36 



Remarks on the Spring of iSSO, 



If there ever was a season in which, perhaps, more than in 

 any other we might have expected the early arrival of the 

 swallow tribe, it was the spring of 1830: but according to 

 my own observations, exhibited in the following calendar, 

 none made their appearance much before the usual period. 

 The house swallow, indeed, was rather early (April .9th) ; 

 but the swift by no means so (May 5th) ; and the marten, at 

 least in this immediate neighbourhood, remarkably late (May 

 10th). * I confess I was somewhat disappointed at not seeing 

 /iTirundines earlier, as I had expected ; for it occurred to me 

 that, had any individuals remained with us in a torpid state 

 during the winter, the extraordinarily fine weather at the end 

 of March would undoubtedly have called them into life and ac- 

 tivity. I am informed, however, on authority which I have no 

 reason to question, that a large flight of ZZirundines (of which 

 species I could not ascertain, probably sand-martens) was ob- 

 served by many persons in the neighbourhood of Tamworth, 

 sporting over the river on the 29th of March ; several were also 

 seen by different persons near Coventry as early as April 4th ; 

 swifts f, too, at the latter place on April 30th. In the follow- 

 ing calendar I have recorded only what fell under my own 

 personal observation ; without, however, in the least doubting 

 the accuracy of the statements made by others. 



To those articles which are the earliest instances of their 

 kind I ever happened to have noticed a double asterisk is 

 affixed (thus **) : — 



1830. 

 March 11 

 17 

 , „ 19 



^'pis retusa a{)peared ''^ ^^p<^ yl^1^mo^ iiiaain^tnoo b^j^h'.J 

 Gonepteryx rhamni appeared " - " j ^^ 



Vanessa To appeared .onjij toa^ ^m j£ Lo')i|- 



Apricot tree flowered 

 Anemone nemorosa flowered 

 Blackbird sung 

 ^^ pis terrestris appeared ^»y''^" 

 Willow wren (Sjlyia'Tt6MmT^ 



Pump-borei^ (least woodpecker) heard'4^^^ "*^-^'' ^^'^'V" *<'i ' 

 **PoIydmmaius Argiolm Appeared I| ^'^^ ''^^ ^^'<^ ^^ b^maen u, 

 P6nti<^;rap'£e appearec^ '". ^^ ' '^^ y^ .^^tJ^iaJ^i > 



Cherry trefe J(l6wei^ed ' " "' r*"^® '^lifeojnarmi.oo t^.iB it .rjif w : 

 '".oil j«ia >j «M V'"jAtl <iV ^\%iufyiuu ,h h V 



May 10 



1829. 

 April 3 



17 

 13 



t i 



auifl ')di in v 



18 



UUlrtnL 



flHl]U, 



i i» AUJiit. . [j; 



i-^ 



* I have no doutt martens were to be seen long befbrfe th'^ dbove date ; 

 but I did not seg one previously m^yself, though 1 was on the look out for 



them. „. _,^'^ j ,,! i,.,/"'; J/ -■.!■' ''•■.>j""' '<■ " f'''."' '" 



f My] ;njtoiTO^nt, ,^n 1^^^ observer, remarks th^if, swifts ^erally 



make their iirst appearance towards the evening.' ' '^ ' " ^ ' ^ ' ' 

 J If credit may be given to newspaper intelligence, a^ swarm of bees 



was hived on the 25th of March at Long Itchingtoh, iii this coilnty. See 



Coventry Mercury for March 28. 1830. 

 § The thermometer this day stood at 64° exposed on a north wall. 



