74 MICROSCOPY—-METEOROLOGY. 
Schizoxylon corticola, a very lovely object; rare; showing the granulose 
apothecia in various stages. 
Microrunet. 
Arcyria punicea, section of capillitium and spores. 
Endogone microscopica, showing vesicles ; a very singular object. 
Xylaria polymorpha, uniseriate spores and asci. 
Patellaria rhabarbarina, asci and spores; very beautiful. 
Xenodochus carbonarius, showing articulated spores. 
Myxotrichum chartarum, showing branched flocci and spores. 
Triphragmium ulmarie@, showing trilocular spores. 
Phragmidium bulbosum, showing echinulate spores. 
Peziza badia, 
» granulata, all sections of hymenium ; showing asci, spores, 
Ascobolus furfuraceus, and paraphyses in various stages of develop- 
Spheria acuta. ment. 
Pf acuminata, 
Stegonosporium cellulosum, unilocular spores. 
Peronospora infestans, (potato disease,) resting spores. 
inia conti 2 ; 
ECOL COM. spores in various stages of development. 
»  epilobii, 
James EH. BaGnaun. 
METHOROLOGY OF THE MIDLANDS. 
THE WEATHER OF JANUARY, 1879. 
BY W. JEROME HARRISON, F.G.S. 
New Year’s Day was fairly warm and fine, but in the evening the 
wind shifted to N.E., and a severe frost set in, which lasted to the 13th. 
On this day the wind shifted to $.W., (blowing hard,) and a rapid thaw 
took place. This, however, was not to last. On the 16th the wind returned 
to its old quarter ; the thermometer again fell below freezing point, and 
frost continued to the end of the month. The continuance of easterly 
winds was very remarkable, with, in consequence, a high barometer. 
Snow fell heavily on the 3rd and 18th, but there were frequent falls of 
minute ice spicules and some snow as fine assand. ‘The rain-fall was 
decidedly below the average, not exceeding one-half the usual amount in 
many localities. It fell almost entirely as snow and sleet. The sun was 
hardly ever visible, in fact was never seen during the last eight days of 
the month at most stations. At Stokesay a solar halo was seen on the 
1st, and a lunar halo onthe 2nd. A mock sun, bright with prismatic 
colours, was seen at More Rectory at one p.m. on the 16th. Several 
deaths of human beings, from exposure to the cold, falling into snow- 
drifts, &c., have been recorded in the newspapers. So severe and 
protracted a wave of cold as that which has lately passed over us is 
considered to swell the death-rate greatly. Mr. Wetheral, however, 
writes, ‘‘Itis a fact, so far as Worcester is concerned, that during the 
coldest weather fewer deaths took place than have been known at the 
same period of the year for a long time, in some parishes none whatever.” 
Vegetation was extremely backward. In this respect January, 1879, was 
a marked contrast to the same month in 1878, in the first week of 
which the Rev. J. Caswell (see ‘‘ Midland Naturalist,” Vol. I., p. 77) 
found eighty species of wild-flowers in blossom near Birmingham. Mr, 
Caswell says of the present year: ‘‘ The only species of plants I found in 
flower in the first week of January, 1879, were two, the common chick- 
weed and afew stunted specimens of the daisy.” Small birds were either 
conspicuous by their absence, or came daily to be fed. From Shifnal the 
Rev. J. Brooke writes:—‘ The starlings and throstles have all left us ; 
blackbirds came to be fed and remained; rooks dying unless fed.” 
