NATURAL HISTORY 
three days in the bufinefs, and are of opinion that the outline, in 
all it's curves and indentings, does not comprife lefs than thirty 
miles. 
The village ftands in a flieltered fpot, fecured by I'he Hanger 
from the ftrong wefterly winds. The air is foft, but rather moid 
from the effluvia of fo many trees; yet perfedly healthy and free 
from agues. 
The quantity of rain that falls on it is very confiderable, as may 
be fuppofed in fo woody and mountainous a diftrid. As my 
experience in meafuring the water is but of fliort date, I am not 
qualified to give the mean quantity I only know that 
Inch. Hund. 
From May i, 1779, to the end of the year there fell 28 37 ! 
From Jan. i, 1780, to Jan. 1,1781 - - 27 32 
From Jan. i, i78i,toJan. i, 1782 - - 30 71 
From Jan. i, 1782, to Jan. i, 1783 - - 50 26 ! 
From Jan. i, 1783, to Jan. 1,1784 - - 33 71 
From Jan. i, 1784, to Jan. i, 1785 - - 33 So 
From Jan. i, 1785, to Jan. i, 1786 - - 3^ 55 
From Jan. i, 1786, to Jan. i, 1787 - - 39 57 
The village of Selhorne, and large hamlet of Oakhanger, with 
the fingle farms, and many fcattered houfes along the verge of 
t A very intelligent gentleman affures me (and he fpeaks from upwards of forty years 
experience) that the mean rain of any place cannot be afcertained fill a perfon has mea- 
fured it for a very long period. " If I had only meafured the rain," fays he, " for the 
" four fii-ft years, from 1740 to 1743, I fhould have faid the mean rain at Lyndon was 
" 16 i-hf. inch for the year ; if from 1740 to 1750, 18 i-hf. inches. The mean rain be- 
*' fore 1763 was 20 i-qr. from 1763 and fince 25 i-hf. from 1770 to 1780, 26. If only 
" i773> 1774- and 1775, had been meafured, Ljndon mean rain would have been called 
" 32 inches.'' 
the 
