The Natural History of SelborneJohn Van Voorst, 1843 - 398 pages |
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Page xv
... Middle willow - wren of White ( Sylvia trochilus , Lath . ) Least willow - wren of White ( Sylvia rufa , Temm . ) Red - backed butcher - bird ( Lanius collurio , Linn . ) Water eft ( Triton palustris , Flem . ) Sand lizard ( Lacerta ...
... Middle willow - wren of White ( Sylvia trochilus , Lath . ) Least willow - wren of White ( Sylvia rufa , Temm . ) Red - backed butcher - bird ( Lanius collurio , Linn . ) Water eft ( Triton palustris , Flem . ) Sand lizard ( Lacerta ...
Page 8
... a large excrescence about the middle of the stem . On this a pair of ravens had fixed their re- sidence for such a series of years , that the oak was distinguished by the title of the Raven Tree . Many 8 THE RAVEN TREE .
... a large excrescence about the middle of the stem . On this a pair of ravens had fixed their re- sidence for such a series of years , that the oak was distinguished by the title of the Raven Tree . Many 8 THE RAVEN TREE .
Page 33
... middle of August invariably ! while the latter stay often till the middle of October ; and once I saw numbers of house - martins on the 7th of November . The martins and red - wing fieldfares were flying in sight together ; an uncommon ...
... middle of August invariably ! while the latter stay often till the middle of October ; and once I saw numbers of house - martins on the 7th of November . The martins and red - wing fieldfares were flying in sight together ; an uncommon ...
Page 38
... middle of April , and the young are hatched about the third week in May . See the Mag of Zool . and Bot . vol . i . p . 448 , where Mr. Doubleday has re- corded many interesting observations respecting the habits of this species . - L ...
... middle of April , and the young are hatched about the third week in May . See the Mag of Zool . and Bot . vol . i . p . 448 , where Mr. Doubleday has re- corded many interesting observations respecting the habits of this species . - L ...
Page 58
... middle of February I discovered , in my tall hedges , a little bird that raised my curiosity ; it was of that yellow - green colour that belongs to the salicaria kind , and , think , was soft - billed . It was no parus , and was too ...
... middle of February I discovered , in my tall hedges , a little bird that raised my curiosity ; it was of that yellow - green colour that belongs to the salicaria kind , and , think , was soft - billed . It was no parus , and was too ...
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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...