x PREFACE. 



place in the fauna and flora of the district. The Red-deer, 

 which once roamed the Forest of Wolmer, and which were 

 driven "along the vale" in a herd of 500 for the amuse- 

 ment of Queen Anne (pp. 21-22), have long since become 

 extinct. Black game, which " abounded much before shoot- 

 ing flying became so common" (p. 20), though thought 

 by Gilbert White to have been exterminated, have yet 

 maintained their footing, and are now to be found in not 

 inconsiderable numbers. 



Those noble birds the Bustards, which once frequented 

 the downs (pp. 143, 156), and which when seen in flocks 

 at a distance were thought to resemble Fallow-deer (p. 156, 

 note 2), have entirely vanished as denizens of England. 

 The Honey-buzzard has deserted Selborne Hanger (p. 130), 

 and the Eaven is extinct on Blackmoor (p. 6) . The 

 Chough, which formerly bred on Beachy Head and on all 

 the cliffs of the Sussex coast (p. 117), has long since dis- 

 appeared. 



On the other hand, birds which were unknown to Gil- 

 bert White, or were possibly overlooked by him, have 

 since been met with in the neighbourhood of Selborne ; 

 while others, which he regarded as rare, or at least as acci- 

 dental visitants to his parish, have since been found to be 

 not uncommon there. In the former class may be instanced 

 the Girl bunting (p. 47, note 3) and the Garden warbler 

 (p. 59, note) ; in the latter, the Landrail (p. 328) and the 

 Teal (p. 177) . Woodcocks, which in his day were not sup- 

 posed to breed in England (pp. 159, 161), now do so regu- 

 larly in Hants and Sussex, to say nothing of other localities. 



In regard to the botany of the district, allusion has 

 already been made to the changes which have taken place 

 since White's day in the aspect of the forest-land. To this 

 may be added that while some few plants of interest have 

 been included in the c ' Flora Selborniensis " since Gilbert 

 White described it, others, as the Toothwort, Lathrcea 

 squamaria, and the Marsh Cinquefoil, Comarum palustre, 

 have never since been met with in the neighbourhood. 

 Under these circumstances, and having regard to the time 

 which has elapsed since any edition of White's " Selborne " 



