136 J. HOPKINSON — EEPOET ON PHENOLOGICAL 



as an association of observers of Nature. Yet comparatively few of 

 our members assist in tbis work, and I am still wisbtul for more ob- 

 servers, tbat we may be pretty sure tbat few species of jilants open 

 their flowers, few birds arrive or commence their song, few insects 

 appear, a day before they are observed somewhere in the county. 



Of the 71 species of plants in the Meteorological Society's list, 

 the time of flowering of 65 has been observed in Hertfordshire. 

 Of these we observed 45 at or near Watfoid ; 31 were observed by 

 Mrs. Arnold at Redbourn Bury near St. Albans; 58 by Mr. Willis 

 at Harpenden ; 53 by Mr. Andrews in the neighbourhood of 

 Hertford; 28 by Mr. Croft near Ware; 14 by Miss Donagan at or 

 near Sawbridgeworth ; and 23 by Mr. Fordham at Odsey. 



The earliest dates, on the average, in proportion to the number 

 of species observed, are those recorded for Watford and Hertford, 

 and then follow, nearly equal, those for St. Albans, Ware, Odsey, 

 Harpenden, and Sawbridgeworth, in the order in which the places 

 are here given. 



Comparing this year with the mean of the three previous years, 

 as given in the table in the last report,* we find that 2 species 

 are recorded as having come into flower earlier in 1879 than the 

 mean date recorded for the years 1876 to 1878; 56 later than in 

 those years ; and 6 at about the same time as the previous mean 

 date, showing that in 1879 vegetation was very backward. Of 

 these 64 species ( Cardamine Mrsuta is omitted, not having been 

 noticed before 1879), the average date of flowering throughout the 

 year is 13 days later than the mean date for the three previous 

 years; and the average date for 1879 of the 62 species which were 

 observed also in 1878 is 22 days later than in that year, the seasons 

 thus appearing, from the evidence afforded by the time of floweiing 

 of plants, to have been on the average throughout the year fully 

 three weeks later in 1879 than in 1878, and about a fortnight later 

 than the mean of 1876-78. 



Comparing the different months in 1879 with the mean for the 

 three previous years, it will be found that in February the mean 

 date of flowering of three species observed is 12 days later in 

 1879 ; that in March observations of ten species give a mean of 12 

 days later; in April seven give a mean of 16 days later; in May 

 thirteen give a mean of 1 6 days later ; in June fifteen give a mean 

 of 10 days later ; and in July twelve give a mean of 7 days later. 

 After July there is not a sufiicient number of observations to carry 

 on the comparison, but the generul result brought out is that the 

 retardation of the dates of flowering shows an increase from the 

 close of winter to the middle of spring, and then a gradual decrease 

 to beyond the middle of summer. Had observations been continued 

 as in the earlier months, for the remainder of the year, the dates 

 would most probably have continued to approximate those of pre- 

 vious years, the cold weather at the beginning of the year having 

 the greatest effect in retarding vegetation in the spring. 



* 'Trans. Watford Nat. Hist. Soc.,' Vol. II, pp. 234, 235. 



