x PREFACE. 



character, and such other circumstances of the locality as 

 are not liable to periodical change. The lamented death 

 of this most estimable person took place just as the print- 

 ing of his edition was nearly completed; and it was left 

 for my late friend, John Joseph Bennett, Esq., to finish it 

 by a touching memorial to his brother in the form of a 

 preface to the work. Much additional value attached to 

 Mr. Bennett's original edition from the cooperation of 

 his friends Owen, Yarrell, and other naturalists, whose 

 contributions on the general subject are of considerable 

 interest and importance. 



But, however valuable in themselves are the notes 

 referred to, and those of some other annotators, their im- 

 mediate relation to the local natural history of Selborne 

 has been comparatively slight; and for this especial 

 object the present Editor has had to depend principally 

 upon the results of his own observations during a period 

 of more than thirty years, in which he has been the occu- 

 pier of the old property, and where, for nearly half that 

 period, he has wholly resided. He has also received fre- 

 quent aid from those of his scientific friends who have 

 honoured him with their occasional visits and communi- 

 cations. His frequent botanical rambles with his late 

 nephew, Dr. Bell Salter, of Hyde, and the contributions 

 to the Selborne flora of his late friend Dr. Bromfield, 

 contained in his consecutive papers on the plants of 

 Hampshire, which appeared in the ' Phytologist ' (vol. ii. 

 et seq.) y and with whom he shared many pleasant walks 

 in pursuit of his favourite object, have furnished much of 

 the information he has been able to give respecting 



