386 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 



in high bloom : Ladies bed-straw just out. Yellow-hammer 

 seems to have done singing. 



28. Still, hot, gloomy days. Rain begins to be much 

 wanted by the farmer, & Gardener. 



30. A moderate shower with a brisk Gale. The melons 

 left under hand-glasses keep coming. 



Full moon. 



Yellow toad-flax, (linaria) great purple snap-dragon, 

 (Antirrhinum) (found in a lane at Empshot, & supposed to 

 be thrown-out from some Garden) Eye-bright, betony ; 

 small spear-worth, (Ranunculus flammeus) vervain-leaved- 

 mallow, the common - reed, many sorts of Epilobium ; 

 Scabious, purple, & deep blue ; wild basil, now in bloom. 

 Wild Basil is a pretty flower, & a common weed. 1 



Swallows feed flying, & water-wagtails running round 

 Horses in a meadow. The gentle motions of the Horse 

 stir-up a succession of flies from the grass. 



The water-wagtail seems to be the smallest english bird 

 that walks with one leg at a time : the rest of that size & 

 under all hop two legs together. 2 



The Alders have form'd their young catkins against next 

 spring. 



The Grapes change pretty fast. 



Septenf- 5. Brisk winds, & showers for several days. 



The apples are pretty much blown-down in some places ; 

 & the hops received some Injury. 



The winds beat-down many of my figs, & baking pears. 

 Since my melon-frames have been taken-in, & before the 

 rains fell to moisten y e mould on the bed, there grew up at 

 once a very singular appearance of the fungus kind, that 

 seemed rather to be poured over the ground than to 

 vegetate : it was soft & pappy, & about the consistence of 

 thick milk, & of a very ill savour. Where I wounded it 

 with a stick it sent out a sort of bloody Ichor ; & soon 



1 It will be noticed that about this time Gilbert White began to pay great 

 attention to Botany. [R. B. S.] 



2 This is an excellent observation, calling attention to the walking and 

 hopping sections of English Passerine Birds. [R. B. S.] 



