THE 



NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



LETTEE I. 



TO THOMAS PENNAIfT, ESQ. 



The parish of Selborne lies in the extreme eastern comer of 

 the county of Hampshire, bordering on tho county of Sussex, 

 and not far from the county of SuiTey ; 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 Eogate. If you begin from 

 the south, and proceed westward, the adjacent parishes are 

 Emshot, Newton Valence, Earingdon, Harteley, Mauduit, 

 Great Ward-le-ham, "Kingsley, Hedleigh, Bramshot, Trotton, 

 Eogate, Lysse, and Greatham. The soils of this district are 

 almost as various and diversified as the views and aspects. 

 The high part to the south-west consists of a vast hill of 

 cJ^alk, 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 emi- 

 nence 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 



* The beeca is certainly a beautiful tree, either when planted singly or in 

 lumps ; but I cannot agree with our author, in thinking it the " most lovely 

 c/ all forest trees" The ash and birch, and perhaps the Huntingdon willow, 



