its cultivated state, and the mountain ash or rowan tree, are now 

 both in full leaf, and their blossoms in bud. I saw a splendid 

 example of the mountain ash a few weeks ago in Blackhill Woods, 

 above Sabden. I estimated its height to be not less than forty- 

 five feet ; it is the tallest I have ever seen. There, too, I heard 

 the plaintive " coo-goo-roo-oo " of the ringdove, and, following 

 the sounds, found its broken white eggs at the foot of a larch, 

 the handiwork probably of some mischievous m-chin, or possibly 

 of the jay or some other bird. The tender young leaves of the 

 beach, of a most charming golden green just bursting from the 

 bud, are found to be packed three or four together, all neatly 

 and beautifully folded fi'om the centre outwards like a lady's 

 fan ; every branching vein of the leaf forming a fold in the fan, 

 and all cased in a handle or sheath of rich coppery red and 

 orange, while the edges of the leaves, (as is oftimes also the 

 fashion in fans,) are bordered with a delicate silvery fringe. The 

 unopened buds, long and sharply pointed, with orange and gold 

 tips, are equally charming to look upon when examined in detail. 

 Here in Barlick Park are some curious old hawthorns, one about 

 thirty feet high and almost as upright and straight growing as a 

 Lombardy poplar ; and several others with their ancient trunks 

 intertwined about each other in a most eccentric manner. Near 

 Barden Tower there are several thorns from forty to fifty feet 

 high ; there is one about fifty feet high by the river-side near 

 Broughton Hall Lodge ; and another fine tree in Alkincoats Park, 

 whose spread of branches is over forty yards in chcumference. 

 There are also several fine specimens in Mr. Ealph Assheton's 

 grounds, near Downham ; and in the village of Waddington is 

 to be seen a fair-sized hawthorn tree growing both red and white 

 blossoms ; it has two trunks, but both kinds of blossom grow 

 from each trunk. The season generally being a late one, I 

 ramble down to Paythorne Bridge, thinking I may yet be in time 

 to see the salmon descending tail foremost to the sea ; but though 

 I " linger on the bridge " a full half-hour, gazing intently into 

 the waters below, I see only the black-backed trout, darting 

 hither and thither at the bottom, and their counter-parts the 

 martins with their glossy purple backs and white tail coverts, 

 glancing to and fi-o, a few feet above its surface, and occasionally 

 dipping their beaks into it ; some silently intent upon their prey, 

 and others joyfully twittering as they fly, the latter probably 

 sending a love-note to their mates sitting on their new-made 

 nests, under the eaves of the adjacent cottage, or possibly under- 

 neath the arches of the bridge, for as our " sweet Shakespeare " 

 says, " No jutty, frieze, buttress, nor coigne of vantage, but this 

 bird hath made his pendent bed and procreant cradle ; where 

 they most breed and haunt, I have observed the air is delicate." 

 These bfrds are the common house martins ; the sand martin is 



