SELBORNE. XV 



It appears, indeed, that about Selborne there is a deficiency 

 of wild flowers ; and one might, perhaps, be prepared to expect 

 this from the peculiar character of the soil. The grass upon the 

 rich pastures contains but few daisies or other, plants with con- 

 spicuous flowers ; there is little wild convolvolus in the hedges ; 

 and the corn lands are very free from weeds. The deficiency of 

 plants in point of variety is made up, however, in the vigorous 

 growth of those which do occur, and still more by the vast mul- 

 titudes of birds. No wonder that White devotes many pages of 

 his history to the different members of the swallow tribe ; for at 

 the time when these birds assemble, previous to their departure 

 for the winter, the house-tops are literally covered, and the air is 

 filled with them. A more modern residence, which has been 

 erected, we believe, by the nephew of Mr. White, adjoining what 

 was White's residence, but appearing more conspicuously to- 

 wards the park, has the thatch drilled with nest-holes, till it is 

 absolutely like a honey-comb. This modern erection, by the 

 way, has most unaccountably fallen under the censure of an 

 anonymous visitor of Selborne, whose lucubrations have been 

 quoted in " Jesse's Gleanings," as being " cocknified," we 

 believe is the word, and, as such, out of keeping with the 

 rest of the village. This is not the case ; for the house alluded 

 to is a plain thatched cottage, white-washed certainly, as it 

 should be, as it appears among trees, and having some of its 

 openings very simply ornamented in a sort of half rustic and 

 half Gothic style ; but nothing can harmonize better with its own 

 situation than this cottage does, and whether it harmonizes with 

 the other buildings of the village or not is a matter of small im- 

 portance, because it is not seen from the road, or from any place 

 where itself is riot the principal object. This is, of course, a 

 matter of very trifling importance ; but, as Selborne is a place 

 which no one would wish to see spoiled in reality, it is scarcely 

 fair to hold up to the world as a deformity that which is a real 

 improvement of it. 



One of the most remarkable circumstances about Selborne is 

 the absence of springs, which of course arises from the nature of 

 the soil. Such perennial springs as there are come out between 

 the chalk and the clay, as is the case with those which supply the 

 well-head. The clay, even when of the most malmy character, 

 admits little water to penetrate it, if it is of any considerable depth; 



