140 WILD PLOWEES OF 



and the Ash, seldom in full leaf until June, exhibited 

 expanded foliage in many instances on May 1st. Both 

 the Ash and the false Acacia (Ilobinia-pseud-acacia), 

 had copious leafage on May 5th. Thus in this remark- 

 ably forward year the frondescence of trees , which in 

 general begins with the aquatic kinds, was almost 

 reversed ; at any rate the "Willows, Poplars, and Alders, 

 put forth their leaves in company with the Lime, 

 Beech, and Oak. So in the suddenly warm spring of 

 1848, all the trees were in full leaf by May 10th, 

 except the Ash, whose foliage, however, commenced 

 expanding at that date. 



The Elder (Sambucus nigra), is very characteristic 

 of our transient summer, which can never be said to 

 be established till the perfume of its sulphur umbels 

 loads the evening air, and this frequently happens the 

 last week in May ; but in 1839, the flowers were not 

 even expanded before June 17th. Yet in 1848 the 

 Elder commenced flowering on May 16th, and was 

 generally in flower by the 24th of that month. 



In this way the flowering of plants and trees may be 

 expected to vary in their precise times ; and the noting 

 of this 1 , and its connection with the appearance of the 

 migratory birds, will always be a source of amusement, 

 instruction, and enjoyment, to the observant naturalist. 



Mr. E. EOESTEB, in his "Perennial Calendar" and 

 other works relative to the periodical flowering of 

 plants, has indicated six distinct seasonal periods, to 

 each of which respectively a certain number of the 

 species indigenous to or naturalized in Britain belong. 

 These I shall now proceed to enumerate, and though 

 it must be expected that many plants will appear in 

 more than one division, or connect one with another, 



