Indications of Spring. 127 



out, but, on the contrary, because it is living ; and it appears 

 to me that the phenomena exhibited by the Conferva setacea, 

 when immersed in fresh water, are very analogous to those of 

 the Lurg-worm. It is a living body labouring under the effects 

 of poison; and the bursting up of its septa, the breaches 

 formed in its sides, the curdling, and spasmodic explosion of 

 its colouring matter, are, like the convulsions of the worm, the 

 symptoms which characterise its expiring struggles in the arms 

 of a deadly foe. 



It is obvious that what I have said respecting the dissemi- 

 nation of the Lurg-worm will equally apply to these plants. 

 The ocean is their prescribed element, and they can never 

 appear under any form or variety in lakes, rivers, or any col- 

 lection of fresh water whatever. 



How extensive the field may be which these remarks are 

 calculated to lead to I cannot conjecture : but I apprehend 

 there can be little doubt that many interesting facts of an ana- 

 logous kind remain in store for future observation ; and I hope 

 that I may again have an opportunity of laying before the 

 Society farther information on this subject. 



Art. it. Indications of Spring, By Robert Marsham, Esq., and 

 Lord Suffield. Communicated by R. C. Taylor, Esq. F.G.S. 



The following Table of the " indications of spring " con- 

 tains the result of more than sixty years' observation, by Ro- 

 bert Marsham, Esq., of Stratton Strawless, in the county of 

 Norfolk ; a gentleman of whom it need scarcely be premised 

 that he was an attentive and accurate observer of the pheno- 

 mena of nature. In this work he probably derived some 

 assistance, latterly, from his neighbour Lord Suffield. Strat- 

 ton Hall, where Mr. Marsham recorded his remarks, is nearly 

 in the centre of Norfolk, and its neighbourhood was greatly 

 embellished by the judicious skill which he exhibited in the 

 rural art of planting. The Table was printed for private dis- 

 tribution many years ago, but I am not aware that it was 

 otherwise published. At all events the register is so curious 

 and so appropriate to the design of your Magazine, that it well 

 deserves an early place in its pages. I have introduced an 

 essential alteration in the arrangement, for the sake of a better 

 classification of the indications. To the meteorologist, also, 

 this document cannot fail to be acceptable, since it marks the 

 range of variation in the climate of the eastern part of the 

 kingdom. The earliest date recorded is the year 1735j and 



K 4 



