The Natural History of Selborne (page 1/3)

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Front Cover, Gilbert White’s Selbourne

Light brown with green florets, and “Natural History of Selbourne” in blakc on a gold foil background.

The Raven (Corvus Corax)

There is a peculiarity belonging to ravens tht must draw the attention even of the most incurious—they spend all their leisure time in striking and cuffing each other on the wing in a kind of playful skirmish; and, when they move from one place to another, frequently turn on their backs with a loud croak, and seem to be falling ot the ground. When [...] [more...]

The Magpie

Magpies and jays flutter with powerless wings, and make no dispatch; herons seem incumbered with too much sail for their light bodies; but these vast hollow wings are necessary in carrying burdens, such as large fishes, and the like; pigeons, and particularly the sort called smiters, have a way of clashing their wings the one against the other over [...] [more...]

Partridges.

“Partridges in vast plenty are bred in good seasons on the verge of this forest [the forest of Wolmer, mostly in the parish of Selborne], into which they love to make excursions; and in particular, in the dry summers of 1740 and 1741, and some years after, they swarmed to such a degree that parties of unreasonable sportsmen killed twenty [...] [more...]

Beech.

“The high part of the south-west consists of a vast hill of chalkk rising three hundred feet above the village, and is divided into a sheep-down, the high wood and a long hanging wood, called The [...]beech, the most lovely of all forest trees, whether we consider its smooth rind or bark, its glossy foliage, or graceful pendulous boughs.” (p. 3) [more...]