198 THE WEATHER OF MAY. 



There ia no donbt that the month was one of the wettest, if 

 not the wettest May on record in the Midhmd Counties. Observa- 

 tions going back more than forty years show nothing to surpass 

 it, although an approach is made by the May of 1809, which, we 

 may hopefully note, was followed by a very dry summer. At every 

 Midland station, however, the rainfall of May, 1878, may be taken as 

 from two to three times the average amount for that month. At many 

 points on the west and south-west, the 10th was the day of maximum 

 fall, but in the centre and east most fell on the 7th and 8th. Owing to 

 the superabundance of moisture, the foliage and gi-ass are unusually 

 forward, luxuriant, and green ; but wheat begins to suffer, garden seeds 

 have decayed in the ground, and slugs and grubs are very abundant. 

 Bees, however, have had a bad time of it. The barometer has been low 

 and fluctuating ; temperature equable, with hardly any frost, but httle 

 sunshine and south-westerly winds. Thunderstorms have been frequent, 

 those on the 1st, 13th, 17th, 18th, and 27th may be specially noted. The 

 Swift was seen at Tamworth on the 4th, Kibworth on the 5th, and 

 Castle Ashby on the loth. Corncrake heai-d at Burton on 1st, and 

 Castle Ashby on 4th ; also, at last place. White-throat on same day. 

 Horse-chestnut flowered at Stroud on 5tli, at Burton on 3rd ; Hawthorn 

 and Labm-num canae out about the 7th, but the show of each has been 

 brief and poor. 



Corrcspnbtntc. 



White Eagged Robin (Lychnis Flos-cuculi.) — Allow me to record 

 that I have this day found a pure white foi'm of this plant. — S. 



Chelidonium majus. — Whilst on a visit to a village on the borders of 

 Notts last year, one of the party said he remembered the spot in a lane 

 where a plant of Chi'lidoniuni iiiajiis grew when he was last there thirty- 

 eight years before. On going to the spot to our surprise we saw a plant of 

 the same kind. Is it not rather curious that the habitat had not been 

 destroyed during the course of so many years ? — H. Johnson. 



Fueshwater Aquarium. — I should feel much obliged for detailed 

 directions how to maintain a freshwater aquarium in good condition. Is 

 it possible to keep alive for any length of time such beautiful and 

 interesting creatures as the freshwater polyzoa, melicerta, conochilus, 

 &c. ? If so, how ?— M. Beete. 



Cuckoo. — A few evenings ago, as I was standing in the garden 

 listening to the Cuckoo, one bird very much astonished me, by several 

 times singing " Cuck-cnck-cuck-cuck-cuck-cuck-coo," rei^eatiug the flrst 

 note, as near as I could count, half a dozen times, but it may have been 

 oftener. Is this a common vai-iation of the bird's usually almost 

 monotonous song? Tome it seemed a clear case of " too many 'cucks. ' " — N. 



Redpoll. — Can any of your ornithological readers tell me what bird 

 is distinguished by the above name ? I find, on referring to the "Wild 

 Birds' Protection Act, 1872," that the "RedpoU" is mentioned in the 

 schedule. Would it be considei'ed that under this name is included the 

 brown linnet, which some early ornithologists have, I believe in error, 

 called the " Greater Iledpoll ? " I shall also be glad to have an opinion as 

 to the correctness of that term, " Gi'eator RodpoU." Is the brown linnet 

 known by that name now ? If so, would it be covered by the term 

 " Redpoll," or is that name so generally applied to a particular species as 

 to preclude such an extended signification being given to it ? — Fred. W. 



ROTHERA. 



