NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 133 



30th January. — Curious to observe, that two variegated plane 

 trees, notwithstanding this continued frost, are thrusting out shoots. 

 These trees stand at either end of Dunipace House, and are close 

 to the windows. In March (6th), when I returned home after a 

 month's absence, these buds were no further developed, and little 

 difference was observed upon them until towards the end of the 

 month. 



At Candlemas, or a little before it, we had a high storm of 

 wind, with thaw. Robertson, in his " Agriculture of Kincardine- 

 shire," p. 396, tells us that " The Green Plover or Peesweep 

 arrives here so very correctly about Candlemas, that the storm, 

 which generally happens about that season of the year, goes by 

 its name — The Tchuchet Storm." It was not until nearly a 

 fortnight later that they put in an appearance, only to be again 

 driven away by the deep fall of snow on the 12th and 13th of 

 March (q.v.) 



16th February. — Six inches of snow lying at Galashiels, and 

 more or less over all the South of Scotland. A train stuck in a 

 snow-wreath at Dalwhinnie, 1400 feet above the sea. In Caith- 

 ness trains again stuck fast. Telegraph posts blown down. The 

 locality of one train not known. Such were some of the reports 

 of the daily papers for this date. 



The Scotsman reported, on the 24th February, that " The 

 Cheviots have now been covered with snow for sixteen weeks. A 

 fresh fall yesterday at Peebles was nearly six inches. Hay is 

 getting scarce. Outdoor labour at a standstill for eleven weeks. 

 Frost with great severity again in the West of Scotland. Loch 

 Lomond is again safe for skating. Frost at Huntly was at least 

 as keen as at any previous period of the winter. Sheep in some 

 places are dying by the score. After a week's labour the surface- 

 men have succeeded in cleaning away the snow on the Caithness 

 Railway.' 



From various places it is again reported that game and small birds 

 are suffering severely. At Pitsligo, Aberdeen, and indeed generally 

 along our coasts, great numbers of birds resort to the sea-beach. 

 Even Wrens, Starlings, and Rooks left the inland districts, and 

 were seen anions: the rocks on the Berwickshire coast. 



The Spey was frozen over for several weeks in many places. 



21st February. — Another great drift on the Caithness line. 

 One hundred men are engaged in a cutting where there is an 



