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time when plants commence flowering in the most favourable season, 

 as well as the end of their flowering. In local Floras especially this 

 should be attended to. That an acceleration in the time of flowering 

 of many of our wild plants has taken place this year, I think I shall 

 be able to prove by my own observations, compared with those of Mr. 

 Forster on the one hand, and the months given in the Floras of 

 Hooker, Babington, and Steele, on the other, which I take as being 

 of most recent date, and one or other in every botanist's possession. 

 I think the subject may be considered interesting as contrasting 

 former seasons with the present ; but I must premise that my observa- 

 tions will probably not fully accord further north than the midland 

 counties. 



The winter was moist and mild, so that it might have been expect- 

 ed that our wild flowers would appear earlier than the general average, 

 and this was the case with one exception. I do not mean, however, 

 to notice stray primroses and oxlips smiling under a warm hedge, but 

 shall commence with the blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), which, unless 

 the season be backward, I have generally seen in flower on April 1st; 

 Mr. Forster, however, says that it " usually blooms about the middle 

 of April." I find this note in my journal, under April 1st, this year: 

 " Sudden summer has at once come upon us, and to-day the tempera- 

 ture is that of July, with quite a feeling of oppression. Damson and 

 plum-trees in gardens, and Prunus spinosa in the hedges, in full 

 flower. The hawthorn is already mostly in leaf, brambles are green 

 with young shoots, the woodbine quite out in leaf, and the young- 

 shoots of roses apparent. White butterflies appeared." 



April 3. — Wild cherry {Primus avium) in flower. Leaves of horse- 

 chesnut and sycamore expanded. Celandines (Ficaria verna) in full 

 expansion. 



On April 8, however, the " blackthorn weather," as country people 

 call it, came on with cold N. E. winds, arresting vegetation in some 

 degree. Yet still, on April 9, hawthorn, elder, and larch, were in full 

 leaf pretty generally ; and the blackthorn's snowy clusters beautify- 

 ing the hedges in all directions. Anemone nemorosa in flower. 



April 13. — The young leaves of lime and birch expanded. Jack- 

 by-the-hedge (Alliaria officinalis) in flower. Forster gives April 28 

 as its first flowering day. May according to Hooker, Babington, 

 and Steele. 



April 17. — The pear orchards beautifully in flower, presenting a 

 glorious spectacle. Martins (Hirundo urbica) first seen this evening. 

 A corps of swallows had been seen on the 10th. 



