The Natural History of Selbourne

Gilbert White

Gill had tried reading this well-known book but had given up. It is not a particularly engaging read, and the necessity of continually looking up translations of Latin and local names of the flora and fauna in the back of the book make it hard work. More a book to dip into perhaps. However, the sheer abundance of wildlife in this small village on the Sussex/Hampshire/Surrey borders is quite remarkable, and vastly different from anything that would be seen today. Unfortunately, for the naturalist of Gilbert's time, it is quite acceptable (and indeed thought necessary) to shoot and dissect the wildlife in question as part of the identification process - optical equipment not being quite what it is today - and this makes it a less than pleasant read.
Gill 10/12/00

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