THE NATURAL HISTORY 

 OF SELBORNE 



LETTER I. 



TO THOMAS PENNANT, ESQ. 



I 



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 Petersfield. Being very large and exten- 

 sive, 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, 

 Faringdon, Harteley-Mauduit, Great Wardleham, 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 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 



VOL I. B 



