskly. 

A  very  high  barometer. 

Melons  continue  in  plenty. 

The  flea  eats-up  the  Young  turneps  at  a  vast  rate. 

The  weather  so  cold  &  dry,  that  nothing  grows  well  in 
the  Garden. 

Aug.  19. — Cut  all  the  Cantaleupes  :  they  are  not  in 
general  so  well-grown,  &  so  thick-flesh'd  as  in  former 
Years,  owing  perhaps  to  the  burning  summer,  which  all 
the  while  was  attended  with  N.  drying  winds  not  at  all 
kindly  to  any  kind  of  fruit,  or  Crops  in  the  Garden. 

The  bed  maintains  still  a  sensible  heat. 

20. — Most  beautiful  harvest-weather  for  several  days  : 
the  wheat  will  soon  be  all  housed  :  that  that  was  not 
carry'd-in  too  hastily  will  be  in  curious  order. 

The  wren  whistles.  A  nest  of  young  water-wagtails  is 
just  come  forth.  Tack'd  the  wall-trees :  their  tops  are 
shrivell' d,  &  their  fruit  advances  but  poorly. 

21. — Took-in  all  the  melon-frames  in  very  dry  order. 
The  bed  has  still  some  sensible  heat  in  it. 

Very  dry  sultry  weather  with  a  falling  glass.  The  night- 
moths,  &  earwigs,  I  find,  feed  on  the  flowers  by  night,  as 
the  bees  &  butterflies  do  by  day  :  this  I  found  by  going-out 
with  a  candle. 

22. — Upon  digging  into  the  melon-bed  down  to  the  tan 
after  the  frames  were  taken  away,  I  found  that  the  tan 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  385 

maintained  an  heat  equal  to  what  is  usual  in  a  mild  bed  at 
first  planting.  From  whence  I  concluded  that  the  heat 
was  too  powerful  this  sunny  scorching  summer  for  the  fruit 
by  forcing  them  into  ripeness  before  they  are  full-fleshed  : 
in  common  summers,  when  there  is  a  good  deal  of  shady 
wet  weather  no  doubt  the  use  of  tan  is  of  excellent  service 
for  Cantaleupes,  as  I  have  experienced. 

Put  some  little  melons  remaining,  under  hand-glasses. 
Hot  sun-shine  breaking-out  of  a  thick  fog  which  lasted  'til 
eleven  o'  the  Clock.  A  vast  uncommon  dew. 

Wild-ragwort,  scabiouss,  hawkweed,  knap-weed,  bur- 
dock, Yarrow,  rest-harrow,  &c  :  in  flower. 

Put  a  Quartr-  of  a  pound  of  hops  to  the  strong- 
beer  brewed  in  March,  which  has  work'd  afresh  this 
Summer. 

24. — Wheat  is  housed  in  general ;  all  the  latter  part  of 
the  Crop  in  most  curious  order. 

Barley  &  oats  are  beginning  to  be  cut. 

Haws  begin  to  turn  red :  elder-berries  from  red  to 
black.  Most  sultry  ripening  weather  for  many  days. 
Some  few  of  my  black  grapes  just  begin  to  turn ;  &  some 
of  the  sweet-water  begin  to  grow  a  little  clear.  Wasps 
increase  very  fast. 

Orleans-plums  ripen. 

Coveys  of  partridges  are  very  large.  Martins  are  grown 
very  numerous  at  Selborne :  they  are  much  increased 
within  these  few  Years.  Vast  crops  of  hops  in  some 
Gardens. 

Aug.  25  :  26. — Most  severe  Heat,  with  a  falling  Glass, 
&  probably  rain  at  a  distance.  People  are  beginning  to 
pick  Hops.  Black  Grapes  begin  to  turn  on  the  wall. 
Several  martins  have  now  second  broods  :  quae  :  if  these 
late  hatchings  are  not  rather  in  favour  of  hiding  than 
migration. 

27. — Gathered  my  first  figs.  No  rain  now  for  16  days. 
My  only  Nectarine,  &  two  only  peaches  begin  to  tend 
towards  ripeness.  Mich  :  daiseys  begin  to  blow. 

Earth-nuts,  &  blue  Devil's  bit  in  bloom.  Althasa  frutex 

3C 


386     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

in  high  bloom  :  Ladies  bed-straw  just  out.  Yellow-hammer 
seems  to  have  done  singing. 

28. — Still,  hot,  gloomy  days.  Rain  begins  to  be  much 
wanted  by  the  farmer,  &  Gardener. 

30. — A  moderate  shower  with  a  brisk  Gale.  The  melons 
left  under  hand-glasses  keep  coming. 

Full  moon. 

Yellow  toad-flax,  (linaria)  great  purple  snap-dragon, 
(Antirrhinum)  (found  in  a  lane  at  Empshot,  &  supposed  to 
be  thrown-out  from  some  Garden)  Eye-bright,  betony ; 
small  spear-worth,  (Ranunculus  flammeus)  vervain-leaved- 
mallow,  the  common  -  reed,  many  sorts  of  Epilobium ; 
Scabious,  purple,  &  deep  blue ;  wild  basil,  now  in  bloom. 
Wild  Basil  is  a  pretty  flower,  &  a  common  weed.1 

Swallows  feed  flying,  &  water-wagtails  running  round 
Horses  in  a  meadow.  The  gentle  motions  of  the  Horse 
stir-up  a  succession  of  flies  from  the  grass. 

The  water-wagtail  seems  to  be  the  smallest  english  bird 
that  walks  with  one  leg  at  a  time  :  the  rest  of  that  size  & 
under  all  hop  two  legs  together.2 

The  Alders  have  form'd  their  young  catkins  against  next 
spring. 

The  Grapes  change  pretty  fast. 

Septenf-  5. — Brisk  winds,  &  showers  for  several  days. 

The  apples  are  pretty  much  blown-down  in  some  places  ; 
&  the  hops  received  some  Injury. 

The  winds  beat-down  many  of  my  figs,  &  baking  pears. 
Since  my  melon-frames  have  been  taken-in,  &  before  the 
rains  fell  to  moisten  ye  mould  on  the  bed,  there  grew  up  at 
once  a  very  singular  appearance  of  the  fungus  kind,  that 
seemed  rather  to  be  poured  over  the  ground  than  to 
vegetate  :  it  was  soft  &  pappy,  &  about  the  consistence  of 
thick  milk,  &  of  a  very  ill  savour.  Where  I  wounded  it 
with  a  stick  it  sent  out  a  sort  of  bloody  Ichor ;  &  soon 

1  It  will  be  noticed  that  about  this  time  Gilbert  White  began  to  pay  great 
attention  to  Botany. — [R.  B.  S.] 

2  This  is  an  excellent  observation,  calling   attention   to   the  walking  and 
hopping  sections  of  English  Passerine  Birds. — [R.  B.  S.] 


dl&cis  S%ia<£zL/. 


'/»  Life   size 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  387 

hardened  into  a  dark  substance  ;  &  is  now  turn'd  into  a  fine 
Impalpable  dust  like  that  of  the  Lupi  Crepitus.  I  have  had 
them  on  beds  before  the  frames  have  been  taken-off ;  when 
they  have  crept  in  part  up  the  side  of  the  frame.  To  the 
best  of  my  remembrance  they  have  never  appeared  on  any 
beds  that  have  not  been  covered  with  tan.  On  consulting 
Ray's  methodus  I  find  no  traces  of  any  such  kind  of  fungus. 

On  the  Lythe  I  found  a  few  days  since  in  full  bloom  the 
Dentaria  aphyllos,  seu  Anblatum ;  a  peculiar  plant,  of  the 
same  Class  with  the  Orobanche.  Hill  says  it  begins 
flowering  in  May.  This  was  ladies  traces. 

Sep.  7. — Fine  ripening  weather.  Grass,  &  garden-plants 
grow  apace.  Howed  and  thinned  my  two  plots  of  turneps. 
Earwigs  eat  the  nect :  by  night,  but  not  the  peaches. 

9. — Beautiful  Autumnal  weather  :  most  of  the  Corn 
housed.  Gathered  my  only  Nect :  it  was  not  ripe ;  but 
the  earwigs  had  gnawed  it  so  that  it  could  not  come  to 
anything.  Gathered  my  first  peach  :  it's  flesh  was  thick, 
tender,  white,  &  juicy ;  &  parted  from  the  stone.  It  was 
a  good  fruit ;  but  not  so  high-flavoured  as  some  I  have 
met- with. 

Gather'd  some  of  my  forward  white  grapes  :  they  were 
very  agreeable  tho'  not  quite  ripe  :  the  black  Grapes  in 
general  are  backward. 

On  the  steep  chalky  end  of  Whetham-hill  I  discovered 
a  large  plant  of  the  deadly  Nightshade  [belladona]  full  of 
ripe  fruit:  &  on  the  bogs  of  Beans-pond  in  Wullmere 
forest  the  same  day  that  peculiar  plant  the  sun-dew 
[rorella]  in  plenty.  There  are  it  seems  on  the  same  bog 
plenty  of  cranberry-plants :  but  I  could  not  venture  on  the 
moss  to  look  after  them.  Cranberries,  [vitis  Idaea].  I 
thought  I  discovered  a  small  Parnassia  but  was  not  sure. 
Found  also  southern  wood  [abrotanum]  in  a  lane ;  & 
dyer's  weed  [luteola]  very  vigorous,  &  full  of  seed  in  a 
farm  yard  at  Faringdon. 

Owls  hiss  round  the  Church  in  a  fierce  threat'ning 
manner:  I  suppose  they  are  old  ones  that  have  Young. 
There  are  young  martins  still  in  some  nests.  About  five 


388     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

days  ago  S>--  Sim  :  Stuart's  game-keeper  kill'd  an  wood-cock 
in  the  moors.  Not  true. 

ii. — Gathered  my  second  &  last  peach:  it  was  from 
a  different  tree  from  ye  first,  but  seems  to  be  the  same 
sort. 

13. — Bagg'd-up  between  40,  &  50  bunches  of  black 
Grapes  in  Crape.  Ty'd-up  all  the  best  endives  for  blanch- 
ing :  they  are  but  small. 

Procured  several  Cranberry-plants  from  bean's  pond 
with  berries  on  them. 

15. — Fine  Autumn  weather  for  many  days. 

Septr-  16. — Gathered  some  good  white  Grapes. 

Took-in  the  Hand-glasses,  &  cut  the  two  last  melons ; 
not  ripe. 

17  :  1 8. — Went  down  to  Ringmer.  The  second  day 
there  was  a  moderate  rain  for  eight  Hours,  during  which 
I  lay-by  at  Brighthelmstone. 

In  a  lane  towards  the  sea  near  a  village  call'd  Whiting 
not  far  from  ye  above-named  town  I  discovered  a  shrub 
of  the  rose  kind,  that  had  heps  of  a  jet-black  Colour,  & 
very  beautiful  small  pinnated  leaves.  As  the  leaves  re- 
sembled those  of  Burnet,  quae  :  if  this  was  not  the  Burnet- 
rose,  which  I  think  is  said  to  grow  wild.  As  it  was  quite 
out  of  bloom.  I  had  not  ye  satisfaction  of  seeing  the 
flower. 

I  saw  a  flower  afterwards,  &  it  was  white  &  single. 

On  the  poorer  parts  of  ye  Sussex-downs  I  saw  the 
smaller  Burnet  in  plenty ;  but  it  had  shed  it's  seeds.  I 
find  the  rich  pasture-grounds  at  Ringmer  very  bare  of 
Grass  :  they  seem  to  have  suffered  by  the  drought  this 
summer  as  much  as  in  any  parts  of  the  Country. 

Ladies-bedstraw  frequently  in  flower  on  the  downs ; 
&  a  thistle  with  an  echinated  head,  &  little  down  to  y6 
seeds. 

Sepr-  20. — Discovered  plenty  of  the  prickly  rest-harrow 
(Anonis)  &  dier's  broom,  both  in  bloom  &  pod,  in  the 
pasture-fields  at  Ringmer. 

M"-   Snooke's    grapes    are    very  good ;    especially   the 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  389 

black.  Her  crop  of  apple's  fail.  Blue  Scabiuss  in  plenty 
still.  The  rooks  frequent  ye  nest-trees  great  part  of  ye  day. 
I  saw  a  few  wheatears  (birds)  on  the  Sussex  down  as  I 
came  along.  Vast  quantities  are  caught  by  the  shepherds 
in  the  season ;  (about  tye  beginning  of  Harvest)  &  yet  no 
numbers  are  ever  seen  together,  they  not  being  gregarious. 
Showers,  &  some  brisk  winds. 

Hawkweeds  all  ye  Country  over  from  the  highest  downs 
to  ye  lowest  pasture-field. 

Wasps  seem  at  present  to  be  very  much  check'd  :  they 
have  gnaw'd  the  Grapes  pretty  much. 

This  very  dry  summer  has  damaged  Mrs-  Snooke's 
buildings  by  occasioning  such  vast  chops  in  the  clay-soil, 
that  they  loosen  the  walls,  &  make  settlements.  Since  I 
came,  there  were  cracks  in  the  ground  deeper  than  ye 
length  of  a  walking  stick. 

24. — Made  a  visit  to  Mr-  John  Woods  at  his  new  mill. 
On  the  downs  near  Bpstone  I  found  the  downs  covered 
with  Burnet :  &  in  one  place,  where  the  Ground  had  been 
devonshired  the  beginning  of  the  summer,  the  ground  was 
cloath'd-over  with  Burnet  &  filipendula,  whose  crowns  had 
been  severed  with  the  turf.  Found  French  -  mercury 
(Mercurialis)  the  smallest  sort  of  Cudweed ;  &  saw 
abundance  of  sea-plants  on  ye  shore  which  I  had  not 
time  to  examine. 

Sepr-  26  :  27  :  28. — Returned  from  Ringmer.  Fine  dry 
soft  weather  ;  &  the  roads  quite  dusty.  Very  little  rain 
has  fallen  yet :  the  deep  pasture-Grounds  round  Ringmer 
are  bare  of  Grass,  &  in  great  want  of  water.  Many  ponds 
on  ye  road  are  quite  dry. 

Saw  plenty  of  the  whorttle-berry  plants  on  Rogate 
heath.  I  found  my  grapes  in  general  very  backward, 
notwithstanding  the  dry  sunny  weather. 

The  wasps  seem  to  have  done  very  little  damage ;  they 
seem  to  be  quite  gone. 

30. — Made  10  quarts  of  elder-juice;  to  which  when  I 
had  put  ioPds-  of  sugar,  &  boiled  them  up  together,  there 
came  13  bottles  of  syrop. 


390     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Ivy  in  full  flower.  Scabius,  some  mulleins,  throat- 
worts,  bugloss,  hawkweeds,  wild  basil,  marjoram,  eye- 
bright,  mallows,  knapweeds,  &c  :  still  in  bloom. 

Found  the  Woodruffe  (asperula)  in  plenty  in  my 
beechen  Hanger.  The  beeches  begin  to  be  tinged  with 
Yellow.  A  great  rain. 

Septr-  30. — The  men  are  weeding  the  garden,  which 
is  very  much  over-run  with  groundsel. 

Octr-  i. — A  very  cold,  blustering  day.  Began  fires. 
Began  gathering  the  white  apples,  &  golden  pippins. 
Earthed-up  the  Celeri,  some  rows  to  ye  top.  Used  ye 
first  Endive  :  it  is  too  small  to  blanch  well. 

Planted  a  row  of  Burnet-plants  brought  from  ye 
Sussex-downs.  The  caterpillars  have  been  pick'd  off 
the  savoys  several  times  :  those  that  have  not  used  that 
precaution  have  lost  every  plant.  The  Cucumbers,  & 
kidney-beans  are  cut-down  with  the  Cold.  The  ashes,  & 
maples  in  some  places  look  yellow.  The  wood-lark  sings, 
&  the  wood-pidgeon  coos  in  ye  Hanger.  John  took 
his  bees. 

3. — Vast  showers  with  frequent  claps  of  thunder. 

Discovered  the  Enchanter's  nightshade  (Circaea)  it 
grows  in  great  plenty  in  the  hollow  lanes. 

4. — Gather'd-in  my  baking-pears,  about  three  bushels. 

The  wood  ruffe,  when  a  little  dryed,  has  a  most 
fragrant  smell. 

5. — Examined  the  wild  black  Hellebore  (Helleboraster 
niger  flore  albo)  an  uncommon  plant  in  general,  but  very 
common  in  Selborne-wood.  Vast  heavy  showers  with  a 
tempestuous  wind. 

Octr-  6. — Vast  showers  :  the  Ground  is  well-drench'd. 

8. — Planted  a  row  of  coss-lettuce  along  against  ye  fruit- 
wall  to  stand  the  winter. 

Gather'd  some  very  good  grapes,  both  black  &  white, 
from  the  fruit- wall : l  but  there  are  an  abundance  on  the 
House,  that  seem  as  if  they  never  could  be  ripe. 

1  The  fruit-wall  faced  due  south,  and  the  grapes  thus  got  more  sun  than 
those  on  the  house. — [H.  M.] 


"^m 


&> 


/ 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  391 

10. — Discovered  the  small  creeping  tormentil  (tormen- 
tilla)  the  gromwel  (lithospermum)  &  the  small  Centaury 
(centaurium  minus). 

The  wren  sings.  Martins  are  plenty  flying  about  under 
the  shelter  of  the  Hanger. 

8. — A  great  light  seen,  &  a  vast  explosion  from  ye  S. 
about  a  quarter  past  nine  in  the  evening :  the  Cause 
unknown.  It  shook  peoples  houses  very  much.  It  seems 
to  be  meteorous. 

10. — Discovered  common  fumitory.  Ray  classes  it 
under  his  anomalous  plants. 

ii. — Discovered  the  Common-figwort  (scrophularia)  in 
bloom,  &  in  pod ;  &  the  Common  dog's  mercury  (cyno- 
crambe). 

12. — Discovered  in  Mrs-  Etty's  garden  the  silvery  Alpine 
Crane's-bill  (Geranium  argenteum  Alpinum),  &  the  red 
Valerian  (Valeriana  floribus  rubris  caudatis).  Snakes  are 
still  abroad,  &  wood  ants  creeping  about. 

A  great  rain  again  last  night. 

Octobr-  12. — The  black  Hellebores  are  budded  for  bloom 
on  the  Hill.  The  small  creeping  tormentil  pretty  frequent 
on  Selborne-common. 

15. — Set  out  for  Oxon.  Saw  ye  first  field-fare,  martins 
still  flying  about.  Saw  none  of  the  swallow-kind  after- 
wards. 

Farmer  Knight  sowed  Baker's  hill  with  wheat. 

1 6. — Discovered  on  the  banks  of  the  Thames  as  I 
walked  from  Streatly  to  Wallingford — 

The  water  hoar- hound  (marrubium  aquaticum)  the 
yellow  willow-herb,  or  loose-strife  (lysimachia)  the  purple 
spiked  D°-  (lysimachia  purpurea)  &  the  Comfrey  (symphy- 
tum  magum)  in  bloom,  being  one  of  the  Herbae  asperifoliae  : 
water  figwort  (scrop  :  aquat  :). 

I  also  saw  in  Oxford  dry  specimens  of  the  less  stitch- 
wort  (Caryophyllus  holosteus  arvensis  glaber  flore  minore) 
&  the  Cross  wort  (cruciata). 

I  saw  at  the  Physic  garden  Madder  (rubia  tinctorum) 
the  Cymbalaria  (tinaria)  hederaceo  folio  glabro  :  the  stink- 


392     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

ing  Gladwin  (Iris  sylvestris)  stinking  hoar-hound  (marru- 
bium  nigrum)  white  hoar-hound  (marrubium  album)  a 
large  sort  of  Burnet  :  moth  mullein  (blattaria)  Bugle 
(bugula). 

Water-scorpion-Grass  (myosotis  scorpioides  palustris) 
the  hawkweed  called  Hieracium  echioides  capitulis  cardui 
benedicti ;  al :  lang  de  beuf. 

Octobr-  21.  —  Weather  uncommonly  mild:  grass  & 
garden-plants  grow  very  fast. 

26. — Returned  from  Oxon  to  Selborne.  A  very  white 
frost  in  the  morning.  I  have  seen  no  Swallows  since  the 
15th-  Planted  in  my  Garden  nine  large  plants  of  small 
burnet,  which  I  gathered  in  a  Chalkey  lane  on  my  Journey. 

John  planted  in  my  absence  a  plot  of  cabbages  to 
stand  y6  winter.  The  garden-burnet  still  continues  very 
vigorous  ;  &  the  Celeri  is  grown  very  gross. 

28. — A  very  smart  frost  that  made  the  ground  crisp,  & 
has  stripp'd  the  mulberry-tree  &  some  ashes. 

The  Hanger  looks  very  much  faded,  &  the  leaves  begin 
to  fall.  In  general  the  new-sown  wheat  comes-up  well. 

Plants  still  in  bloom  are  the  wild-basil,  white  behn, 
common  mallow,  several  Hawkweeds,  bugloss,  the  hoar- 
hounds,  Hedge  -  nettles,  dead-nettles,  dandelion,  wild 
succory,  Ivy,  furze,  blue-bottles,  thistle,  sow-thistle,  mullein, 
fumitory,  Yarrow,  wild  Marjoram,  (ariganum)  tufted  Basil, 
(clinopodium)  small  Centaury,  honeysuckle,  wild  ;  Arbutus, 
Bramble,  clover,  charlock,  throat-worts,  crane's-bill,  Scabi- 
ous, Knapweed, — Mother  of  thyme,  wild  red  Champion, 
butter-cups,  stinking  May  weed,  the  common  daisey,  the 
great  daisey,  rag  wort,  broad-leaved  Allheal,  fluellins. 

Octobr-  29. — Discovered  in  the  lane  leading  to  the  North- 
field  base-hoar-hound  with  a  white  blossom,  but  just  going 
out  of  bloom  (stachys)  common  Selfheal  out  of  bloom 
(prunella)  Nettle-leaved  throat-wort  or  Canterbury-bells 
(Trachelium)  Cluster-flower'd,  or  little  throat-wort  (Cam- 
panula pratensis  flore  conglomerate)  Dwarfspurge  (tithy- 
malus  pumilus  angustifolius)  creeping  mouse-ear  (pilosella 
repens)  Crow's  foot  Crane's  bill  (Geranium  batrachoides). 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  393 

30. — Discovered  in  my  Ewel-close,  a  wheat -stubble, 
Sharp-pointed  fluellin  just  coming  into  bloom  (Linaria, 
Elatine  dicta,  folio  acuminato)  &  round-leaved  female 
fluellin  (Linaria,  D°-  dicta,  folio  subrotundo)  in  plenty  : 
also  Mouse-ear  scorpion-grass  (Myosotis  scorpioides  hir- 
suta)  :  &  broad-leaved  little  Allheal  (Sideritis  humilis  lato 
obtuso  folio. 

The  skie,  &  wood-lark  sing  in  fine  weather :  rooks 
frequent  their  nest-trees.  The  ground  is  now  full  wet 
for  a  wheat-season.  The  wren  sings. 

31. — Discovered  the  Ivy-leaved  Southistle,  or  wild 
lettuce  (Lactuca  sylvestris  Murorum  flore  lutco)  in  a  most 
shady  part  of  the  hollow  lane  under  the  cove  of  the  rock 
as  you  first  enter  the  lane  in  great  plenty,  on  the  right 
hand  before  you  come  to  the  nine-acre-lane  :  there  was 
also  male  fern,  (filix  mas)  &  hart's  tongue,  (Phyllitis)  dis- 
covered also  common  nipplewort  (Lampsana)  it  is  distin- 
guished from  Hawkweeds  by  having  no  down  to  it's  seeds. 

Novr-  2. — Gromel,  figwort,  viper's  bugloss,  &  mouse- 
ear-scorpion-Grass  still  in  bloom.  I  suspected  I  saw  the 
leaves  of  the  parnassia,  on  a  bog. 

Examined  the  viper's  bugloss,  (echium  vulgare)  &  the 
small  wild  bugloss  (buglossum  sylvestre  minus)  the  wild 
tanzy  (tanacetum)  great  water  horsetail,  (equisetum  palustre 
majus)  Sun  spurge  (tithymalus  helios-copius)  wood-spurge 
(Tithymalus  characias  Amygdaloides)  common  Sl-  John- 
wort  (Hypericum  vulgare)  dwarf-hawkweed  with  sinuated 
very  narrow  leaves  (Hierachium  parvum  inarenosis  nascens, 
seminum  pappis  densicus  radiatis)  Knawel,  Clown's  all- 
heal (Sideritis  fcetida)  small  procumbent  Sl>  John  wort 
(Hypericum  procumbens  minus)  Herb  Gerard,  Gout-weed, 
or  ashweed  (angelica  sylvestris  minor  seu  erratica). 

Novr-  4. — Racked-off  my  half  Hogsh  :  of  raisin- wine, 
which  began  to  ferment  again  :  there  was  a  great  deal  of 
sediment  at  bottom. 

5. — A  Considerable  snow  for  many  Hours :  but  it 
melted  pretty  much  as  it  fell.  Gathered-in  a  great  quantity 
of  Grapes,  which  are  still  very  good. 

3D 


394    NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

fth. — A  hard  frost,  &  ice.  Gathered-in  all  the  grapes, 
about  a  bushel,  the  weather  threatning  for  more  frost. 
Spread  the  best  bunches  on  a  sheet  in  the  dining-room. 

12. — Replaced  the  rasp-plants  that  dyed  in  the  summer. 

The  leaves  of  ye  Butcher's  limes  but  just  begin  to  fall. 

The  leaves  in  general  hold-on  well  this  year,  thro'  the 
mildness  of  the  season. 

17. — I  planted  the  border  by  the  wallnut-tree  in  ye  best 
Garden  with  two  rows  of  my  fine  white,  &  blue  Hyacinths : 
the  blue  are  altogether  at  the  end  next  the  House.  The 
border  was  well-dunged ;  &  planted  in  good  dry  order.  I 
planted  also  a  good  large  spot  with  smaller  roots,  & 
offsets  to  make  a  nursery.  The  blue  at  the  end  next  the 
House. 

Dark  still  weather  for  many  days,  with  some  small  rain 
sometimes,  &  a  very  high  barometer.  The  water  is  much 
sunk  away  in  the  roads,  &  lakes. 

Novr-  1 8. — Discovered  the  common  polypody  (poly- 
podium  vulgare)  in  the  hollow  lane ;  &  the  stinking  flag- 
flower,  called  Gladdon  or  Gladwin,  (Iris  foetida,  Hyris 
dicta)  in  the  hollow  lane  between  Norton-yard,  &  French- 
meer  just  without  the  gate :  it  was  thrown,  in  all  probability, 
out  of  the  garden  which  was  formerly  just  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Hedge.  In  general  it  is  esteemed  a  bad  blower; 
but  this  parcel  of  plants  has  produced  many  flowers  this 
summer ;  &  have  several  pods,  which  open  in  three  parts, 
&  turn-out  yir  scarlet  berries  much  in  the  manner  of  the 
male  piony.  There  is  but  one  seed  in  each  berry. 

Discovered  the  common  Spurrey  (alsine,  spergula  dicta 
major)  in  pod,  &  bloom  in  a  ploughed  field  :  most  exactly 
described  by  Ray. 

22. — A  very  fierce  frost  for  two  nights  :  it  froze  within 
the  second.  Discovered  little  field-madder  (rubeola  arvensis 
repens  coerulea)  &  the  small  flowered  pansy  (viola  bicolor 
arvensis)  in  a  wheat-stubble  in  great  abundance. 

The  potatoes  turned-out  well  beyond  expectation  after 
such  a  burning  summer  :  those  planted  on  peat-dust  were 
superior  to  those  on  old  thatch. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  395 

The  distinction  between  ye  Scirpi,  &  the  Junci. 

Scirpus,  a  bull-rush  :  this  kind  of  plant  bears  stamineous 
flowers,  &  naked  seeds  gathered  into  a  squamose  Head ; 
each  scale  holding  a  flatish  triangular  seed ;  the  stalk  is 
without  any  knots,  round,  &  has  a  spongy  pith. 

Juncus,  a  rush,  differs  from  ye  bull-rush  in  having  an 
hexapetalous  Calix,  &  as  many  stamina  as  ye  Calix  has 
leaves  ;  &  many  seeds  contained  in  a  seed-vessel. 

Novr'  25. — Discovered  the  Joy-leaved  speed  well,  or 
small  Henbit  (veronica  flosculis  singularibus,  hederulae 
folio,  Morsus  Gallinae  minor  dicta)  plenty  in  every  garden 
&  field. 

Discovered  on  a  bank  at  Faringdon  Filex  elegans, 
Adianto  nigro  accedens,  segmentis  rotundioribus  ;  a  beauti- 
ful fern  about  six  inches  high  :  Pilewort,  or  ye  less  Celan- 
dine (Chelidonium  minus)  in  it's  first  leaves ;  it  blows  in 
March,  &  April :  The  greater  Celandine  in  it's  first  leaves 
(Chelidonium  majus  vulgare)  &  chervil  in  it's  first  leaves 
(Cicutaria  vulgaris ;  sive  Myrrhis  sylvestris  seminibus 
loevibus)  called  also  wild  Cicely,  &  cow-weed. 

Detf-  6. — Finish'd  tacking,  &  trimming  my  fruit-wall 
trees  :  the  peaches,  &  Nect :  lie  well  to  the  wall,  but  seem 
not  to  be  well-ripened  in  their  wood  this  Year.  The  vines, 
(which  were  contracted  to  make  room  for  ye  Peach  :  & 
nectarines)  have  large  well-ripened  shoots. 

12. — Found  in  a  stubble  in  bloom,  &  pod  the  oval-leaved 
Turritis  (Turritis  foliis  ovatis). 

The  flowers  now  in  bloom  are  Yarrow,  Turritis,  spurrey, 
butter-cups,  viola  bicolor,  dandelion,  dead  nettle,  hedge  D°- 

Put  a  finishing  hand  to  my  new  stable  by  making  my 
saddle  cup-board,  shelves,  &c. 

Discovered  in  shrub  :  wood l  Rough  spleen-wort.  (Con- 
chitis  aspera)  it  is  known  from  poly  pody  by  the  tapering 
leaves  reaching  down  to  ye  bottom  of  ye  stem. 

14. — An  hard  frost. 

31. — A  severe  frost  with   an  harsh  E.  wind,  &  cloudy 

1  Shrub  Wood,  a  copse  near  by. — [H.  M.] 


396    NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

skie  :  the  Ground  does  not  thaw  in  the  middle  of  the  day 
Dug-up  melon-earth,  &  turn'd  it  up  to  the  frost.  Put  some 
mellow  earth  in  ye  border  under  the  melon-skreen. 


DUNG  BORROWED  IN  1765. 

Feb.  4. — Of  Kelsey  Dung  pd-  Car :  pd-  5  loads. 

D°-       Of  Parsons  Dung  pd-  Car :  pd-  3  loads. 

March  8. — Of  Parsons  Dung  pd-  Car  pd-  5  loads. 

D°-         Of  Kelsey  Dung  pd-  car  pd-  3  loads. 

March  29. — Of  Kelsey  Dung  pd-  car  pd-  3  loads. 

„  Of  Parsons  Dung  pd-   Car :  pd-  5  loads. 

„  Of  Berriman  Dung  pd-  Cr-  pd-  4  loads. 

April  4. — Of  Kelsey  Dung  pd-  car  pd-  i  load. 
June  24. — Of  Kelsey  Dung  pd-  car  pd- 

waggon  2  loads. 


Garden-Kalendar  for  the  Year   1766 


/0«.  Ist- — The  last  Year  concluded,  &  this  began  with  a 
very  dry,  still  frost. 

Wheeled  into  the  melon-ground  a  parcel  of  my  own 
dung  that  had  never  taken  any  wet ;  there  having  been  no 
rain  worth  mentioning  for  many  weeks. 

4. — Made  the  seedling  cucumber-bed. 

10. — Sowed  about  30  cucumr-  seeds. 

13. — The  bed  heats  well,  &  the  plants  begin  to  appear. 
Severe,  still  frost  yet.  The  ground  has  never  thawed  at 
all  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  since  this  weather  began  ;  but 
is  covered  with  dust.  There  have  been  several  small  flights 
of  snow ;  but  never  enough  quite  to  cover  the  ground  : 
&  yet  several  red-breasts,  &  some  red-wings  have  been 
found  frozen  to  death.  It  froze  within  very  much  to-night. 

17. — The  same  still,  dry  weather  continues,  with  a  dark 
sky,  &  high  barometer.  The  snow  is  quite  gone  ;  &  the 
ground  all  dust.  To-day  the  frost  has  lasted  just  three 
weeks.  The  cucumrs-  come-up  well :  sowed  more. 

Jan.  1 8. — Somewhat  of  a  thaw. 

19. — A  thaw  still  with  an  high  barometer  &  a  fog  :  the 
first  Cucumrs-  are  potted,  the  second -sown  are  come-up 
well. 

397 


398     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

21. — A  dry  thaw  with  a  N.  wind,  &  high  barometer. 
There  has  been  no  rain  now  for  seven  or  eight  weeks. 
The  ponds  are  very  low,  &  the  wells  sinking.  The  wind 
has  been  remarkably  still  since  it  has  been  so  dry. 

25. — A  gentle  thaw  still,  with  vast  fogs,  but  no  rain. 
The  ground  that  was  so  dusty,  is  now  very  dirty  without 
any  fall.  The  soil  is  strangely  puffed-up,  &  lightened. 
Sowed  a  box  of  Mr-  Gibsons  polyanth-seed  :  &  five  rows  of 
marrow-fat-pease  in  a  very  mellow,  well-dunged  quarter. 

Some  of  the  Cucumr-  plants  keep  dying  for  want  of  sun, 
being  rotted  by  the  reek  of  the  bed. 

28. — The  same  still,  dark,  dry  weather  with  the  glass 
higher  than  ever. 

Jan.  29. — A  vast  white  dew  ;  &  fog  in  the  day. 

The  barometer  is  higher  than  ever. 

The  Cucum"-  hang  their  leaves,  &  want  Sun. 

30. — Sowed  half  the  border  under  the  melon-skreen 
with  lettuce,  &  radishes.  All  the  stiff  soil  is  taken-out  of 
that  border,  &  laid-up  to  the  frost  to  make  melon-earth ; 
&  mould  that  has  been  in  the  frames  is  laid  in  it's  place. 
Very  fierce  frost,  &  partial  fogs. 

Feb.  i. — A  thaw  :  rain  &  wind  with  a  sinking  glass. 

The  first  rain  for  many  weeks. 

3. — Severe  frost  returns. 

8. — Severe  frost. 

10  :  ii. — Rain,  soft  weather,  &  a  thoro'  thaw. 

13  :  14 :  15. — Continued  Rains  from  the  East,  which 
occasioned  vast  floods  in  some  places. 

This  fall  was  in  several  parts  of  the  Kingdom  a  very 
great  snow;  &  in  others  a  rain  which  froze  as  it  fell, 
loading  the  trees  with  ice  to  such  a  degree,  that  many 
parks,  &  forests  were  miserably  defaced,  &  mangled.  A 
strong  E.  wind  contributed  much  to  this  damage. 

Feb.  1 8. — Made  a  fruiting-bed  for  Cucum"-  with  8  loads 
of  dung. 

19. —  Planted  six  rows  of  Winsor-beans. 

25. — Planted  the  Cucumr-  bed  with  plants  that  have  two 
joints,  are  stopp'd  down,  stocky,  &  well-coloured. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  399 

Mild,  grey  weather,  with  a  tall  barometer. 

Land  is  in  excellent  mellow,  dry  order  :  people  are 
sowing  pease  in  the  fields. 

March  i. — Dry  weather  still  with  a  sinking  glass. 

Brewed  half  an  Hogsh  :  of  strong-beer  with  6  Bushels 
of  Rich  :  Knight's  malt,  &  two  pounds  &  three  quarters  of 
good  Hops.  The  water  was  from  the  well. 

Sent  a  large  flitch  of  bacon  to  be  dryed  to  Mr-  Etty's 
chimney :  it  lay  seven  weeks  &  three  days  in  salt  on 
account  of  the  frost,  during  which  it  did  not  seem  to  take 
salt.  The  sun  broke-out  after  many  shady  days. 

2. — A  white  frost,  &  very  wet  afternoon. 

3. — Sun-shine  morning,  the  first  for  a  long  time. 

Put  some  fresh  Cucumr-  plants  into  some  of  ye  Hills  : 
the  first-removed  were  coddled  in  their  own  steam  for  want 
of  Sun.  Sowed  the  first  Succades. 

March  6. — The  succades  appear  :  the  bed  is  full  hot 
this  mild  weather. 

7. — Potted  the  succades  :  sowed  more. 

Finished  a  low  rod-hedge  between  ye  garden,  &  the 
orchard.  Soft  delicate  weather. 

Planted  some  wood-straw-berries  along  at  ye  back  of 
ye  new  hedge. 

8. — Transplanted  some  burnet,  self-sown  last  summer  : 
sowed  carrots,  coss  lettuce,  radishes  in  ye  border  under  the 
melon-skreen.  Brought-in  10  loads  of  dung  for  the 
succade-bed  ;  &  one  load  to  line  the  Cucr-  seed-bed. 
Cucum1"5-  begin  to  shew  runners. 

10. — Planted  one  Chaumontelle-espalier-pear  at  the 
S.W.  side  of  the  second  middle  quarter ;  &  one  Crasan- 
burgamot-pear  opposite  across  the  alley ;  &  one  D°-  near 
the  standard  nonpareil  tree.  These  trees  are  from 
Armstrong  at  N.  Warnboro ;  &  are  to  supply  the  place  of 
those  that  failed.  Planted  two  more  fan-elms  at  the  back 
of  the  necessary-house. 

Hot,  sunny  weather.     The  Cucumr-  bed  is  full  warm. 

March  12. — Sowed  five  rows  of  pease  in  the  orchard  the 
first  crop  begins  to  appear. 


4oo     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

No  rain  for  ten  days.  Sunny,  hot  days,  with  an  E. 
wind,  &  frosty  nights. 

Made  half  an  hogsh.  of  raisin-wine  with  one  hund  :  of 
Malagas,  &  half  an  Hund  :  of  Smyrnas.  Put  to  the  raisins 
ten  buckets  and  an  half  of  water.  The  raisins  were  new,  & 
fine  :  the  former  cost  245. :  the  latter  175. 

13. — Racked-off  my  last-made  wine  the  third  time.  It 
is  very  good ;  but  will  not  be  quite  fine,  as  it  moves  a 
little  still.  Took-away  about  two  quarts  of  very  thick 
Grout. 

Planted  some  stinking  gladwins  in  the  garden,  a  sweet 
bryar,  and  a  black  hellebore  from  ye  wood. 

Raked-down  my  asparagus-beds  :  the  mould  everywhere 
falls  in  a  dust. 

March  14. — Turned  the  melon-dung,  which  is  very  hot. 

15. — Earth'd,  &  moss'd  the  seed-cucumber  bed,  which 
has  the  forwardest  plants. 

Hot  sun-shine,  &  cold  E.  wind. 

17. — Pegg*d-down  the  Cucum"-  which  were  grown  up  to 
the  Glasses. 

The  succades  are  very  fine,  &  have  two  rough  leaves. 

Hot  sunshine  with  frosts.  There  has  been  now  no  rains 
for  fifteen  days. 

18. — Turn'd  the  melon-dung  a  second  time.  It  is  very 
hot.  Black,  windy  weather,  with  some  small  flights  of 
snow. 

20. — Thick  Ice.     Made  a  Celeri-bed  for  an  hand-glass. 

Sheltered  the  wall-trees  (which  are  too  much  blown) 
with  boards,  and  doors. 

22. — Sowed  Celeri.  Some  rain  after  19  very  dry  days. 
Sowed  rows  of  parsley. 

23. — Snow  with  thick  ice,  &  a  severe  North-wind. 

24. — More  snow,  &  fierce  frost. 

Covered  the  fruit-trees  against  the  wall  with  boards,  & 
mats  during  these  frosty  nights. 

Made  the  succade-bed  with  ten  loads  of  dung  that  had 
been  twice  turn'd,  &  had  heated  much.  It  is  a  very  stout 
bed,  &  seems  in  good  order. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  401 

The  fruit-trees  against  the  wall  are  much  blown-out,  & 
in  danger  from  this  severe  weather. 

25. — Snow  in  the  night,  &  Ice. 

26. — Rain  in  the  morning  from  the  S.  'till  twelve ;  then 
the  wind  turned  N.  &  there  came  a  violent  snow  for  six 
hours,  which  lies  very  deep  on  the  ground ;  &  is  but  a  bad 
sight  so  late  in  the  Year.  The  wall-trees  have  been  boarded, 
&  matted  all  day ;  &  the  hot-beds  have  scarce  been  opened 
at  all. 

27. — A  very  heavy  snow  all  day ;  which  by  night  lay  a 
vast  thickness  on  the  Ground  ;  in  many  places  three  feet. 
All  the  shrubbs  were  weighed  flat  to  ye  earth.  The  hot-bed 
was  never  uncovered  all  day ;  but  the  plants  lived  in  dark- 
ness. The  boards  &  mats  were  kept  before  ye  wall-trees. 

28. — The  snow  melted  in  part  with  a  strong  sunshine  : 
but  it  is  still  as  deep  as  an  horse's  belly  in  many  places. 

The  Cucr>  plants  look  very  well  to-day. 

March  29. — Warm  air,  &  a  swift  thaw  :  yet  ye  snow  is 
very  deep  in  some  places  :  all  along  ye  N.  field  it  is  deeper 
than  an  Horse's  belly. 

Stopped-down  the  Succades  :  they  are  fine  plants. 

30. — Snow  goes  away  with  a  gentle  rain. 

April  i  :  2. — Great  rain. 

Female  bloom  of  a  Cucumber  blows-out.1 

3. — Black  moist  weather  :  the  Hot-beds  want  sun. 

4. — Put  the  hills  on  the  succade-bed :  the  earth  is  rather 
too  moist,  not  being  housed  before  ye  snow.  The  dung 
has  been  brought-in  ever  since  the  eight  of  March :  the 
bed  seems  now  to  be  mild. 

5. — Turned-out  the  Succades  into  the  Hills  :  the  plants 
are  stout,  &  well-rooted ;  but  look  rather  pale  for  want  of 
sunshine. 

Sowed  some  Romagnia  melon-seeds  from  Mr-  Humphry; 
&  some  Cantaleupe-seeds. 

5. — Tunn'd  the  raisin-wine  after  I  had  let  it  settle  a  day 
&  a  night :  I  kept  back  a  great  quantity  of  grout.  There 

1  i.e.  expands. — [H.  M.] 

3E 


402     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

was  a  gallon  or  two  over  for  filling-up.  Coloured  it  with 
15  bottles  of  elder  syrop. 

April  7. — Mowed  the  grass-plot  for  the  first  time. 

9. — Planted  five  rows  of  large  fine  potatoes,  with  a 
layer  of  peat-dust  in  every  trench. 

Sowed  a  crop  of  Carrots,  parsneps,  coss-lettuce,  & 
onions  :  a  plot  of  leeks ;  double-stocks,  dwarf-Sunflowers, 
&  savoys. 

Sowed  twelve  basons  more  of  Selborne-saved  lark- 
spurs. 

The  ground  in  curious,  mellow  order. 

10. — The  last-sown  melons  are  coming-up. 

Dry,  March-like  weather. 

The  succades  push-out  runners. 

12. — Potted  the  Cantaleupes,  &  Romagnias. 

Cucum1"5-  throw  out  fruit  very  fast. 

Beautiful  weather. 

19. — Cut  the  first  Cucumber. 

Small  showers. 

22. — Cut  ye  second  cucumber. 

Soft  showers. 

Cucumbers  show  a  great  succession  of  fruit. 

April  26. — The  succades  have  runners  with  three  joints, 
are  stopped,  &  shew  third  wood. 

Cut  three  Cucumbers.  Cucumbers  grow  very  fast. 
Soft,  showery,  growing  weather. 

26. — Finished  moving  my  barn,  which  I  set  at  the  upper 
end  of  the  orchard.  It  began  to  move  on  Thursday  the 
17,  &  went  with  great  ease  by  the  assistance  of  about  8 
men  for  that  little  way  that  it  went  in  a  straight  line  :  but 
in  general  it  moved  in  a  curve,  &  was  turned  once  quite 
round,  &  half  way  round  again.  When  it  came  to  the 
pitch  of  the  Hill  it  required  20  hands ;  &  particularly  when 
it  wanted  to  be  shoved  into  it's  place  sideways,  parallel 
with  Collins's  hedge. 

Near  one  day  of  the  time  was  taken-up  in  making  new 
sills,  one  of  which  was  broken  in  two  by  skrewing  it  round 
sideways.  No  accident  happened  to  the  workmen,  or 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  403 

labourers  ;  &  no  part  of  the  frame-work  was  broken  or 
dislocated,  so  as  to  do  any  material  damage. 

The  Workmen  were  three  days  in  pulling  down  ye 
skillings,  &  blocking  &  removing  obstructions,  previous  to 
ye  removal.  The  barn  is  40  feet  long. 

April  28. — Made  some  holes  for  the  hand-glasses,  fill'd 
them  with  the  mowings  of  the  walks,  &  sowed  some  large 
white  Cucumbers. 

Summer-like  growing  weather. 

Cut  4  large  Cucumbers. 

Put  the  sticks  to  the  pease.  Weeded  &  thinn'd  the 
lettuce. 

29. — Sowed  a  pot  of  lucern-seed  to  transplant. 

Earth'd  the  succade  bed  pretty  near  to  ye  full ;  & 
moss'd  it  all  over. 

Most  beautiful,  shady,  growing  weather. 

May  5. — Made  the  second  melon-bed  with  eight  loads 
of  hot  dung,  &  some  grass  mowings.  The  dung  is  full 
hot  still.  There  will  be  dung  this  year  only  for  two 
frames. 

The  succade  plants  show  fruit,  &  grow,  &  look  well. 

Black  wet  weather  of  late. 

6. — Sowed  seven  rows,  one  pint,  of  dwarf-white-kidney- 
beans  :  the  Ground  has  been  dug  three  times  this  spring, 
&  is  very  mellow. 

8. — Made  an  annual-bed  with  grass  mowings,  &  sowed 
it  with  African,  &  French  Marigolds,  pendulous  amaranths, 
&  China  Asters. 

8. — Sowed  some  snap-dragon  seeds,  and  some  dwarf- 
sun-flowers. 

Planted  five  short  rows  of  globe-artichokes,  sent  me  by 
Mr-  Fort  of  Salisbury. 

Black,  showery,  growing  weather  for  many  days. 

12. — Turned-out  two  pots  of  Romagnia-melons,  &  one 
of  Cantaleupes  into  the  new  bed.  Bored  holes  in  ye  bed, 
which  is  still  full  hot. 

Succades  shew  male,  &  female  bloom. 

Thunder,  &  heavy  cold  showers. 


404    NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

The  wheat,  &  barley  turns  somewhat  yellow. 

13. — Vast  heavy  showers,  with  Hail,  &  frosts  at 
night. 

14. — Covered  the  mould  all  over  under  the  succades 
with  whole  wheaten  straw  :  beat  down  the  earth  first. 

Moss'd  the  hills  of  the  new  bed  :  the  bed  is  very  hot, 
&  requires  Care. 

18. — Began  mowing  grass  for  ye  Horses. 

Hot,  summer-weather. 

20. — Black,  wet  weather  with  a  fierce  N.  wind,  that 
tears-off  the  leaves  from  the  trees. 

May  27. — Thinn'd-out,  &  tack'd  the  peaches,  &  Nect  : 
&  laid  some  of  the  gross  wood  of  last  Year  bare  of  their 
willow-like  shoots,  in  order  to  make  room  for  more  moderate 
wood. 

The  Nect :  that  was  blistered  last  year,  is  blistered 
again  :  &  the  first  Nect :  from  the  house  is  curled,  &  lousy, 
&  wants  good  shoots.  Yet  in  the  whole  there  will  be  fruit 
on  each  tree  which  grows  well  :  the  apricot  abounds  with 
fruit. 

The  succades  abound  in  strong  healthy  haulm,  &  begin 
to  shew  promising  bloom.  The  last  bed  begins  to  be  more 
moderate  :  the  plants  are  just  not  burnt,  and  have  not  very 
weak  runners,  which  are  stopped-down. 

28. — Succades  begin  to  set. 

Planted  50  cabbages. 

Prick' d-out  a  plot  of  Celeri. 

Black,  cold,  showery  weather. 

31. — Lined  the  succade-bed  ;  but  did  not  put  any  mould 
on  the  lining. 

June  2. — The  succades  keep  blowing  with  good  fruit. 
The  frame  is  crowded  with  vigorous  vines  :  but  the  plants 
want  some  sunny  weather. 

Earthed  the  second  frame  the  second  time. 

The  mould  is  somewhat  burnt  under  the  Hills  :  but  the 
plants  look  pretty  well,  &  send-out  second  wood. 

June  3. — Prick'd-out  more  Celeri.     Black  wet  weather. 

4. — Very  wet  night,  and  morning. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  405 

Thinn'd-out  the  succade-vines,  which  quite  choak  the 
frame  ;  &  begin  to  rot  for  want  of  air  &  sun. 

Plenty  of  melons  are  sett,  &  setting. 

Every  thing  is  strangely  wet;  &  grass  &  corn  begin 
to  lodge. 

5. — Mended-out  the  rows  of  french  beans,  which  are 
come-up  very  poorly. 

7. — Succades  as  big  as  pidgeon's  eggs. 

Earth'd-out  the  second  melon-bed,  where  there  is  pretty 
good  Haulm. 

Sowed  a  few  Indian-turnep-seeds,  given  me  by  Sr 
Simeon  Stuart. 

Prick' d-out  a  large  Quantity  of  Savoys. 

Hot,  summer  weather. 

10. — Fine  weather. 

Plenty  of  Succades,  which  are  as  large  as  a  goose-egg. 

13. — Sowed  six  rows,  a  second  Crop  of  dwarf-white- 
french-beans.  The  first  Crop  is  in  a  poor  Condition. 

Earth'd-out  the  lining  of  the  Succade-melon-bed,  & 
raised  the  frame.  Thinn'd-out  the  haulm,  which  is  full 
of  fruit. 

June  13. — Set  several  Cantaleupe,  &  Romagna  melons. 
The  succades  are  half  grown. 

The  frame  now  raised  stands  too  high. 

Very  windy  weather. 

16. — Sowed  a  crop  of  curled,  &  Batavia  Endive,  &  a 
crop  of  Coss  lettuce  ;  &  planted-out  a  bed  of  Leeks. 

21. — A  week  of  most  uncommon  weather;  nothing  but 
wet,  &  cold  winds.  Planted-out  annuals. 

23. — Summer-like  weather.  The  Succade-bed  has  plenty 
of  fruit  well  grown  :  the  Cantaleupes  &  Romagnas  have 
fruit  set ;  but  the  Haulm,  &  stems  of  the  fruit  are  too 
much  drawn. 

The  shoots  of  the  peaches,  and  Nect :  are  very  curled, 
&  lousy. 

24  :  25. — Cut  my  Hay,  a  good  Crop. 

26. — A  vast  rain  all  night. 

27. — Showers. 


4o6     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

28. — Showers. 

Lined  the  Romagna-bed  with  hot  dung. 

Some  of  the  Romagnas  are  large  fruit  :  the  Cantaleupes 
are  only  just  setting. 

The  hay  in  a  poor  Condition. 

June  18. — Received  a  Hogsh.  of  port  from  Southton 
between  Mr-  Yalden,  &  myself. 

29. — A  very  wet  day. 

July  i. — The  hay  toss'd  about  a  little. 

2. — Vast  rains  from  the  N. 

5. — Ricked  my  hay  on  the  12th  day  from  cutting  :  it  was 
as  well  as  could  be  expected,  but  has  but  little  smell.  The 
Crop  was  great. 

6. — A  storm  of  thunder,  &  lightening. 

Cut  a  brace  of  melons.  They  come  very  quick  from 
the  time  of  setting  ;  but  are  not  curious  this  wet  shady 
summer. 

8. — Cut  a  brace  of  melons.  . 

ii. — More  melons. 

Vast  showers. 

15. — Melons  come  in  heaps. 

19. — Planted-out  a  plot  of  curled  endive,  &  a  plot  of 
savoys  :  put  sticks  to  the  large  french  beans. 

Finished  cutting  the  hedges. 

Sultry  weather,  &  showers. 

22. — Planted-out  more  curled  endive,  &  some  Batavian 
Endive  ;  &  planted-out  some  rows  of  German  turneps. 

July  26. — Planted  more  rows  of  German  turneps. 

Shady,  showery  weather  still.  All  the  succades  come; 
but  none  good. 

Aug.  4. — Bottled-off  the  hogsh  :  of  port  between  Mr- 
Yalden,  &  myself. 

5. — Hot,  summer  weather,  with  an  high  glass. 

6. — Trimm'd,  and  tack'd  the  fruit-trees. 

Romagna  melons  are  come  ;  but  not  good. 

8. — Sowed  three  ounces  of  prickly-seeded  spinage  ;  & 
some  Coss-lettuce  :  planted-out  more  savoys. 

Severe  heat,  &  fine  ripening  weather. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  407 

15. — Trenched  three  rows  more  of  Celeri  in  Turner's 
Garden. 

Septemr-  13. — Found  the  rows  of  Celeri  backward,  &  not 
thriving. 

The  Crop  of  spinage  fails. 

Peaches  &  Nect :  begin  to  ripen  well :  they  are  both 
large,  &  fair. 

Grapes  do  but  just  begin  to  turn. 

13. — Tyed-up  endives  both  curled,  &  Batavian,  they  are 
curled  well,  &  well-grown. 

One  crop  of  Savoys  was  well  nigh  destroyed  by  ye  dry 
weather. 

All  the  Nect :  trees  this  Year  produce  fine  fair  fruit ;  but 
the  first  tree  is  distempered,  &  shrivelled. 

The  Apricot-tree  produced  a  decent  crop  of  fine  fair 
fruit. 

There  are  filberts,  &  nuts  without  end. 

Potatoes  are  large,  &  good. 

Peaches,  &  nectarines  were  fine  in  Septem'-  being 
brought-on  by  the  delicate  autumnal  weather. 

Octobr-  4. — Black  grapes  are  very  good. 

The  first  great  rain  with  much  distant  thunder  and 
lightening. 

5. — Planted-out  two  long  rows  of  polyanths  from  the 
seed-box  :  the  seed  came  from  Mr-  Gibson's.  Planted-out 
some  stock-july-flowers. 

The  endives  by  the  heat  of  the  weather  run  much 
to  seed. 

25. — Planted  100  of  Cabbages  to  stand  the  winter. 

Planted  Coss-lettuces  to  stand  the  winter  against  the 
fruit  wall. 

Octobr-  25. — Grapes,  black-cluster,  are  very  delicate. 
Autumnal  rains  come  on. 

Novr-  10  :  &  ii. — Trimmed  the  vines  against  the  House. 

Those  at  the  end  of  the  dining-room  are  weakly 
towards  the  top. 

13. — Dug-up  all  the  potatoes,  a  good  crop,  &  large 
bulbs. 


4o8     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

The  Celeri  arrives  at  no  Growth,  &  is  cropp'd  by 
the  Hogs. 

Novr-  17  :  1766. — Planted  a  new  Nectarine-tree  against 
the  fruit-wall,  which  the  Nurseryman,  Armstrong,  calls 
a  Violet. 

Planted  a  standard  golden  pippin  in  the  orchard. 

DUNG  BORROWED  IN  1766. 

Feb.  7. — Of  Kelsey  dung  pd-  car  pd-        .  4  loads. 

Car  :  of  my  own  i  load  car  p4 

Feb.  7. — Of  Parsons  Dung  pd-  Cr-  p4      .  4  loads. 

March  8. — Of  Parsons  Dung  pd-  O  pd-      .  5  loads. 

Of  Kelsey  dung  pd-  car  p4        .  4  loads. 
Car  :  of  my  own  2  loads. 

April  17. — Of  Parsons.  Dung  pd-  Cr-  p4      .  4  loads. 

18. — Of  Kelsey  dung  pd-  car  pd-        .  i  load. 

26. — Of  I :  Hale  Dung  pd-  car  :  pd  .  3  loads. 


Garden- Kalendar  for  the  Year  1767 

Jan.  i. — Hard  frost  begins  to  set  in. 

10. — Intense  frost. 

ii. — Very  deep  snow. 

14. — Very  hard  rain  on  the  snow  for  many  hours. 

17,  &  1 8. — Most  severe  frost,  &  the  Country  covered 
with  ice. 

19. — Made  an  hot-bed. 

21.  22. — Regular  thaw. 

Feb.  6. — Cucumr-  plants  shew  a  rough  leaf. 

14. — A  very  wet  season. 

House-pidgeons  begin  to  lay. 

Cast  dung  in  the  farm  yards. 

25. — Made  half  an  Hogsh  :  of  raisin  wine  with  one 
hund  :  of  Malagas,  &  half  an  hund :  of  Smyrnas.  The 
former  cost  253.  pr-  hund  :  &  the  latter  the  same.  Put  to 
the  raisins  ten  buckets,  &  an  half  of  water. 

Vast  rains  still,  with  wind  &  lightening. 

March  4. — Great  rains. 

March  5. — Sowed  some  Succade-seeds. 

Stopped-down  the  Cucumr-  plants  that  have  got  several 
joints. 

A  fine  spring  day. 

10. — Sowed  a  crop  of  pease,  the  first.  Sowed  a  small 
crop  of  Carrots,  lettuce,  &  radishes. 

Began  planting  the  bank  by  the  stable. 

12. — Made  the  Cucumber-bed  with  8  loads  of  dung. 
Some  plants  in  the  seed-bed  show  male-bloom.  Beautiful 
sunny  weather. 

409  p 


4io     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

17. — Turned-out  the  Cucumber-plants  into  the  Hills 
of  the  bearing-bed  ;  they  are  fine  plants,  but  full  tall.  The 
bed  is  hot  &  requires  care.  The  plants  for  fruiting  in  the 
seedling-bed  have  good  side  shoots,  &  shew  the  rudiments 
of  fruit. 

Made  a  Celeri-bed  with  an  Hand-glass. 

18. — Sowed  Cantaleupe-seeds. 

23. — Tunned  the  raisin-wine  which  filled  the  half  hogsh : 
there  was  about  one  gallon  over.  The  wine,  after  drawn 
from  ye  raisins,  stood  two  days  in  a  tub  to  settle,  by  which 
means  a  large  quantity  of  grout  was  kept  back. 

Put  to  the  wine  ten  bottles  &  one  pint  of  elder  syrop. 

Mem:  the  syrop  by  being  made  with  only  one  pound 
of  sugar  to  a  bottle  of  juice,  fermented,  &  broke  one 
bottle,  &  blowed-out  some  corks.  Put  one  p^  of  sugar 
to  the  wine  to  make  amends  for  the  bottle  of  syrop  which 
was  lost.  The  wine  is  very  sweet  now. 

March  25. — Brewed  an  half  Hogsh  :  of  strong-beer 
with  six  bushels  of  Rich  :  Knight's  malt,1  and  three  pounds 
of  hops  :  well  water. 

28. — Cucumber-fruit  blows  out. 

Planted  some  strong  cuttings  of  my  sweet-water  grape 
against  the  fruit-wall,  &  against  the  wall  of  the  House  near 
the  fig-tree,  &  brew-house  door. 

30. — Many  Cucumber -fruit  blown.  Lined-out  the 
seedling  bed  for  the  last  time. 

31. — Swallow  appears. 

April  2. — Put  three  Gallons  of  wine,  half  of  which  was 
of  the  strongest  sort,  into  ye  vinegar-barrel. 

3. — Rain,  gentle  &  warm  constantly  for  four  whole 
days  to  this  time.  Grass  grows  wonderfully. 

Earth'd-out  ye  seedling-cucumr-  bed  :  fruit  swells. 

April  4. — Motacilla  trochilus  Lin  :  Regulus  non  cristatus 
Raii ;  &  Parus  ater  Lin  :  &  Raii,  Angl  :  colemouse,  sing. 

6. — Saw  more   than   twenty  swallows  &  bank-martins  » 
at  Mrs-  Cole's  at  Liss  over  the  Canals. 

10. — The  nightingale,  motacilla  luscinia,  sings. 

1  This  was  James  Knight's  brother.— [R.  B.  S.] 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  411 

The  black-cap,  motacilla  atricapilla,  sings. 

The  red-start,  motacilla  Phoenicurus  appears. 

Raised,  &  earth'd-out  the  large  Cucumr-  bed  to  the 
full ;  &  mossed  it. 

ii. — Cut  a  very  large  Cucumber. 

12. — Cut  five  large  ones,  &  sent  them  to  London. 

13. — Miller's  thumb,  Cottus  gobio,  spawns. 

14. — Planted  three  rows  of  potatoes  in  a  mellow  quarter 
near  the  fruit-wall. 

15. — Made  the  melon-bed,  for  two  frames  only,  with 
16  loads  of  hot  dung,  which  had  been  cast,  &  turned  over 
twice.  The  bed  is  stout,  &  consists  of  short,  solid  dung. 

Put  a  good  layer  of  cold  dung  at  the  top  to  keep  down 
the  steam. 

Cold  dry  weather ;  &  the  fruit-trees  are  matted  every 
night. 

April  15. — Sowed  carrots,  parsneps,  radishes,  onions, 
leeks,  lettuces,  savoys,  German  turneps. 

16. — Sowed  Baker's  hill  (which  is  about  an  acre  &  an 
half  of  ground,  walks,  &  melon-ground  excluded)  with 
seven  bushels  of  Saintfoin  along  with  a  crop  of  barley  of 
dame  Knight's.1 

The  field  was  winter-fallowed,  &  has  had  two  plowings 
besides  :  but  by  reason  of  the  wet  spring  is  sown  in  a 
very  rough  Condition. 

It  has  been  hand-pick'd  of  the  weeds  by  women,  &  is 
got  clean  ;  &  is  to  be  rolled,  &  harrowed  again. 

Made  an  hand-glass  bed  for  large  white  Dutch- 
Cucumbers. 

Cold  winds,  &  sleet. 

The  brambling,  fringilla  montifringilla,  appears.2  The 
cock  is  a  fine  gay  bird. 

17. — Some  snow,  with  Ice  &  a  fierce  cutting  wind. 

1  Fifty  years  ago  the  old  women  used  to  be  called  Dames. 

2  This  is  a  curious  note  of  Gilbert  White's,  as  it  reads  as  if  he  looked  upon  the 
appearance  of  the  Brambling  in  the  same  light  as  that  of  the  Redstart  on  the  loth. 
In  reality,  in  such  a  beech-country  as  Selborne,  the  Brambling  would  be  found 
throughout  the  winter,  and  on  the  i6th  of  April  would  be  on  the  point  of  departing 
for  its  Scandinavian  breeding-haunts.     See  note,  p.  51. — [R.  B.  S.] 


4i2     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

18. — Went  to  London. 

June  12. — Returned  to  Selborne. 

Cold  black  weather ;  &  the  fruit  of  all  kinds  cut-off  in 
general. 

June  1 6. — Lined  the  melon-bed  with  four  loads  of 
dung  :  the  succades  are  full  of  haulm,  &  the  fruit  begin- 
ning to  blow  ;  the  Cantaleupes  look  poor,  and  distempered. 

18. — Succades  begin  to  set. 

Sowed  a  plot  of  endive. 

9. — Planted-out  annuals  on  a  showery  day. 

29  :  30. — Cut  my  hay,  a  good  Crop. 

July  2. — Ricked  five  jobbs  in  excellent  order  :  one  jobb 
in  large  cock  catched  in  the  rain. 

3. — Pricked  out  savoys,  &  German  turneps. 

Some  succades  are  large  :  Cantaleupes  begin  to  blow. 

Alauda  minima  locustae  voce,  the  titlark  that  sings  like  a 
Grass-hopper x  seems  to  have  finished  his  song. 

The  stoparola  builds  in  the  vine. 

Spipola  prima  Aldrov  :  the  white  throat,  sings. 

The  titlark  sings. 

Great  showers  about. 

Planted-out  Cucumbers  for  pickling. 

July  5. — Rain  &  a  tempestuous  wind  that  damaged  the 
garden  much,  &  blowed  down  a  green-gage  plum-tree. 

7. — Housed  the  last  load  of  Hay. 

8  :  9. — Strong  winds,  &  heavy  showers  unfavourable  to 
the  wheat. 

n. — Vast  showers  still.  Slip'd  &  planted  out  pinks,  & 
wall-flowers. 

The  titlark  still. 

Young  swallows  appear. 

The  Stoparola  brings  out  it's  Young. 

18. — Vines  begin  to  blow. 

20. — Ananas  are  in  cutting  at  Hartley. 

Trenched-out  some  Celeri. 

Planted-out  some  endive. 

Hot,  summer-like  weather. 

1  The  Grasshopper  Warbler.— (R.  B.  S.] 


• 


•rrr  <^M^  «r     • 


f   ;.  -JEftfc 

' 

•*    i-^u^  -     .    •»•'    «,> 
x ^,-S^  y 

'    7r~S-,       > 

^    ;       Vt  .,  | 

'  •          ••"^•-  ./ 

v    tN     -         ;     -        W 

m. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  413 

The  titlark  sings  still. 

The  Nect :  trees  put-out  some  young  shoots,  &  look 
better  ;  the  peach-trees  shrivel-up,  &  get  worse,  &  worse. 

29  :  30. — Vast  rains,  &  wind. 

Aug.  i. — The  first  crop  of  Succades  were  all  cut :  they 
are  not  good  for  want  of  sun,  &  dry  weather. 

Parus  ater,  the  cole-mouse,  sings. 

10. — Hot,  dry  weather  for  some  time. 

Sejf-  ii. — Much  wheat  abroad,  &  some  standing. 

Second  crop  of  Succades  good.  Cantaleupes  good,  but 
small. 

Regulus  non  cristatus  chirps.1 

Peaches  begin  to  ripen. 

Peach,  &  Nect:  trees  a  little  recovered  from  yir  dis- 
tempered condition. 

17. — Discovered  the  yellow  centory,  Centaurium  luteum 
perfoliatum  of  Ray,  in  plenty  up  the  sides  of  the  steep  cart- 
way  in  the  King's  field  beyond  Tull's.  This  is  a  very  vague 
plant  for  ascertaining  according  to  the  sexual  system. 

Linn  :  makes  it  a  gentian,  &  places  it  among  the 
pentandrias  :  but  it  has  commonly  seven  stamina.  Hodson 
makes  a  new  Genus  of  it  (Blackstonia)  unknown  to  Linn  : 
placing  it  as  an  8  andria  digynia.  It  is  best  known  by  it's 
boat-like,  very  perfoliated  leaves. 

Moist  black  weather,  which  much  retards  harvest. 

19. — Sultry  weather,  with  a  very  high  barometer. 

Peaches  are  good,  &  Nectarines  delicate,  &  large. 
Black  grapes  begin  to  turn  colour. 

Wheat  in  general  is  housed,  &  housing. 

The  black-cap,  red-start,  &  white  throat  still  appear. 

Cantaleupes  small  with  me,  but  good. 

Succades  good. 

24. — Tyed-up  many  large  endives. 

Sweet  Autumnal  weather. 

Ear-wigs,  when  small,  fly  about  with  ease  :  but,  when 
full-grown  do  not  attempt  to  rise  ;  as  if  their  wings  were 

1  The  Chiff-chaff  (Phylloscopus  minor)  is  the  only  one  of  the  Willow  Warblers 
which  utters  a  lively  note  in  autumn  as  well  as  in  spring. — [R.  B.  S.  ] 


4i4    NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

not  then  adequate  to  their  weight.  This  is  a  mistake  ; 
there  are  two  species. 

Melons  over. 

18. — Musca  meridiana  of  Linn  :  &  Scopoli  appears. 

Octobr-  5. — Great  hail-storms,  &  cold  weather. 

Martins  appear  still. 

Very  few  wasps. 

Missle-thrushes  come  to  the  Yew-trees. 

Endives  are  very  fine. 

8. — Celeri  is  blanched. 

Gathered  my  apple,  &  pear-crop,  which  consisted 
literally  of  one  Golden-pippin,  &  one  Cadillac. 

Octobr'  20. — Being  on  a  visit  at  the  house  of  my  good 
friend  Mr-  John  Mulso  Rector  of  Witney,  I  rode-out  on 
purpose  to  look  after  the  base  hore  hound,  the  Stachys 
Fuchsii  of  Ray,  which,  that  Gent :  says,  grows  near  Witney 
park :  I  found  but  one  plant  under  the  wall :  but  farther 
on  near  the  turnpike  that  leads  to  Burford,  in  an  hedge 
opposite  to  Minster  Lovel,  it  grows  most  plentifully. 

It  was  still  blowing,  &  abounded  with  seed ;  a  good 
parcel  of  which  I  brought  away  with  me  to  sow  in  the  dry 
banks  round  the  village  of  Selborne.  It  is  not  known  to 
grow  in  any  Country  save  that  of  Oxon,  &  Lincoln. 

29. — Saw  four  or  five  swallows  flying  round  &  settling 
on  the  County-hospital  at  Oxon. 

Novr-  4. — Bees  &  flies  still  continue  to  gather  food  from 
ye  blossoms  of  Ivy. 

5. — Gathered  the  first  grapes ;  they  are  very  sweet,  & 
delicate ;  tho'  the  buches,  &  berries  are  smaller  than  usual. 
There  is  not  one  fifth  part  of  the  usual  crop. 

12.  Continual  wet,  &  high  winds.  People  are  much 
hindred  in  their  wheat-season. 

Noif-  12. — Bro  Benjn-  saw  a  Marten  flying  in  Fleet 
street. 

1 6. — Vast  rains. 

1 8. — The  first  considerable  frost. 

23. — Put  the  Hyacinths  in  rows  in  part  of  a  Quarter 
near  the  fruit  wall.  Many  of  the  roots  were  decayed ;  & 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR  415 

the  rest  would  have  been  better,  had  not  the  rains  prevented 
their  being  put-out  for  several  weeks. 

Earthed-up  all  the  Celeri.     Some  of  it  begins  to  pipe. 

Grey  still  weather  with  an  high  Glass. 

De<f-  i. — Dug-up  the  potatoes,  a  good  Crop. 

4. — A  very  hard  frost  with  a  little  snow. 

Car  :  away  the  melon-bed. 

Sent  two  field-mice,  a  species  very  common  in  these 
parts  (tho'  unknown  to  the  zoologists)  to  Thomas  Pennant 
Esq.  of  Downing  in  Flintshire.  They  resemble  much  in 
colour  ye  Mus  domesticus  medius  of  Ray ;  but  are  smaller 
than  the  Mus  domesticus  vulg  :  seu  minor  of  the  same 
great  Naturalist.  They  never  enter  houses ;  are  carryed 
into  ricks,  &  barns  with  ye  sheaves ;  abound  in  harvest ; 
&  build  their  nests,  composed  of  the  blades  of  corn,  up 
from  the  ground  among  the  standing  wheat ;  &  sometimes 
in  thistles.  They  breed  as  many  as  eight  Young  at 
one  time.1 

Decemr-  6. — Planted  one  golden-rennet,  &  six  curious 
sorts  of  Goose-berries  from  Armstrong. 

10. — The  nut-hatch,  sitta,  sive  picus  cinereus,  chirps. 
It  runs  about  on  trees,  &  hangs  with  it's  back  down- 
ward like  the  titmouse. 

It  builds  in  hollow  trees,  stopping-up  great  part  of  the 
hole  with  clay,  so  as  to  leave  barely  room  to  go  in  &  out. 
There  have  been  several  nests  in  an  hole  in  the  yew-tree 
in  Selborne  church-yard.  Some  of  the  clay  remains  still 
at  the  top  of  the  Crevice. 

15. — Planted  one  Roman  Nectarine,  &  one  melting 
peach  from  Armstrong. 

Decemr-  16. — Mild,  pleasant  weather. 

Daiseys,  Herb  Robert,  ragwort,  hepaticas,  primroses, 
in  bloom.  Crocuss,  &  snow-drops  spring. 

22. — Strong  frost  after  a  long  dry  fit  without  any. 

24. — Strong,  bearing  Ice,  &  a  severe  N.E.  wind. 

Covered  the  Celeri,  &  put  straw  to  the  roots  of  the  new 
planted  trees. 

1  See  Letter  XII  to  Pennant,  of  November  4,  1767  :  antea,  p.  45.— [R.  B.  S.] 


416     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

26,  &  28. — Frequent  flights  of  snow,  &  severe  frost 
within  doors. 

30. — Severe  frost,  &  still  sunny  fine  days.  It  freezes 
even  in  the  Kitchen. 

31. — It  froze  under  people's  beds.  Great  rimes,  & 
beautiful  sunny  days.1 


DUNG  BORROWED  IN  1767. 

March  6. — Of  Parsons  dung  pd-  O  pd-       .  3  loads. 
Of  I :  Hale  little  cart  car  :  pd- 

dung  pd-         .         .         .         .  3  loads. 

Of  Kelsey  car  :  pd-  dung  pd-      .  2  loads. 

April  2. — Of  Parsons  dung  pd-  Cr :  pd       .  4  loads. 

2. — Of  Kelsey  car  :  pd-  dung  pd-     .  4  loads. 

3. — Of  Berriman  car  :  pd-  at  three 

times 4  loads. 

3. — Of  I :  Hale  a  little  cart  car  :  pd- 

dung  pd-        .         .         .         .  4  loads. 

June  15. — Of  I  :  Hale  D°-  car  pd:  dung  pd-  2  loads. 

Of  F  :  Parsons  dung  pd-  Cr :  p4  2  loads. 

1  It  will  be  noticed  that  for  some  time  Gilbert  White's  "  Garden  Kalendar " 
has  been  getting  less  and  less  minutely  kept.  After  his  correspondence  began 
with  Pennant  and  Daines  Harrington,  he  seems  to  have  transferred  his  energies 
to  the  "  Naturalists'  Kalendar,"  and  his  notes  in  the  "  Garden  Kalendar  "  are 
confined  to  the  record  of  his  wine-making  and  beer-brewing. — [R.  B.  S.] 


Garden-Kalendar  for  the  Year   1768 

Feb.  16,  1768. — Made  then  20  gallons  of  raisin-wine  in  a 
new  barrel  with  one  hund  :  of  Malaga-raisins. 

The  raisins  were  good,  &  cost  253.  pr-  hund  : l  Put  6 
buckets,  &  two  thirds  of  water. 

March  8. — Tunned  the  raisin-wine,  &  put  to  it  10 
bottles  of  elder  syrop.  It  just  held  out. 

March  g. — Brewed  half  an  Hogsh  :  of  strong  beer  with 
six  bushels  of  Richd-  Knight's  malt,  &  three  pounds  of 
Turner's  hops. 

Well-water.    The  beer  work'd  well. 

May  19. — Rack'd-off  the  elder-wine,  which  worked  too 
much  :  took  from  it  two  quarts  of  grout,  &  put  to  it  one 
pint  of  brandy.  It  is  sweet,  &  well  flavoured. 

Sep.  12. — Bottled-off  the  elder- wine  made  Feb.  16:  it 
was  fine,  &  well  flavoured.  The  cask  ran  seven  doz  :  of 
bottles  :  some  bottles  were  very  large. 

Sepr-  22. — Bottled-off  the  Hogsh  :  of  port :  it  was  very 
bright :  my  share  ran  n  doz  :  &  10  Bottles. 

Septemr-  23. — Made  12  bottles  of  elder-syrop  :  put  to  it 
10  pounds  of  coarse  sugar. 

DUNG  BORROWED  IN  1768. 

March  5'*- — Of  Kelsey  dung  pd-  car  :  pd-  .  4  loads. 

Of  Parsons  car  pd-  dung  pd-  .  2  loads. 

7. — Of  Hale  dung  paid  car  pd-  .  2  loads. 

25. — Of  Hale  dung  paid  car  pd-  .  4  loads. 

Of  Kelsey  dung  pd-  car  pd-  .  8  loads. 

Of  Parsons  car  pd-  dung  pd-  .  4  loads. 

Ap.  19. — Of  Parsons  car  pd-   dung  pd-  .  2  loads. 

June  10. — Of  Parsons  car  pd-  dung  pd-  .  i  load. 

1  Raisins  used  to  be  about  235.  per  cwt.  fifty  years  ago,  when  all  middle- 
class  families  made  their  own  wine. — [H.  M.] 

417  3G 


Garden-Kalendar  for  the  Year   1769 

Feb.  8, 1769. — Brewed  half  an  hogsh  :  of  strong  beer,  with 
six  bushels  of  Rich :  Knight's  malt,  &  three  pds-  &  an  half 
of  John  Berriman's  hops. 

The  water  was  about  three  parts  rain-water.1 

Feb.  27,  1769. — Mashed  an  hundred  of  Malaga  raisins 
in  order  to  make  twenty  gallons  of  wine. 

The  raisins  were  good  &  cost  235.  per  hund. 

Put  6  buckets  &  two  thirds  of  a  bucket  of  water. 

March  21. — Tunned  the  raisin- wine,  &  added  to  it  ten 
bottles  of  elder  syrop. 

DUNG  BORROWED  IN  1769. 

March  6. — Of  Hale  dung  pd  car  pA  .  4  loads. 

Of  Benham  car  pd-  dung  pd-  .  3  loads. 

Apr.  13**- — Of  Hale  dung  pd- car  pd-      .  .  4  loads. 

Of  Benham  car  pd-  dung  pd-  .  4  loads. 

May  12. — Of  Benham  car  pd-  dung  pd'  .  i  load. 

June  12. — Of  Benham  car  pd-  dung  pd-  .  2  loads. 

1  Gilbert  White,  as  will  be  seen,  used  rain-water  for  making  his  beer.  The 
water  from  Well-head  would  be  too  hard  for  the  purpose. — [H.  M.] 


4i8 


Garden- Kalendar  for  the  Year   1770 

March  2,  1770. — Brewed  half  an  hogsh  :  of  strong  beer 
with  six  bush  :  of  Rich  :  Knight's  malt,  &  3  pds-  &  an  half 
of  Berriman's  hops. 

Mem :  put  one  bush  :  of  brown  malt  to  the  second 
mashing. 

March  12,  1770. — Mashed  an  hundred  of  Malaga-raisins 
in  order  to  make  twenty  gallons  of  wine. 

The  raisins  were  good,  &  cost  235.  pr-  hund. 

Put  6  buckets  &  f  of  water  to  the  raisins. 

April  6. — Tunned  the  wine  and  put  to  it  eleven  bottles 
of  elder  syrop.  There  was  barely  liquor  enough  to  fill  the 
barrel. 

June  i,  1770. — Racked-off  the  raisin-wine  made  in  March, 
&  put  to  it  one  pint  of  brandy. 

Took  out  a  gallon  of  grout. 

DUNG  BORROWED  IN  1770. 

Feb.  22. — Of  Hale  car  pd-  dung  pd-           .  5  loads. 

23. — Of  Benham  car :  pd-  dung  pd-  .  3  loads. 

Dung  pd-  of  Benham  car :  pd-         .        .  6  loads. 

Of  Hale  car  pd-  dung  pd-          .  5  loads. 

June  8. — Of  Hale  dung  pd-  car:  pd-         .  4  loads. 

Aug.  2. —  pd- 

Master  Hale  brought  me  in  one  load  of  Hay. 


419 


Garden-Kalendar  for  the  Year   1771 


March  6,  1771. — Brewed  half  an  hogshead  of  strong 
beer  with  6  bushels  of  Rich  :  Knight's  malt,  &  3  pds-  &  half 
of  Berriman's  hops.  Kept  it  in  the  tun-tub,  &  laded  in 
the  yeast  til  the  8th- 

Severe  frost  at  the  time.  All  rain-water  save  one 
bucket. 

Novr-  29,  1771. — Brewed  half  an  hogshead  of  strong 
beer  with  6  bush  :  of  Richd-  Knight's  malt,  &  3  pds-  &  an 
half  of  Berriman's  hops  of  the  year  1770.  The  water  was 
all  from  ye  well,  but  it  was  drawn  some  days  before,  & 
stood  in  the  open  air. 

March  24,  1772. — Brewed  half  an  hogshead  of  strong 
beer  with  6  bush  :  of  Rich  :  Knight's  malt,  &  near  4 
pounds  of  Berriman's  hops  of  the  year  1770.  All  rain 
water.  Put  one  bush  :  of  brown  malt  to  the  second  mash- 
ing. The  beer  works  well. 

March  5,  1773. — Brewed  half  an  hogshead  of  strong 
beer  with  6  bushels  of  Rich  :  Knight's  malt,  &  three 
pounds  &  an  half  of  Berriman's  hops.  All  rain  water. 
Put  one  bush  :  of  brown  malt  to  the  second  mashing. 
Beer  works  well. 

Novr-  i,  1773. — Brewed  half  an  hogshead  of  strong 
beer  with  six  bushels  of  Rich  :  Knight's  malt,  &  three 
pounds  &  an  half  of  Berriman's  new  hops.  All  rain 
water.  Put  one  bushel  of  brown  malt  to  the  second 
mashing. 


A    GARDEN    KALENDAR 


421 


DUNG  BORROWED  IN  1771. 

March  8. — Of  Hale  Dung  pd-  car  pd-        .  5  loads, 

ii. — Of  Benham  Car  p  3  loads. 
April  i. — Of  Hale  one  load  dung  pd- 

car  pd-         ....  i  load. 


APPENDIX    I 


DURING  the  progress  of  this  first  volume  through  the  press  I  have 
received  some  notes  from  my  friends  Mr.  W.  E.  de  Winton  and  Mr. 
R.  I.  Pocock,  which  are  of  considerable  interest : — 

Page  113.  Water  Shrew.  White  had  evidently  never  found 
this  Shrew.  It  is  easily  overlooked,  and  in  his  time  it  had  only 
been  recorded  from  the  eastern  and  midland  counties.  It  is, 
however,  much  more  widely  distributed  throughout  England  than 
is  generally  supposed,  and  may  sometimes  be  found  a  long  way 
from  water,  though  the  sides  of  brooks  and  ponds  are  its  favourite 
haunt.  When  lying  on  a  plank  across  a  small  brook,  I  have 
often  watched  it  diving  and  searching  the  bottom  for  shrimps  and 
larvae,  when  the  air-bubbles  on  its  fur  made  it  look  like  a  bar  of 
silver.— [W.  E.  de  W.] 

Page  113.  With  regard  to  the  Eagle  Owl,  there  is  always  some 
doubt  felt  as  to  whether  the  individuals  of  this  species,  which  are 
now  and  again  met  with  in  the  British  Islands,  are  not  escaped 
birds.  Some  of  the  occurrences  on  the  east  coast  and  north  of 
Scotland  may  be  those  of  genuinely  wild  birds. — [W.  E.  de  W.] 

Page  113.  Water  Rat  (Micro/us  amphibius).  The  potatoes 
were,  no  doubt,  the  attraction  in  this  case,  and  similar  instances 
are  not  rare,  but  this  animal  does  not  usually  wander  far  from  the 
sides  of  brooks  or  ponds,  even  in  winter. — [W.  E.  de  W.] 

Page  114.  The  Large  Great  Bat  (Vesperugo  noctula).  It  is 
highly  probable  that  Gilbert  White  has  hit  the  mark  as  to  the  reason 
of  the  high  flight  and  short  summer  activity  of  this  species.  Like 
the  Swift,  it  feeds  solely  on  small  insects  which  are  abroad  only 
in  the  middle  of  summer.  This  Bat  sleeps  and  hibernates  almost 
invariably  in  hollow  trees,  and  of  course  does  not  leave  this  country 
in  winter.  It  may  be  seen  before  sundown  flying  over  our  London 
parks,  especially  over  St.  James's  Park  and  Kensington  Gardens. — 
[W.  E.  de  W.] 

422 


APPENDIX    I  423 

Page  146.  Harvest  Bug.  This  notorious  little  pest  is  not  an 
insect  at  all,  but  the  young  of  several  species  of  the  mite,  Trotn- 
bidium.  It  is  a  minute  red  creature,  scarcely  discernible  by  the  naked 
eye,  and  infests  plants  and  animals  of  various  kinds.  In  the  case  of 
human  beings  it  burrows  under  the  skin,  causing  a  swelling,  accom- 
panied by  much  irritation.  It  usually  collects  in  numbers  behind 
the  knee  or  on  other  parts  of  the  body  where  clothing  fits  tightly. 

Page  146.  Long  shining  fly.  This  insect  is  nearly  related  to 
the  fly  Piophila  caset,  which  is  the  parent  of  the  well-known 
maggots,  commonly  called  cheese-hoppers. — [R.  I.  P.] 

Page  146.  Turnip-flies.  Also  from  their  powers  of  hopping 
called  turnip-yfoas.  As  White  says,  however,  this  little  insect  is 
neither  a  fly  nor  a  flea,  but  a  beetle  (Phyllotreta  nemorum).  Both 
in  its  larval  and  adult  forms  it  does  much  damage  to  turnip  crops 
by  devouring  the  leaves  of  the  plant. — [R.  I.  P.] 

Page  147.  Oestrus  curvicauda.  This  insect,  the  horse  bot-fly 
or  horse  gad-fly,  the  Gastrophilis  equi  of  modern  naturalists,  much 
resembles  a  honey-bee  in  size  and  colour.  It  lays  its  eggs  on  the 
skin  of  horses,  asses,  and  mules,  instinctively  selecting  a  spot  well 
within  reach  of  the  quadruped's  mouth.  The  maggot  after  emerging 
from  the  egg  sets  up  irritation.  The  horse  thereupon  licks  the 
infested  spot,  and  swallows  the  maggot.  But  the  maggot,  instead 
of  perishing,  attaches  itself  to  the  walls  of  its  host's  stomach  and 
there  stays  in  perfect  security  for  about  a  year,  when,  being  nearly 
full  grown,  it  makes  its  way  to  the  outer  air  by  way  of  the 
intestines,  and  completes  its  development  on  the  ground.  Linnaeus 
confounded  this  species  with  the  ox  warble-fly  (Hypoderma  bovis), 
which  lives  in  the  larval  stage  beneath  the  skin  of  oxen,  and  gives 
rise  to  the  disease  referred  to  later  on  by  White  as  the  puckeridge. 
-[R.  I.  P.] 

Page  147.  THE  STAR-TAILED  MAGGOT  is,  as  White  states,  the 
larva  of  a  large  broad,  somewhat  bee-like  fly,  now  called  Stratiomys 
chamceleon,  which  may  be  seen  on  the  wing  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  marshes,  ponds,  or  ditches.  The  larva  is  a  large,  evil-looking 
aquatic  grub,  covered  with  a  tough  blackish  skin,  provided  with  a 
small  pointed  head  in  front  and  at  the  opposite  end  with  a  breathing 
orifice  surrounded  by  a  circlet  of  barbed  hairs.  Hence  the  epithet 
"  Star-tailed,"  which  White  applies  to  it.  By  means  of  the  barbed 
hairs  the  larva  is  enabled  to  suspend  itself  from  the  surface  of  the 


424    NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

water,  hanging  vertically  downwards  with  the  orifice  just  above  the 
water's  level,  and  also  by  the  folding  in  of  the  hairs  to  carry  a 
bubble  of  air  to  the  bottom  of  the  water  for  purpose  of  respiration. 
-[R.  I.  P.] 

Page  154.  Scarabceus  solstitialis.  This  is  the  Rhizotrogus 
solstitialis  of  modern  entomologists.  This  Cock-chafer  or  Summer- 
chafer  is  abundant  in  the  South  of  England :  it  is  considerably 
smaller  than  the  Common  Cock-chafer  (Melolontha  vulgaris),  and 
may  be  further  distinguished  from  it  by  having  only  three,  instead 
of  seven,  plates  on  the  feelers. — [R.  I.  P.] 


APPENDIX   II 

Note  on  the  Geology  of  the  Selborne  District 
By  C.  W.  ANDREWS,  F.G.S. 

THE  neighbourhood  of  Selborne  offers  a  most  excellent  example 
of  the  close  relation  which  exists  between  the  geological  structure 
and  the  scenery  of  a  district.  All  the  salient  features  of  the  land- 
scape are  at  once  explained  by  the  nature  and  disposition  of  the 
underlying  rocks,  to  the  great  variety  of  which,  moreover,  the  rich- 
ness of  the  flora  and  fauna  is  directly  due.  The  village  stands 
close  to  the  foot  of  the  bold  chalk  escarpment  forming  the  extreme 
western  boundary  of  the  Weald,  and  the  steep,  beech-clad  slopes  of 
the  Hanger  and  Nore  Hill  are  formed  by  the  denuded  edges  of  beds 
of  the  Lower  Chalk.  The  summit  of  Nore  Hill  is  696  feet  above 
the  sea,  and  that  of  the  Hanger  a  little  lower.  Between  the  foot  of 
the  Hanger,  which  is  about  on  the  contour  line  of  400  feet,  and  the 
main  street  of  the  village  is  a  narrow  belt  of  the  Chalk  Marl,  at  the 
base  of  which  lies  a  thin  band  (less  than  10  feet)  of  Chloride  Marl. 
It  is  on  the  junction  of  these  beds  with  the  underlying  Upper 
Greensand  that  the  village  stands.  In  Letter  I,  Gilbert  White  refers 
to  the  soil  derived  from  the  Chalk  Marl  as  a  "  stiff  clay  (good  wheat 
land),"  while  it  is  to  the  Chloritic  Marl  that  the  darker  soil,  de- 
scribed by  him  as  "  Black  Malm,"  owes  its  origin. 

The  gently-sloping  land  to  the  east  and  north  of  the  village  is 
composed  of  beds  of  the  Upper  Greensand,  which  to  the  north-east 
terminate  in  a  small  escarpment  or  steep  slope  overlooking  a  valley 
in  the  softer  Gault  Clay.  Along  this  escarpment,  to  which,  like  that 
of  the  Chalk,  the  name  "  Hanger  "  is  locally  given,  landslips  are  not 
infrequent,  and  are  sometimes  of  considerable  extent,  as  in  the  case 
described  by  White  in  Letter  XLV  to  Daines  Barrington.  These 
slips  occur  after  heavy  rains,  and  are  caused  by  the  beds  of  the 

425  3  H 


426     NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    SELBORNE 

Upper  Greensand,  saturated  with  water,  held  up  by  the  under- 
lying Gault  Clay,  sliding  forward  over  the  slippery  surface  of  that 
deposit.  Even  where  extensive  slips  have  not  occurred,  the  ground 
near  the  edge  of  the  Greensand  area  is  often  broken  owing  to 
slight  displacements  due  to  the  same  cause. 

The  upper  part  of  the  Upper  Greensand  (the  "  White  Malm  " 
of  White),  in  this  neighbourhood  consists  of  alternations  of  blue 
ragstone,  which  is  a  hard  argillaceous  rock,  and  "  firestone,"  which 
is  a  sandstone  much  used  for  hearthstones  and  oven-beds,  as 
described  in  Letter  IV  to  Pennant,  where  also  the  ragstone  is 
mentioned  as  being  used  for  a  variety  of  purposes.  These  upper 
beds  are  well  exposed  in  the  side  of  some  of  the  "  hollow  lanes  " 
so  characteristic  of  the  neighbourhood.  These  are  sometimes  15  to 
20  feet  deep,  and  seem  to  have  been  produced  originally  by  the 
wear  of  traffic,  but  afterwards  this  has  been  assisted  in  deepening 
them  by  the  water  which  runs  along  them  after  heavy  rains. 

The  thickness  of  the  Upper  Greensand  must  be  rather  over 
60  feet,  for  White  mentions  that  the  wells  at  Selborne  are  on  the 
average  about  63  feet  deep,  and  the  water  is  no  doubt  held  up  by 
the  underlying  Gault  Clay.  This  latter  deposit  is  exposed  along  a 
belt  from  half  a  mile  to  about  a  mile  in  width  to  the  east  of  the 
Upper  Greensand  escarpment.  It  also  appears  along  the  lower 
part  of  the  valley  of  the  Oakhanger  stream,  which  has  cut  down  to 
it  through  the  Upper  Greensand  beds  as  far  as  a  point  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  east  of  Selborne  Church.  To  the  east  of  the 
Gault  again  we  meet  with  the  sandy  beds  of  the  Lower  Greensand, 
which  form  the  open  furze  and  fir-clad  heaths  of  Wolmer  Forest 
and  the  neighbourhood.  These  sands  seems  to  contain  much  water, 
which,  in  the  lower  ground,  forms  pools,  of  which  Wolmer  and 
Oakhanger  Ponds  are  good  examples. 

White  makes  several  references  to  the  occurrence  of  fossils  in 
the  rocks  of  the  neighbourhood.  The  shell  which  he  figured  and 
describes  under  the  name  Mytilus  crista-galli  is  the  Alectryonia 
ricordeana,  Coquand  (Ostrcea  carinaia,  Lamarck),  from  the  Chalk 
Marl.  The  Cornua  Ammonis,  which  he  speaks  of  as  being  found 
in  making  the  path  up  the  Hanger,  must  consist  of  Ammonites 
from  the  Lower  Chalk;  while  the  Nautili  from  the  north-west 
of  the  Hanger  are  probably  the  Nautilus  elegans  of  the  Chalk 
Marl.  Other  species  from  this  last-named  deposit  are  Schlcenbachia 


APPENDIX    II  427 

(Ammonites)  varians,  Turrilites  costatus,  and  T.  tuberculatus.  In 
the  sandy  Chloritic  Marl  are  found  Sponges,  Pectens,  and  other 
Lamellibranchs,  as  well  as  Ammonites.  From  the  Upper  Green- 
sand  Sea-urchins,  Pectens  (Pectcn  orbicularis),  Actinocamax,  Nautilus 
pseudo-elegans  and  various  Ammonites,  including  Acanthoceras 
rhotomagense,  Schlcenbachia  varians  and  S.  rostratus,  and  Hoplites 
catillus. 

From  the  above  description  it  will  be  gathered  that  Selborne  is 
from  a  naturalist's  point  of  view  singularly  fortunately  situated,  since 
the  alternation  of  hill 'and  plain,  with  their  varying  soils  resulting  from 
the  decomposition  of  the  different  underlying  rocks,  is  favourable 
for  the  support  of  a  great  variety  of  plants,  and,  as  a  necessary 
consequence,  of  animals. 


END   OF  VOL.   I 


Printed  by  BALLANTYNE,  HANSON  6*  Co. 
Edinburgh  6*  London 


WHITE,  GILBERT,  1720-1793 

The  natural  history  and 
antiquities  of  Selborne  & 
garden  kalendar. 
Volume  I 


m 

3765 
W2 

N2