40 PHENOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS IN 1876. 



Comparing: these few records with those for 1876, it is at once 

 seen that in 1875 phmts were considerably earlier in flower tlian in 

 1876, and that birds appeared also a few days earlier. A further 

 comparison of one year with another may be made in future 

 reports, but we can now only draw attention to the fact that 1876 

 was "a late year," this being due, as reference to any meteoro- 

 logical register would show, to the coldness of the spring and 

 early summer — the temperature of the months of March to June 

 inclusive being considerably below the average. 



It only remains for me to ask for more assistance than I have 

 hitherto received, so that future reports may be more worthy of 

 our Society. Any notes that may have been made during the 

 year now drawing to a close will be gladly received ; and I would 

 especially urge upon those of our members who have frequent 

 opportunities of taking walks in the country — and there must be 

 many who have, and who would perhaps more often take a country 

 walk if they had an object in view — to note down next year the 

 time of flowering of as many of the plants in our list as they 

 possibly can, and to forward their notes monthly to me, together 

 with specimens of the flowers, when these can be procured. The 

 entire plants are not required, and the flowers need only be roughly 

 pressed, by placing them within the leaves of a book for instance. 

 Observations of as many as possible of the insects and birds also 

 should be made; but it is not necessary that any one member should 

 take the entire list of species — some may observe the plants, others 

 the insects, others the birds. There are few among us who do not 

 notice some of these. " In fact," as Lieut. Croft said in his paper 

 before referred to, "we all do notice these occurrences, though we 

 may not record them." This is what is required — not merely to 

 look out at the commencement of the new year for the first snow- 

 drop, and to listen daily from about the middle of April for the 

 first note of the cuckoo and nightingale, but also to record what is 

 observed. 



