Natural History in the English Counties* *! I 



3d and 4th of this month, ilibtacllla Sylvia (whitethroat) seen at Beeston : 

 called here, Peggy Whitethroat. 15. Heard the nightingale (ikTotacilla, 

 iuscinia) in a clump of bird-cherries, in a shrubbery. 16. Observed a cock 

 and hen redstart (ik/btacilla Phcenicurus) ; provincial name, Firetail. Same 

 day, a cock and hen blackcap (il/otacilla Atricapilla) ; provincial name. 

 Black-headed Peggy. 21. The cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) heard for the 

 first time. 23. The whinchat arrived: called hereabouts the " U-tick," 

 from its note. 30. Heard the meadow or corn crake (Rallus Crex). — 

 A. G. G. Newark upon Trent. ' ''^J'^^-i/'^ ■' "^ > '''^^^^ 1.1:"'^; '•. 



ii.-lr li'.j, '<-lM l>t>.'. ',y-i^^Ai\ -^^iy/TJ*!)- • 



Yorkshire. " ; ' ' 



Marly Appearance of Sivallows. — Observing in the la$t Number of the 

 Mag. Nat. Hist. (Vol. IH. p. 434 ) a notice of the early appearance of 

 swallows this year, and having myself seen some earlier than is mentioned 

 in any of those accounts, or than I recollect to have seen them in any 

 former year, the notice of them may hot perhaps be uninteresting to some 

 of its reader's! '_' ' ' ' !'' .'/ V ..» ,„ I \ 



On the ^6i\x%t third month (Marqhj^'i^h^'iast^of ^h^ Very warm i^ays we 

 then expeiieni^ed^ I sHw three swallows flying In a stoh'e quarry, about half 

 a mile from Ferrybridge, oi^ the lower rOad from thence to Pontefractj on 

 that day Week, being the 6th of the following month, though the weather 

 was then become ghite cold, I' observed a single swallow within alpoiit one 

 quartet" of d mile of the same place, on the road from Ferrybridge to t<on- 

 don ; and on my return from London, on the 1 1th, a little on this side 

 Newark, I saw more than twenty flying in a company over the river, a very 

 unusual number for so early in the season. I am, &c. — Thos. Allis. Yorky 

 Oct. 16. 1830. 



Rare Plants.—^ Sir, It i^ wdll observed by ^odf correspondeftt Mr. E. 

 Lees, that lists of variations of colour in plants, without any mention of 

 habitat or soil on which they grow, are of no utility whatsoever. Now, 

 since I am entirely of Mr. Lee's opinion, and since nothing will so clearly 

 show my concurrence with him as following his example, I have sent you 

 below a list of the varieties in this part of the country ; which, possessing 

 a great choice of hill and. dalfe, upland an^l mar^h^ is thus more likely to 

 attract interest* ; ' ' «. • i^,: .;(;-.,' < > y ^ 



'Ranunculdcece. Jnemone nemorosa. On dry heathy grotind ; flowers 

 variegated with deep pink, often drooping. — Aquilegia vulgaris. With 

 white flowers. Growing near Richmond,' oil limestonej promiscuously with 

 the blue. '■ - . < . i > • 



CriicifercB, 6*ardamine pratensis. In iharshygix^und, with double flowers, 

 and of light purple. . ' 



Yioldcew, Tiola lutea. On high barren ground, frequently purple or 

 pie and yellow. ^ , , . r - 



YolygdlecB, ■■ Poljgala vulgarisv On high barren and heathy ground, of 

 a much lower growthy and of a white and rose colour; whereas in lower 

 and richer soil it is invariably blue. , . • . ) > > > 



MalvdcecB. ikfalva anoschata, ., White,/ on' road-sides, along w jth the rose- 

 coloured. . ^v . ! . J v'i ,. r i 



CaryophyllecB. Lychnis dioica. In coifn fields, generaliiy white j in 

 woods always rose-coloured. ' -. -i v - . ^ i 



GeranidcecB. Erodium cicutarium. On'the sandy sea^coast at Redcar, 

 almost constantly white. . . 



OxalidecE. O'xalis Acetosella. In a woody quite free from underwood, 

 of a fine rose colour. 



Leguminosce. iotus cornicultitus. On the banks of the Swale, on a 

 sandy soil, streaked with deep red. 



Caprifolidcece. C'aprifolium Periclymenum. With flowers smaller and 

 light green, in a hedge near Knaresborough. 



F 4 



