ENTOMOLOGICAL KAMBLES IN THE MIDLANDS. 89 



nature's gems. Ah ! there is one sitting unsuspectingly on a leaf 

 of devil's bit scabious, and positively gleaming in the sun's rays; but, 

 wary to a degree, he has discei'ued our intrusive presence and disappeared 

 amongst the thick turf. After a long search (in prosecuting which we 

 discover some young plants of the Moonwort, Botrychium lunaria, just 

 peeping through the soil) we capture our prize and place him, as becomes 

 his rarity, in a small bottle by himself. With this red-letter capture I 

 think we may fairly terminate this day's ramble, especially as we are so 

 near to Knowle station, with a train due in less than ten minutes. We 

 have, however, only got through about half our programme — the 

 original intention having been to extend our explorations to Hampton-in- 

 Arden and Coleshill — I fancy, however, that those places will be quite 

 sufficient in themselves for another half-day's excursion, and so we 

 contentedly resign ourselves to circumstances and the railway train, 

 hoping soon to meet again and complete our little tour. 



METEOROLOGY OF THE MIDLANDS. 

 THE WEATHER OF FEBRUARY, 1880. 



BY W. JEROME HARRISON, F.G.S. 



The long cold and dry period which began in October ended about 

 the 4th of February ; from this date to the end of the month showers 

 fell almost daily, although no single fall was of very great amount. The 

 total rainfall of February is somewhat above the average, and there Were 

 slight floods from the 16th to the 18th. Rather strong S.-W. winds 

 prevailed, with a low and fluctuating barometer. Temperature was 

 decidedly above the average ; the first week was foggy, but there was on 

 the whole a fair amount of sunshine. Storms of thunder and hail, but of 

 no great intensity, occurred on the 8th, 20th, and 27th. Altogether the 

 month may be characterised as mild, moist, and windy, leading us to 

 hope for a bright and warm summer. 



* * * As a regular reader of and contributor to the " Midland 

 Naturalist," I should like to make two suggestions to those who contri- 

 bute Natural History notes : — 1st, It would add much to the interest of 

 the notes if they referred to wild flowers only ; because however interest- 

 ing a garden may be to the owner, it does not interest those who only 

 read of it ; in addition to which the flowers in a garden, however roughly 

 kept, are grown under much more favourable conditions than wild 

 flowers. 2nd, the value of the notes would be increased if, in addition to 

 the name and date of flowering, the situation, soil, and aspect of the 

 place of growth were also given, and arranged in a tabular form. — 

 Observes. 



