Indicatorial Calendar. 99 



desperate condition, and, in a great measure, redeemed them. The season 

 may, nevertheless, be reckoned among our earliest ones, preceding by, at 

 least, ten days or a fortnight, those of ordinary occurrence ; but, owing to 

 the want of radiating sun-heat, fruits have not acquired their perfect flavour 

 or full size this year. 



September. Maximum of heat in the shade on the 5th, the wind in the 

 east, 68°; minimum of the same on the loth, the wind in the north, 6S° \ 

 mean temperature in the shade at 1 P.M. 64° j maximum of sun's radiating 

 heat on the 2d 84°; mean radiating sun's heat at 1 P.M. 69°; excess of 

 the sun's heat on the 28th, one-thirteenth; thermometer buried 12 inches 

 at the foot of a south wall 60°, at 2 feet 60°; 12 inches deep at the foot ; 

 of a north wall 58°, 2 feet 59'^. Well water 26 feet deep 33-5°. Range 

 of the barometer from 29*20. to 29-78. Thunder on the 15th, wind shift- 

 ing from south to north ; heavy rain on the 23d, high wind on the 24th 

 from the south, and since from the west. The musk rose in blow on the 

 1st, Clethra arborea on the 4th, Bignonia radicans major on a south aspect 

 on the 19th, Colchicum autumnale on the 28th; Elruge nectarine ripe on 

 the 5d, purple fig on the 4th, Kerry pippin on the 1 4th, Marseilles fig on the 

 18th, aromatic russet apple and Williams's Bonchretien pear on the 19th, 

 Bourdine peach on the 22d, mulberry on the 23d, Bell's scarlet apple on' 

 the 25th, dwarf Ischia fig on the 30th, autumn Bergamot pear on the 29th. 

 The first nine or ten days of this month were valuable for completing the 

 harvest ; high winds and rain predominated in the latter part. Vegetables 

 are this year abundant and of good quality ; the fruits which escaped the 

 late frosts are, in general, stunted and ill-flavoured, though ripening early. 

 — J. R. Kilkenny. 



Art. VII. Indicatorial Calendar, 



The two ensuing months are the most interesting to the naturalist of 

 the whole year. With ethereal mildness come forth vegetable and animal 

 tribes, which the winter had hidden or banished. 



Flora. In the garden and fields the appearance of the early flowers, and 

 swelling of the pregnant buds, indicate the advancing season, showing the 

 stage of its advancement, by comparing present appearances with those of 

 the like kind which happened in bygone years. Every bed or border flower, 

 every bulb or tuber, are now in motion, rising in gay succession ; while the 

 mellowed ground is receiving its charge of annual seeds. 



Fauna. The birds that live constantly with us are the first of the animal 

 creation which are actuated by seasonal changes. Many of them are pre- 

 paring for the business of nidification. The raven and common owl are 

 usually leaders ; then the rook, jack-daw, and redbreast. Crows, magpies, 

 and jays are later. Among song-birds, the song-thrush, missel-thrush, and 

 afterwards the blackbird, are among the early builders ; but all these are 

 much governed by situation : the inhabitants of a warm, extensive shrub- 

 bery of evergreens begin their social connections much sooner than those 

 located in the bleak forest. But our chief seasonal birds are the emigrants. 

 The first is the chifF-chaff": this httle bird is sometimes heard so early as the 

 8th of March. Along with it appears the whinchat and stonechat : the 

 latter is supposed not to leave England entirely, but only shifts from one 

 part of the island to another. The redstart may be expected about the 

 8th of April ; the swallow on the 13th ; cuckoo, nightingale, wryneck, black- 

 cap, willow wren, pettychaps, white-throat, and lesser white-throat, about 

 the 20th ; the house, sand, and black martens about the 25th ; and the 

 turtle-dove and flycatcher about the 30th. Mr. Sweet says, that mapy of 



H 2 ' 



