FIRST APPEARANCES Of BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 271 



GORSE BLOOM EXCEPTIONALLY PLENTIFUL. In spite of the 

 phenomenal abundance of gorse bloom in the spring of 1903, 

 which one would have expected to have somewhat exhausted 

 the bushes, and the fact that the abnormally cold and sunless 

 summer that followed was anything but conducive to the 

 ripening of the wood, gorse bloom was again unusually plentiful 

 in Purbeck. The show of it, although far inferior to that of the 

 previous year, when a large proportion of the bushes were 

 smothered in blossoms crowded thickly and tightly together, 

 was decidedly above the average, and very beautiful (E. R. B.). 



NOTES ON WEATHER. 



CHARD. A lovely summer and autumn. August 3rd was the 

 hottest day, about 85 degrees in the shade. Corn harvest began 

 at Chardstock on July ipth. The week October i6th to 2 2nd 

 was warm, bright, and summer-like, and November 5th a remark- 

 ably bright, warm day. At the end of November there "was a 

 record frost of about 20 degrees at Chardstock for one or two 

 nights. Ice bore on some of the ponds; the frost stopped 

 hunting for a week. Then all through December fine, dry, and 

 very mild weather, with dense fog for a week. A very good 

 farmer's year all through for weather (E. S. R.). 



WIMBORNE. Note by Rev. J. Cross (Baillie House, Wim- 

 borne). The late Mr. C. J. Parke, of Henbury House (died 

 1893), tolcl me tnat ' from his ODServation and notes mad e in 

 his diary for over 50 years, there was in nearly every year a 

 period of wind and rain between the ist and loth of August. 



PULHAM. Thunder and lightning night of January i2th, with 

 strong S.W. wind. Heavy thunder and lightning, W.S.W., 

 March 2Qth, about 2 p.m., with heavy hail, after fine morning. 

 Lightning evening of April i2th, after very fine day, W.S.W. 

 Heavy lightning night of July nth, N.E., after several very hot 

 days. Heavy lightning in afternoon of July igth, heavy rain 

 after. Little thunder and lightning in evening of July 25th, 

 from N.E. to S.W. Heavy thunder and lightning in evening of 



