594. 



Remarks ofi the Sping of IS 32, 



tarried with us till towards the middle of May; a pretty 

 sure criterion of a late spring. That admirable songster, the 

 blackcap (I quite agree with Mr. Dovaston in his praise of 

 this bird's vocal powers, see p. 425.), was unusually late in 

 coming, not presenting himself to our notice in this part of 

 the country till the 18th April. I almost began to fear that he 

 had missed his road, and would not find his way to us at all. 

 Ourlittlefavourite,Poly6mmatusArgiolu5 (azure blue butterfly), 

 which generally comes forth by the middle of April, or earlier, 

 was still more tardy, not making its appearance till the 1 8th 

 May; and Pontic cardamines not till the 1 7th of that month. 

 On the whole, the spring of the present year was unquestion- 

 ably a backward one ; and it appears, therefore, that an early 

 spring is not to be looked upon as a sure consequence of a 

 very mild and open winter. 



Winter aconite flowered - - - 



Snowdrop flowered - . - - 



Crocus biflorus flowered - - - 



Phalse^na primaria* appeared 

 Common yellow crocus flowered 

 Crocus revolutus flowered - . ■ - 



ili'usca tenax (drone fly) appeared >v-'odu 'ixft 

 Chafiinch sang J^i^'rvid ms 



Hive bees appeared - -^ ^s^.Q'io^jy 



ieuc6jum vernum flowered *•'' ! i <- 



Rooks began to build - - - 



Purple saxifrage (S. oppositifdlia) flowered 

 Apricot tree flowered 

 Pilewort flowered 

 Wood anemone flowered 

 ^^pis terrestris appeared 



i}in ■.■ ' : 



flock of them throughout the winter. In the spring, however, a considerable 

 party, with their usual attendants, the redwings, frequented the trees near 

 my residence, for the purpose of feeding upon the ivy berries, which they 

 greedily devour at that season of the year. In the month of April I ob- 

 served them, for many days in succession, at the same hour of the morning, 

 pay their regular visit to the same trees, chattering and hopping from 

 branch to branch, and busily employed among the ivy ; and I may men- 

 tion, as rather an extraordinary feat at so late a period of the year, that my 

 man shot eight fieldfares on the premises, in a very short space of time, on 

 the 26th of April. On the 4th of May I observed a small flock of them 

 high in the air, pursuing a straight and steady course towards the north- 

 west. I conceived them to be on their departure, and that I should see 

 no more of them for the season. On the 7th of May, however, some were 

 again seen visiting their favourite ivy trees; and, finally, I saw a few in 

 another part of the parish on the 14th of May. 



* One of the earliest and most constant intimations of approaching 

 spring is the appearance of this insect, and of one or two other moths, 

 floating with expanded wings on the surface of ponds and still water. 



