THE NATURAL HISTORY 
OF SELBORNE 
LETTEE I. 
TO THOMAS PENNANT, ESQ. 
The parish of Selboene lies in the extreme eastern corner of 
the county of Hampshire, bordering on the county of Sussex, 
and not far from the county of Surrey ; is about fifty miles 
south-west of London, in latitude 51°, and near midway between 
the towns of Alton and Petersfield. Being very large and exten- 
sive, it abuts on twelve parishes, two of which are in Sussex, viz., 
Trotton and Eogate. If you begin from the south and proceed 
westward the adjacent parishes are Emshot, Newton Valence, 
Faringdon, Harteley-Mauduit, Great Wardleham, Kingsley, 
Hedleigh, Bramshot, Trotton, Eogate, 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. The covert of this 
eminence is altogether beech, the most lovely of all forest trees, 
whether we consider its smooth rind or bark, its glossy foliage, 
or graceful pendulous boughs. The down, or sheep-walk, is 
a pleasing park-like spot, of about one mile by half that space, 
jutting out on the verge of the hill- country, where it begins to 
break down into the plains, and commanding a very engaging 
B 
