230 CORRESPONDENCE. 



Phenological Observation. — On July 30th, in a garden in Upper 

 Mary Street, Balsall Heath, Birmingham, I saw an apple tree with several 

 bunches of flowers out in full bloom, the tree being covered at the same 

 time with apples of a good size. Is this a common occurrence? — J.M. 



[In wet summers such as the present the abnormal production 

 of flowers on fruit trees and other plants is very common. We were in 

 a garden ten days ago, (August 20th,) where we saw two pear trees in 

 bloom, an apple tree bearing fruit and flowers, also the male aucuba, 

 several kinds of spring-blooming primulas, auriculas, &c, in full bloom. 

 —Eds. M. N.] 



Botanical, &c, Memoeanda from the Cotswolds.— Thinking the 

 record of some plants seen during a walk over the Cotswolds (or that 

 part of them called Leckhampton Hill) during the month of August, 

 1879, would prove interesting to Midland botanists, I have written the 

 following notes. Climbing over most of the hedges may be found two 

 plants scarce in some districts, (particularly the one in which I had been 

 botanising for the past two years, South Herefordshire,) Clematis vitulba 

 and Bryonia dioica. Crossing a field, in which properly speaking I bad 

 no right, I found Chlora perfoliata and the lovely Ophrys apifera. The 

 commensalism existing between these two plants was apparent here, and 

 I had also noticed it in my last botanical district. Among the rocky 

 debris Echium vulgare was found plentifully; and, expanding its limp, 

 yellow corollas in the warm sunshine, Helianthemum vulgare. A little 

 further on I gathered some fine heads of Anthyllis vulneraria. On the 

 top I found Scubiosa Columbaria, Orchis pyramidalis, Campanula rapun- 

 eulus, and the lovely Gentiana Amarella. On Cleeve Hill I have found 

 what I take to be Ophrys aranifera. In a fir wood on the side of Leck- 

 hampton Hill were some fine specimens of Epipactis latifolia; at the foot 

 Centaurea Scabiosa. I may add, for the benefit of Midland conchologists, 

 that Helix pomatia was plentiful on the stone walls at the foot of Leck- 

 hampton Hill. — George T. Hvrris. 



The Mammoth. — A few weeks ago, some workmen engaged at the 

 ballast pit at Helpston. near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, belonging 

 to the Midland Railway Company, dug out a fine tusk of the Mammoth. 

 The tusk was oft. 6in. long and 12£in. in diameter, and was found lying 

 on the shales of the neighbourhood, and beneath sixteen feet of drift. 

 It is now in the possession of the engineers' department avDerby Station. — 

 Another tusk of this gigantic elephant is stated to have been found since 

 the one just described, embedded in the clay that forms the beach at 

 Heme Bay. It was discovered by some fishermen at low tide, and was 

 found to be nearly 8ft. in length and 20in. in circumference. — J. Shipman, 

 Nottingham. 



[I saw the Helpston tusk, and endeavoured, but without success, to 

 obtain it for the Leicester Museum. The place at which it was found — 

 Helpston — is in Northamptonshire, half way between Stamford and 

 Peterborough. The pit is being worked for sand and gravel, and the tusk 

 was at the base, resting on oolitic strata. The specimen was very perfect, 

 and showed the double curvature extremely well ; it was very narrow, com- 

 pared with its length, and I fancy the amount named — 12^ inches — must 

 be the circumference and not the diameter. — W.J.H.] 



Note on the Young of the Swift. — On the 28th of last month, a 

 boy brought me two young Swifts, which he had taken from the roof 

 of a house. They were full fledged but quite unable to fly ; however, I 

 found they could crawl about and climb a little, using the tail as a 

 support. When crawling, their legs seemed incapable of supporting 

 them, so that they could only push themselves along on their breasts. 

 During the night they were restless and noisy, and at times uttered a 



