THE 

 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



LETTER I. 

 To Thomas Pennant, Esq. 



The parish of Selborne lies in the extreme east- 

 ern corner of the county of Hampshire, bordering 

 on the county of Sussex, and not far from the county 

 of Surrey ; it is about fifty miles south-west of Lon- 

 don, in latitude 51°, and near midway between the 

 towns of Alton and Petersfield. Being very large 

 and extensive, it abuts on twelve parishes, two of 

 which are in Sussex, viz., Trotton and Rogate. If 

 you begin from the south and proceed westward the 

 adjacent parishes are Emshot, Newton Valence, Far- 

 ingdon, Harteley-Mauduit, Great Wardleham, Kings- 

 ley, Hedleigh, Bramshot, Trotton, Rogate, Lysse, 

 and Greatham. The soils of this district are almost 

 as various and diversified as the views and aspects. 

 The high part to the south-west consists of a vast 

 hill of chalk, rising three hundred feet above the 

 village, and is divided into a sheep down, the high 

 wood, and a long hanging wood called the Hanger. 



