ON SELBORNE COMMON 69 



birds, not reared in a coop by the gamekeeper have 

 made their home in the " park-like " solitude. The 

 horizon is bounded by " the vast range of mountains, 

 called the Sussex Downs " ; the waters of Wolmer 

 Pond may be seen gleaming in the distance ; while 

 in the more immediate vicinity " the noble chalk 

 promontory " of Nore Hill stands out boldly in the 

 landscape. 



To reach the Common or sheepwalk from the village 

 of Selborne it is necessary to climb the Hanger, either 

 by the famous zigzag or by the pathway still known as 

 the Bostal. It is a stiff climb, for the top of the Hanger 

 is 300 feet above the level of the village street. The 

 walk was a favourite one with Gilbert White. The zig- 

 zag path was partly of his making, and the so-called 

 wishing-stone at the top of it was placed there by him- 

 self. He loved in spring-time to watch the beech-trees 

 bursting into leaf, and to note their change of colour as 

 the autumn advanced. All the year round he was con- 

 stantly climbing " the beech-grown hill " to " the straw- 

 clad cell " or hermitage which he had erected on the top, 

 or to wander about the Common which is constantly 

 alluded to in his historic letters. Many choice plants 

 he found blooming there, which he duly entered in his 

 notebook. On the Hanger he notices the spurge-laurel, 

 the hellebore, the autumn gentian, the bird's-nest 

 orchis, the yellow monotropa, all of which species con- 

 tinue to blossom there. On the Common, among the 

 brushwood, the Daphne mezereum grew, a very rare 

 and striking species, with fragrant pink flowers, which 

 appear early in the spring before the leaves are out. 

 There too the attractive orchis known as ladies'- 

 tresses puts forth its spiral spikes of pure white, 



