The Natural History of SelborneJohn Van Voorst, 1843 - 398 pages |
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Page xii
... March 1744 , he was elected Fellow of his college . He became Master of Arts in October 1746 , and was admitted one of the senior proctors of the University in April 1752 . Being of an unambitious temper , and strongly at- tached to the ...
... March 1744 , he was elected Fellow of his college . He became Master of Arts in October 1746 , and was admitted one of the senior proctors of the University in April 1752 . Being of an unambitious temper , and strongly at- tached to the ...
Page 23
... March or April , according to the dryness of * For this privilege the owner of that estate used to pay to the king annually seven bushels of oats . In the Holt , where a full stock of fallow - deer has been kept up till lately , no ...
... March or April , according to the dryness of * For this privilege the owner of that estate used to pay to the king annually seven bushels of oats . In the Holt , where a full stock of fallow - deer has been kept up till lately , no ...
Page 31
... March , before the bark would run . In old times , the Holt was estimated to be eighteen miles , computed measure , from water - carriage , viz . from the town of Chertsey , on the Thames ; but now it is not half that distance , since ...
... March , before the bark would run . In old times , the Holt was estimated to be eighteen miles , computed measure , from water - carriage , viz . from the town of Chertsey , on the Thames ; but now it is not half that distance , since ...
Page 38
... march about in a stately manner , feeding in the walks , many times in the day , and seemed disposed to breed in my outlet ; but were frightened and persecuted by idle boys , who would never let them be at rest . * Three gross - beaks ...
... march about in a stately manner , feeding in the walks , many times in the day , and seemed disposed to breed in my outlet ; but were frightened and persecuted by idle boys , who would never let them be at rest . * Three gross - beaks ...
Page 53
... March 12 , 1768 . If some curious gentleman would procure the head of a fallow - deer , and have it dissected , he would find cleanly in its habits , and Mr. Bingley often noticed it in the most graceful and elegant attitudes , cleaning ...
... March 12 , 1768 . If some curious gentleman would procure the head of a fallow - deer , and have it dissected , he would find cleanly in its habits , and Mr. Bingley often noticed it in the most graceful and elegant attitudes , cleaning ...
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Common terms and phrases
abound Andalusia animal appear April autumn birds of passage birds of prey breed British Birds British Zoology brood called Cambridgeshire chaffinches colour crista galli cuckoo curious Daines Barrington district eggs feeding feet female fern-owl fieldfares fishes flocks former frequently frost garden gentleman genus Gibraltar Gross-beak ground Hanger haunt hedges hirundines hirundo house-martins inches insects instance known late legs LETTER Linnæus male manner martins mentioned migration morning Motacilla Natural History naturalist neighbourhood nest never night numbers observed owls pair perhaps procure quadrupeds rain remarkable remiges retire ring-dove ring-ousels rooks says season seems seen Selborne sing snow soft-billed soon species spring stone-curlew strange summer birds suppose Sussex Swaffham Bulbeck swallow swifts tail THOMAS PENNANT tion titmouse toads trees vast village weather White white-throat wild willow-wren wings winter wonder Woodlark woods Yarrell young Zoology
Popular passages
Page 323 - Swinging slow with sullen roar; Or if the air will not permit, Some still removed place will fit, Where glowing embers through the room Teach light to counterfeit a gloom, Far from all resort of mirth, Save the cricket on the hearth, Or the bellman's drowsy charm To bless the doors from nightly harm.
Page 381 - Of glory obscured ; as when the sun, new risen, Looks through the horizontal misty air Shorn of his beams ; or from behind the moon, JOHN MILTON. 345 In dim eclipse, disastrous twilight sheds On half the nations, and with fear of change Perplexes monarchs.
Page 96 - Amusive birds ! say where your hid retreat, When the frost rages and the tempests beat ? Whence your return, by such nice instinct led, When Spring, soft season, lifts her bloomy head? Such baffled searches mock man's prying pride, The God of Nature is your secret guide!
Page 191 - MILTOK. but scout and hurry along in little detached parties of six or seven in a company ; and sweeping low, just over the surface of the land and water, direct their course to the opposite continent at the narrowest passage they can find.
Page 306 - Owls move in a buoyant manner, as if lighter than the air; they seem to want ballast. There is a peculiarity belonging to ravens that 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...
Page 85 - For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: but the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Page 2 - 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.
Page 27 - Now scarcely moving through a reedy pool, Now starting to a sudden stream, and now Gently diffus'd into a limpid plain ; A various group the herds and flocks compose, Rural confusion ! on the grassy bank Some ruminating lie ; while others stand Half in the flood, and often bending, sip The circling surface.
Page 261 - ... moist pastures, by the sides of streams, and under hedges. These rushes are in best condition in the height of summer, but may be gathered, so as to serve the purpose well, quite on to autumn.
Page 226 - In Sweden she builds in barns, and is called ladu swala, the barn-swallow. Besides, in the warmer parts of Europe there are no chimneys to houses, except they are English-built: in these countries she constructs her nest in porches, and gateways, and galleries, and open halls. Here and there a bird may affect some odd, peculiar place ; as we have known a swallow build down the shaft of an old well, through which chalk had been formerly drawn up for the purpose of manure; but, in general, with us...