THE 
NATURAL HISTORY 
OP 
SELBORNE. 
LETTER I. 
To THOMAS PENNANT, Esq, 
The parish of Selborne 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 nearly 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^ Faringdon, 
Harteley Mauduit, Great Ward le ham, Kingsley, Hedleigh. 
Bramshoty 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. The covert of this eminence is alto- 
gether beech, the most lovely of all forest trees, whether we con- 
sider 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 
B 
