194 



flowering about the middle of May for some years past ; yet Hooker 

 and Babington say June, and Steele even July. It flowers full three 

 weeks before (E. pimpinelloides, and longer still before CE. Lachenalii, 

 so that it may be identified by its early flowering alone. It becomes 

 withered and almost lost by the middle of June. 



Ash-trees and black poplars now in full frondescence, and the leaf- 

 age of trees completed. 



May 16. — Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi) in flower. May 22 is 

 Forster's average date; May and June, Babington and Steele; June, 

 Hooker. 



Elder (Sambucus nigra) in flower. This tree has certainly flowered 

 this season much earlier than usual ; all the Floras indicate June, and 

 Mr. Forster gives June 13 as the "sheep-shearing day," the sign of 

 which was, according to Dyer, the flowering elder. 



" If verdant Elder spreads 

 Her silver flowers, if bumble daisies yield 

 To yellow Crowfoot and luxuriant grass, 

 Gay shearing-time approaches." 



I have before observed in Bot. Looker-Out that " the elder is very 

 characteristic of our transient summer, which can never be said to be 

 established till the perfume of its sulphur umbels loads the evening air, 

 and this frequently happens the last week in May, but in 1839 the 

 flowers were not expanded till June 17 ;" a month's difference between 

 that and the present season ! 



Great summer daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum) in flower. 

 June, say all the Floras, and Forster says that it is " not abundant till 

 about St. Barnaby, whence the name (June 11)." But the fact is that 

 it always begins to flower in May, and the saint seems to have no just 

 claim to its appropriation. 



Mouse-ear hawkweed (Hieracium pilosella) in full flower. 



Papaver Argemone in flower numerously. Forster fixes it from 

 " May 24 to June 10." The Floras say generally June. 



Glaux maritima in flower by the side of the saline Droitwieh canal. 

 June, Babington ; July, Hooker and Steele. 



May 17.— Rosa canina in flower. Very early. " Wild roses," says 

 Forster, " belong to the Solstitial Flora, and flower in June and July." 



Viburnum Opulus in flower. June, say the Floras. 



Hypochseris radicata in flower. July according to Hooker, Babing- 

 ton, and Steele. 



Sonchus oleraceus in flower. June, all the Floras 



