THE 



NATURAL HISTORY 



OF 



SELBORNE. 



LETTER I. 



TO THOMAS PENNANT, ESQ. 



THE parish of Selborne 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 Peter sfield. 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, Newton Valence, 

 Faringdon, Harteley, Mauduit, Great Ward-le-ham, 

 Kingsley, Hedleigh, 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 to the south-west con- 

 sists 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 



