204 
NATURE NOTES. 
“ 1739 - 
“ In the spring, when the swallows, martins and swifts came, 
swifts were very common, who used to fly about later in the 
evening than either swallows or martins, and about May there 
were more swallows to be seen than martins. But now I do not 
know there has been a swift seen since June, and there are far 
more martins than swallows. i\Iany swallows, which I reckon 
are young ones, have not now the two long feathers in their tails. 
I have not often seen martins so far from home as swallows.” 
“ 1746. 
“ April 10. First wasp seen. T. 
,, 12. First swallows seen. S. 
,, 21. The cuckow heard. 
,, 22. First swift seen. S. 
,, End. Plums flower'd, &c.” 
“1756. 
“ April 27. First swifts seen, but did not stay. I suspect these 
swifts were going to settle in some other place, for though they 
flew backward and forward as after flys, yet they kept in general 
moving off toward N.N.W., continued very high in the air, and I 
have seen none since by this time. May ist.” 
“ 1801 [last entry]. 
April 
19. 
First swallow. 
26. 
Nightingale heard. 
5 5 
26. 
Cuckow heard. 
May 
I. 
Martins, but very few 
55 
12. 
Swifts. 
Aug. 
Oct. 
beg. 
4 - 
The following 
Swifts went away. 
Swallows went away. 
The martins have been gone some time.” 
notes are taken from various parts of Thomas 
Barker’s note books : — 
“May 5, 1750. The yew tree in Selborne churchyard — 
Girth at the root ... ... ... 18 ft. ii in. 
,, middle of body ... ... 22 ft. bin. 
,, height of body ... ... 6 ft. 
Topmost bough about... ... ... 35 ft.” 
“ Aug. 7, 1753. The yew in Priors Dean Churchyard — 
Girth at the middle of the body ... 21 ft. ii in. 
,, height of the body ... ... 7 ft. 
Topmost bough about ... .. 45 ft. 
“ The chesnut tree at INIardford — 
Girth ... 17 ft. 3 in., afterward ... 17 ft. 10 in. 
“ It is so irregular, it is difficult to measure exactly. Some 
loads of wood (perhaps 4) were blown off the top by the storm 
in 1703.” 
“ July 24, 1747. A little before ten at night, a white stream — 
probably of a northern light — reached almost from one horizon to 
the other, from \V. by S. to E. by N., passing over the neck and 
head of the Serpent, and just S. of the bright star in the Harp, 
