MAT. 139 



Thus temperature and the occurrence or non-occur- 

 rence of bitter frosts and uugenial storms in April 

 and May, make a great difference in the aspect of the 

 Flora SpectaUlis, for while in 1839, the bitter frosts 

 of April and May so cut up the vernal flowers, that 

 Lilacs ' and Laburnums scarcely exhibited expanded 

 blossoms at all, and while in 1837 they only displayed 

 their beauty in the middle of June ; on May 6th y 

 1840, both shone in the shrubberies with the utmost 

 gorgeous effulgence and profusion. I find the follow- 

 ing observation in my Journal for 1837, relative to 

 the retardation in the leafage of trees, and their foli- 

 ation was almost equally backward in 1839 : " May 

 13. Alder not in leaf except very partially ; Ash, no 

 signs of opening foliage apparent ; Beech, the leaves 

 only fully expanded this day; Birch, young leaves 

 just open ; Elm, leaves expanding, but scarcely open, 

 general aspect denuded ; Hawthorn, the hedges not 

 yet entirely green, and no sign of blossom anywhere ; 

 Hazel, not in leaf except here and there ; Horse- Ches- 

 nut, the foliage fully out, but not any flowers ; Lime, 

 only just opening ; Maple, buds as yet only apparent ; 

 Pear, leaves only partially expanded; Sycamore, merely 

 in young leaf; AVillow, young foliage just apparent 

 only ; Service (Pyrus torminalis), entirely leafless ; 

 Oak, totally bare." The latter tree was quite devoid 

 of foliage as well as the Ash on May 29, 1839, and 

 yet in 1840, so hot and cloudless was the weather in 

 April, the thermometer rising in the shade at three 

 p.m. to 72 (at Forthampton, Gloucestershire), that 

 the leafage of the trees was nearly accomplished in 

 a single week, from April 18th to April 25th, on which, 

 latter day I noticed even the Oak in young foliage ; 



