Fat 
q* 
THE WEATHER OF OCTOBER. 307 
At last we can record a cessation of the continuous wet which marred 
the summer of 1879. Although little rain fell, yet the effect of previous 
“downpours and the thorough saturation of the ground was visible in the 
damp condition of the atmosphere, and the consequent heavy fogs which 
prevailed, more especially during the first half of the month; for the 
same reason there was little sunshine. Light easterly winds prevailed, 
with a high barometer. The harvest was in the main secured by the 
middle of the month, but was very deficient in quantity and quality. 
Narurat History Nores sy Ossmrvers.—Spondon.—Of moths, 
Mamoestra brassice has b2en abundant, and of course destructive. Very 
few Plusia gammz have been seen. Burton-upon-Trent.—Wasps very late 
and scarce; Ladybirds plentiful. Nottingham.—Scarcely any wall fruit 
has hal the right flavour, and all had the appearance of wanting more 
sun. Coventry—A wonderful crop of plums and damsons, but they 
have not for the most part ripened well, or come to much perfection. 
The dull and sunless character of the season has deprived the fruit of its 
usual flavour. Cheltenham.—A sharp frost on the 16th, causing the 
leaves to fall rapilly from some trees, and giving others their beautiful 
autumnal tints. By the end of the month the elm trees and oaks alone 
kept their foliage, that of others—as horse chestnuts and walnuts—being 
all off, or very much thinned. JWrottesley.—Fieldfares first seen on the 
5th. More Rectory.—A few Redwings seen on 29th. Strowd—Swallows 
finally left on 9th. Hodsock Priory.—First gray Crow, (Corvus cornizx, ) 
seen on 24th. Shifnal.—The harvest at length completed by the middle 
of the month; but all grain, although not greatly damaged, most 
deficient in yield. Damsons, an immense crop, 2d. per quart. Hazel- 
nuts also abundant. Apples almost a failure, but Pears abundant, 
although many sorts cracked all over. Only one Peacock Butterfly seen 
as yet; notasingle Red Admiral. A Humming-bird Sphinx caught on 
27th. Farley, near Cheadle-—Turdus merula seen only occasionally; T. 
musicus become almost a rara avis in this neighbourhood. October 5th, 
noticed a few Blackberries ripe ; Hazelnuts fairly plentiful, and ripening 
to full kernel; same evening observed Spirea ulmaria, (Meadow Sweet,) 
still in flower. October 9th, Elm and Mountain Ash becoming rapidly 
bare. October 13th, top of Sycamore bare. October 16th, gathered 
some fine Wild Strawberries, quite ripe, and very fully matured. 
Ostober 18th, samples of Hlm, Sycamore, and Lime generally bare. 
October 20th, Harebell still in flower. October 21st, some Horse 
Chestnuts quite bare. October 22nd, ‘‘ Hips and Haws” plentiful and 
fully ripe. October 25th, top of Beech bare; Acacia bare. October 
26th, Harebell still in flower; same day noticed quantities of unripe 
Blackberries—a very little ripe fruit, blighted, (evidently by the recent 
frost.) October 29th, Birch, Wild Cherry, Lime, and Beech generally 
bare ; Elm, Sycamore, and Horse Chestnut “‘ universally” bare; Yellow 
Gorse in flower. October 30th, saw a Digitalis purpurea, (Foxglove,) well 
in flower. Geranium pratense (?) generally in flower at end of month. 
Ph Au f 
Correspondence, 
— es 
Lepropora HyALINA.— ‘‘ Enquirer” is quite wrong in saying (p. 283) 
that in the order Cladocera the limbs are always enclosed within the 
carapace. If he will refer to Baird’s Entomostraca, (p. 62,) he will find 
that the whole body except the head is so enclosed ; (but not the feet.) 
In the first family Daphniade, there are five or six pairs of feet, all 
enclosed within the valves of the carapaces, (p. 62;) but in the second 
family Polyphemide, there are four pairs of legs, not contained within 
the shell; (p. 111.) Therefore the Leptodora is not excluded from the. 
Cladocera on account of its feet being without the carapace—W. S 
Beaumont, Bowdon, Cheshire, 
