138 PHEXOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS IN 1879. 



Littleboy ; Sacombe, April 17 — Abel S. H. Smith; Hertford, April 

 19—11. T. A.; April 21— H. C. Heard; Kimpton, April 25— Rev. 

 T. D. Croft; Asliwell, April 25— H. G. F. ; Odsey, April 27— H. G.F. 

 Last seen at Odsey, Oct. 10 — H. G. F. 



93. Ctjpftelus Apus (swift). Seen at Hunton Bridge, May 5 — R. 

 D. East; King's Langley, May 5 — T. Toovey ; Harpenden, May 

 14_J. J. W. ; Ash well. May 16— H. G. F. ; Hemel Hempstead, 

 May 18— J. E. Littleboy; Ware, May 19— E. B. C. ; Odsey, May 

 23— H. G. F. 



97. Rana temporaria (common frog). Spawn seen at Hertford, 

 March 9 — R. T. A. ; Harpenden, March 10 — J. J. W; St. Albans, 

 April 9— Mrs. Arnold; Ware, April 10— R. B. C. 



Selecting from these the phenomena noticed also in 1878, we find 

 that the honey-bee was first seen in the county 38 days later than 

 in that year, the large white cabbage-butterfly 1 1 days later, and the 

 small white cabbage-butterfly 22 days earlier; that the fly-catcher 

 was first seen 6 days later, the field-fare 5 days later, the swallow 

 3 days earlier, and the swift on the same day; that the song-thrush 

 was first heard 36 days earlier, the nightingale 7 days later, the 

 skylark 1 1 days later, and the cuckoo 1 day earlier ; that rooks 

 began to build 1 3 days later ; and that frog-spawn was first seen 5 

 days later. These 13 species give an average date for 1879 of 5^ 

 days later that 1878 ; and it would thus appear that animals are 

 not so much affected by the seasons as plants are. 



The appearance in unusual numbers of a species of moth, Nudaria 

 nnmdana, at Harpenden, on the 13th of December, is noticed at 

 page xvii of the present volume of our ' Transactions.' 



