OBSEETED IX HEHTFOnDSHIKE 1^1895. 101 



week iu April, the previous ■warm weather, although there had 

 been a marked deficiency of sunshine, began at last to inci'ease 

 perceptibly the underground temperature. This is shown by the 

 next plant on the list, the garlic hedge-mustard, which was only 

 four days behind its average time of coming into flower. The 

 horse-chestnut was a week earlier and the hawthorn a day earlier 

 than their respective means, while the white ox-eye was only two 

 days late. 



The thrush, taking all the stations reporting upon it, was first 

 heard on February 25th, or forty days behind its average date for 

 the county. All the spring migrants on the list arrived at about 

 their usual time, the swallow being one day late, the cuckoo one 

 day early, and the flycatcher two days late. 



The honey-bee was not seen to visit flowers until March 17th, 

 or forty- seven days later than usual. Wasps, however, made their 

 appearance only two days late. The small white butterfly was 

 eight days late, while the orange-tip butterfly, judging by the only 

 two records sent in, was ten days late. 



Several observers remark on the very scanty show of blossom 

 on the hawthorn, "some of the bushes," as stated by Miss Warner, 

 " being without a single bud." 



My report would not be complete without some mention of the 

 strong gale of March 24th ; but, as this has been dealt with in 

 a separate paper by Mr. John Hopkinson,* I will only state here 

 that this gale appears to have been as severely felt in Hertford- 

 shire as in almost any part of the country. The velocity of the 

 wind on that occasion was the greatest that has as yet been recorded 

 by my anemograph since it was first erected at Berkhamsted in the 

 spring of 1885. Mr. Little, writing from Hitchin, states that he 

 saw four trees, all elms, uprooted in a quarter of an hour, and 

 that he counted thirty-six trees (elms, a few poplars, and one ash) 

 which had been blown down within a comparatively small area. 

 He adds that a friend counted fifty- six uprooted trees in the same 

 locality — between Hitchin and Arlesey. 



The Summer. 



Throughout the first half of the season the weather continued 

 very warm and dry, but during the second half the temperatures 

 were, as a rule, rather low for the time of year, and the rainfall 

 was exceptionally heavy. In order to give some idea as to the 

 trying nature of the drought, which may be said to have lasted 

 from the end of April until the middle of July, to all but 

 deep-rooted plants, I may state that for seven consecutive weeks 

 not a di'op of rain-water came through the two and a half feet 

 of soil in either of my percolation- gauges — one containing the 

 heaviest, and the other the lightest soil of the district. Then, 

 as giving some explanation of the surprising nature of the change 

 that took place when the rainy period set in, it should be mentioned 



* ' Transactious,' Vol. YIII, p. 199. 



