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14. — EePOET on PnENOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS IN HERTFORDSHIRE 



IN 1877. 



By John Hopkinsox, F.L.S., F.M.S., Hon. Sec. 

 [Read 9th May, 1878.] 



The present Report on Phonological Phenomena differs chiefly 

 from that for 1876 ('Transactions,' Vol. II, p. 37) in comprising 

 returns from three localities — Watford, Ware, and Odsey — whereas 

 in 1876 observations were made at Watford and Ware only. Our 

 additional observer is Mr. H. George Fordham, F.G.S., of Odsey 

 Grange. At Ware Mr. Carter has discontinued observing, so that 

 we are indebted to Lieut. Croft, F.L.S., for all the observations 

 made there. The observations for Watford are contributed as 

 before, where not otherwise stated, by myself. 



Following the same plan as in the previous report, I give first a 

 record of the dates on which the flowers of plants in the Meteoro- 

 logical Society's list were observed to be open. When a date 

 earlier than the actual date of observation is given as the probable 

 day on which any flower opened, a (?) is added as before. In such 

 cases the limit of alteration is three days. 



Of the 44 plants here enumerated (about the same number as 

 in the previous year) it will be seen that 23 were observed by 

 myself at Watford, 26 by Lieut. Croft at Ware, and 19 by Mr. 

 Fordham at Odsey. The dates appear on the average to be about 

 the same at Watford as at Ware, and rather later at Odsey, but so 

 few plants have been observed in all the three localities, that a 

 satisfactory comparison cannot be made. The result arrived at is 

 however what would naturally be expected, Odsey being consider- 

 ably to the north of both Watford and Ware. 



Comparing together the years 1876 and 1877, we fin rl that out 

 of the 38 species of plants observed in both years, 10 came into 

 flower earlier and 10 later in 1877 than in 1876, while 18 flowered 

 at about the same time in both years. Taking each year as a whole 

 there was therefore no difference in the state of vegetation as 

 determined by the flowering of plants. When, however, different 

 months of these two years are compared, it will be found that the 

 earlier dates for 1877 are in the months of February, March, and 

 April, and the later dates chiefly in May and June ; showing that 

 in the early spring vegetation was more forward last year than in 

 1876, while later in the spring and in the summer it was more 

 backward. A reference to a meteorological register will show 

 this to be due to the mild winter of 1876-77, and the cold weather 

 which followed in the spring. At Watford, for instance, the mean 

 temperature of the three winter months (December, January, and 

 February) was 41°-8,* while the mean temperature of March was 

 only 39°-l.f This mild winter weather brought plants into flower 



• ' Transactions,' Vol. I, p. 219. t lb. Vol. II, p. 92. 



