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2 
( 998) 
NATURALIS!’s MONTHLY REPORT. 
~ : “lavcusr. ? . 
7 neal i Reuping month. 
Now golden Autumn from her open lap 
Het fragrant bounties show’rs ; the fields are shorn 3 
Inwardly smiling, the proud farmer views 
_ Thetrismg pyramids that grace his yard, 
And counts his increase ; his‘barns are stor'dy 
And groaning staddies bend beneath their load. 
THE weather has heen variable throughout the greatest part of the month. In the evening 
"preceding the dst, there was one of the heaviest falls of rain that we have had this year's 
and the succeeding day was very squally, with much rain. From the second to the filth we 
‘had fine weather but the sixth was cloudy, with strong galcs from the south- west and west. 
he 9th was squaliy, with thunder and rain. “The most seasonable weather for the harvest 
“was from the 9th to the $4th, but particularly during the four latter days. On the 24st the 
thermometer, in the shade, was as high as 68°. . The last days of the month were variable; 
and on the 30th and Sist we hadsome heavy gales of wind. e 
August 1. In the evening of this day I was surprized by the ticking,of the Death-watch, 
Termes (Termes pulsatorium of Linnceus) ina small box containing some chrysalids of insects, 
whicli stood ‘very near my writing-desk. I was at first deceived by it, and fancied that the 
noise proceeded from my watch. x 
A redbreast, of this year’s brood, that now flies about wild, and has never been ina cagey 
has become so familiar, that, when called, it will approach the person who attends to it, 
alight upon, and eat out of her hand. : r 
‘August 8th. The following wild plants are in flower :—Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis), 
Marsh Mailow (Althea officinalis), White Horehound (Marrubium vulgare), Hoodéd’ Wil- 
low-herb (Seutellaria ‘alericulata), Lesser Skullcap (Scutel/aria minor), Marsh Samphire (Sa- 
licornia berbacea), Bastard Stone Parsley (Sison Amomum), Meadow Saffron .( Coichicum au. 
" tumnale), and Upright Goosefoot (Chenopodium urbicum). 
uring the warm evenings, after rain, the different species of grasshoppers and Jocusts _ 
are every where very noisy, but particularly about the hedges, and in meadows.—In the even- 
ings, just at the close of day, I have lately remarked that large buti-coloured moth, the 
Drinker Moth (Phalana bombyx poratoria), flying about the hedge-hottoms in considerable 
numbers. <A female of this kind, which I caught on the 2d, laid several eggs, each with a 
green ring round it, andaspot of the same colour in the middle of the upper part. These I 
kept by me til! the 19th of August, when the young caterpillars began to break forth from 
their shells, some of which it is my intention to rear. They feed, without difficulty, oA 
several of the large kinds of grass which grow in the hedge bottoms. 
August 20. }saw a Guat-sutker this evening, but have not seen one since.—-The young 
broods of the Gold-finch begin to fly about. d : 
The seeds of the Spindle-tree (EZwonymus europeus) begin to take their beautifully red 
colour. 
August 26. The employment of the Leeth-catchers is at an end for this Season, as the 
Jeeches nv longer swim about as'they do during the spring and summer months. ‘They are 
now concealed in the weeds and mud. ii tet , 
August 29." The ‘following autumnal garden’ plants are in flower:—China Aster (Aster 
Chinensis), Ytalian Aster (Aster amellus), Althaa frutex (Hibiscus syriacus), tough-leaved Phlo- 
mis (Phlomis berba venti), shewy Aster (Aster spectabilis), jagged-leaved Rudbeckia (Rudbeckica 
Iacimata), and purple Rudbeckia (Rudbeckia purpurea). ; nS ae WAL us 
Avgust 31; In this part of England, the oat,'wheat, and rye, crops, are nearly all housed,, 
and for the most part, m the best possible state. Much of the barley is yet uncut, — state 
Hampsbires Piet canna oe 
Se SE 
MONTHLY BOTANICAL REPORT. 
PARADISUS LONDINENSIS. Any petty variety that has the good luck to be touched. 
* “by Mr. Salisbury, is sure to be graciously elevated to the rank of a species at least 5 and. 
we know of no instance, during the whole of his botanical career, of his ever having degraded 
2 species, how mouch soever it might have merited it. In this month’s number we have the 
Dianthus fragrans, alias plumarius with white flowérs, from which, however, it is said to differ 
in its entire leaves, smooth petals, and shorter stigmas. Perchance next year Mr. S. may, 
have the mortification to’see all these important characters vanished. He was probably not. 
aware that Molinieri contrived, by varied treatment of the Dianthus plumavius, to produce, 
mioré than thirty varieties of it in the course of one year. Pr 
e > Salva 
