30 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 



where, being more exempt from flies, and inhaling 

 the coolness of that element, some belly deep, and 

 some only to mid-leg, they ruminate and solace them- 

 selves from about ten in the morning till four in the 

 afternoon, and then return to their feeding. During 

 this great proportion of the day they drop much dung, 

 in which insects nestle ; and so supply food for the 

 fish, which would be poorly subsisted but from this con- 

 tingency. Thus Nature, who is a great economist, con- 

 verts the recreation of one animal to the support of 

 another ! Thomson, who was a nice observer of natural 

 occurrences, did not let this pleasing circumstance escape 

 him. He says, in his Summer, 



" A various group the herds and flocks compose : 



on the grassy bank 



Some ruminating lie ; while others stand 

 Half in the flood, and, often bending, sip 

 The circling surface." 



Wolmer-pond, so called, I suppose, for eminence 

 sake, is a vast lake for this part of the world, containing, 

 in its whole circumference, 2646 yards, or very near a 

 mile and a half. The length of the north-west and 

 opposite side is about 704 yards, and the breadth of the 

 south-west end about 456 yards. This measurement, 

 which I caused to be made with good exactness, gives 

 an area of about sixty-six acres, exclusive of a large 

 irregular arm at the north-east corner, which we did not 

 take into the reckoning. 



On the face of this expanse of waters, and perfectly 

 secure from fowlers, lie all day long, in the winter season, 

 vast flocks of ducks, teals, 1 and widgeons, of various 



1 In a letter from Gilbert White to his brother John, dated ' Selborne, 

 June 26, 1773,' he says: "Some boys killed lately at Oakhanger-ponds some 

 flappers or young wild-ducks : among the rest they took some teals alive ; one I 

 saw and turned into James Knight's ponds. Till now I never knew that teals 

 bred in England. So you see information crowds in every day." (Bell's ed., ii. 

 pp. 12, 2S.)-[R. B. S.] 



