1 20 The Field Naturalist's Quarterly May 



in flower for first time. Garlic mustard bursting ; spruce 

 fir cones noted ; elder right out ; larch fir greening. Lady- 

 bird seen ; small tortoiseshell and large garden white 

 butterflies on the wing. Green woodpecker noisy. Heard 

 blackcap first time. Field mice out. A friend saw a robin 

 without a beak and another one feeding it ! Saw two sparrow- 

 hawks, and heard the kestrel's love-song. Lichen and wool 

 are often found on the same trees, an occurrence which is 

 very useful to the chaffinch in searching for nesting materials. 



22«^. — Temperature 94° in the sun. Coltsfoot in flower 

 — very late for first occurrence. 



2.i\th — Brimstone butterfly on wing. 



25^A. — White arabis a mass of blossom ; white dead-nettle 

 and yellow rocket first noticed in flower. 



2%ih. — Heartsease, ground ivy, goldilocks, hedge parsley, 

 wild cherry, all in flower. Herb Robert conspicuous, but 

 not in flower yet. Greater whitethroat seen and heard ; 

 heard turtle-dove ; many nightingales in full song. 



■^oth — Lime and horse-chestnut in leaf. 



May 2nd. — First wasp seen. 



^rd. — Hop trefoil, shepherd's needle, and dove's - foot 

 crane's-bill first noted in flower. 



4th. — Delighted to see a goldfinch in my garden ; this 

 bird is increasing in this district. It is now protected all 

 through the year. 



$th. — Oak leaves just showing. Cuckoo-flower, garlic 

 mustard, wood sorrel, cowslip, wild hyacinth, wild straw- 

 berry, marsh marigold, and maple all seen in bloom for first 

 time. Saw house-martins. Dog's mercury seeding ; apple 

 blossom bursting; plum going off"; cherry and pear in full 

 bloom. 



yth. — A song-thrush's nest with six eggs in, found by a 

 friend in a furze bush : the more usual number of eggs is four 

 or five. 



11th. — A hedge-sparrow's nest was found built in a 

 cabbage ! 



12th. — Saw first swifts. Found heron's nest with five 

 eggs, three being duly hatched off, an interesting county 

 record. A magpie came into the tree whilst I was watching 

 and pried round the nest. Peacock butterfly on wing. 



