with Meteoric Phenomena and prevalent Disorders. 291 



Snow and frost. 23d, Ground white with snow, as far as the horizon, till 

 nine a. m. 24th, Blackbirds. 29th, Geologising in the Bas Boulonnais, 

 found snow two and three feet deep, evidently drifted, in the ditches and 

 hollows on the chalk downs at Haut Buisson, and above Blanc Nez; also 

 on Mont St. Lambert, near Boulogne. I was told it fell three weeks 

 before, when the weather was very inclement. 31st, A very hot day; 

 earthquake at Horsham, Sussex ; frogs croaking at night (Boulogne). 



April 1st, Heavy rain from S. E. (Hardinghen to Calais.) 2d, Calm 

 and warm till noon ; Channel strewed with wreck ; thick fog and rain at 

 Dover, three p.m. 5th, Very warm (Parkstone), 11th, Nightingale 

 first heard. 12th, Hail, rain, snow, lightning, thunder. 13th, Hail and 

 lightning; notwithstanding the cold, saw a brimstone butterfly, bees 

 foraging, and a red butterfly (species unknown, seen at a distance). 16th, 

 Thunder-storm. 17th, Frost; lilac in bud; tulips in blossom. 18th, 

 Frost in the morning; gnats in great numbers; cuckoo first heard. 19th, 

 Blackthorn in blossom ; 22d, Two swallows seen at the sand hills on the 

 shore. 21st, Mountain ash in leaf. 23d, Laburnum in leaf; turnip in 

 blossom. 24th, Horsechestnut and maple in leaf. 28th and 29th, Hail. 

 30th, Rain. 



May 1st and 2d*, Heavy gale all day, with great rain. 3d, Gale till 

 noon ; oaks in leaf. 4th, Very warm ; lime and hornbeam in leaf; swal- 

 lows building. 5th, Warm and bright ; beech in full leaf. 6th, Elm in 

 leaf; apple trees in full blossom. 8th, Cold fog from westward. 9th, 

 Warm again; frogs croaking loud. 10th, Laburnum in blossom. 17th, 

 Red mullet in Poole Harbour. 21st, Thick sea fog from the east, f 



In addition to these facts, I may mention farther, that the 

 red mullet (native of a warm climate) was seen in the fish- 

 market at Boulogne sur Mer on the 19th of March, and that 

 the quail was heard at Carrickfergus on the 24th of March, 

 at least six weeks earlier than it is usually heard there. The 

 mackerel has also this year indicated a striking intelligence. 

 It is well known that, in London, mackerel in the market, 

 and snow on the ground, were contemporaneous not many 

 weeks since ; but this fish was taken in immense quantities, 

 together with the pilchard, in Mount's Bay, Cornwall, so 

 early as December, 1832 ; and it will be long ere the extra- 

 ordinary scene exhibited by the activity of the fishing-boats 

 during the short days of "dark December," will be obli- 



* Having been confined to my bed from May 1. to May 6. by an attack 

 of influenza, I have not been able to register all the occurrences of those 

 days; but those mentioned are accurate. My illness has afforded me, 

 however, an opportunity of confirming a fact alluded to by G. W., Mr. 

 Murray, Mr. White, and J. D., in p. 199. of this Volume. I have heard 

 cuckoos all night long, at times unceasingly. As in this wild country trees 

 are not much more common than these " rarce aves" those who, like me, 

 happen to have a few trees about their houses, know well that the cuckoo 

 does sing by night. 



f By a register kept by Mr. John Bransby, at Ipswich, it appears that, 

 during the first fifteen weeks of 1833, more rain fell than was ever remem- 

 bered. In 1832 the quantity which fell between January 4. and April 28. 

 was 2-45 inches; whereas from January 7. to April 27. 1833, 17'8 inches 

 fell. 



There were considerable thunder-storms in Suffolk on April 11. 28. and 

 30., and on the 30th much hail fell. 



u 2 



