NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 87 



very elevated regions, and continuing, without any interrup- 

 tion, till the close of the day. These webs were not single 

 filmy threads, floating in the air in all directions, but 

 perfect flakes or rags ; some near an inch broad, and 

 five or six long, which fell with a degree of velocity 

 that showed they were considerably heavier than the 

 atmosphere. 



On every side as the observer turned his eyes might he 

 behold a continual succession of fresh flakes falling into 

 his sight, and twinkling like stars as they turned their sides 

 towards the sun. 



How far this wonderful shower extended would be 

 difficult to say ; but we know that it reached Bradley, 

 Selborne, and Alresford, three places which lie in a sort of 

 a triangle, the shortest of whose sides is about eight miles 

 in extent. 



At the second of those places there was a gentleman 

 (for whose veracity and intelligent turn we have the greatest 

 veneration) who observed it the moment he got abroad ; 

 but concluded that, as soon as he came upon the hill above 

 his house, where he took his morning rides, he should be 

 higher than this meteor, which he imagined might have 

 been blown, like Thistle-down from the common above : 

 but, to his great astonishment, when he rode to the most 

 elevated part of the down, 300 feet above his fields, he found 

 the webs in appearance still as much above him as before ; 

 still descending into sight in a constant succession, and 

 twinkling in the sun, so as to draw the attention of the 

 most incurious. 



Neither before nor after was any such fall observed ; 

 but on this day the flakes hung in the trees and hedges so 

 thick, that a diligent person sent out might have gathered 

 baskets full. 



The remark that I shall make on these cobweb-like 

 appearances, called gossamer?- is, that, strange and super- 



1 Many people suppose that the peculiar habit here referred to by White is 

 practised by one particular species, the so-called "Gossamer Spider." This, 

 however, is a mistake, for the young of Spiders of very many different kinds 



