Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne

292

NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. [LETT. CX.

three feet above the surface. The rushing and roaring of the hail as it approached was truly tremendous.

Though the clouds at South Lambeth, near London, were at that juncture thin and light, and no storm was in sight, nor within hearing, yet the air was strongly electric; for the bells of an electric machine at that place rang repeatedly, and fierce sparks were discharged.

When I first took the present work in hand I proposed to have added an Annus Historico-naturalis; or, The Natural History of the Twelve Months of the Year; which would have comprised many incidents and occurrences that have not fallen in my way to be mentioned in my series of letters; but as Mr. Aikin of Warrington has published somewhat of this sort, and as the length of my correspondence has sufficiently put your patience to the test, I shall here take a respectful leave of you and natural history together; and am,

With all due deference and regard,

Your most obliged,

And most humble Servant,

SELBORNE, June 25, 1787.

GIL. WHITE.

COMPARATIVE VIEW

OF THE

NATURALIST'S CALENDAR,

AS KEPT AT

SELBORNE, IN HAMPSHIRE,

BY THE LATE

REV. GILBERT WHITE, M.A.

AND AT

CATSFIELD, NEAR BATTLE, IN SUSSEX,

WILLIAM MARKWICK, ESQ. F.L.S.

FROM THE YEAR 1768, TO THE YEAR 1793.

N. B. The dates in the following Calendars, when more than one, express the earliest and the latest times in which the circumstance noted was observed.

A COMPARATIVE VIEW

WHITE'S AND MARKWICK'S CALENDAR.

Of the abbreviations used, fl. signifies flowering; 1. leafing; and ap. the first

Chaffinches, male and female (Frin

Jan. 8.

Feb. 1

Dec. 2. Feb. 3
Jan. 1. Mar. 27

Jan. 8. Apr. 1
Jan. 8-12

gilla cælebs), seen in equal numbers Jan. 6-11
Furze or gorse (Ulex Europaus) fl.
Wallflower (Cheiranthus cheiri; seu
fruticulosus of Smith) fl.
Stock (Cheiranthus incanus) fl.
Emberiza alba(bunting)in great flocks
Linnets (Fringilla linota) congregate
Lambs begin to fall

Rooks (Corvus frugilegus) resort to
their nest trees

Black hellebore (Helleborus niger) fl.
Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) fl.
White dead nettle (Lamium album) fl.
Trumpet honeysuckle, fl.
Common creeping crow-foot (Ranun-
culus repens) fl.

House sparrow (Fringilla domestica)
chirps

Dandelion (Leontodon taraxacum) fl.
Bat (Vespertilio) ap.

Spiders shoot their webs

Butterfly, ap.

Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla)