26& FIRST APPEARANCES OE BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 



May 22 for two or three days, doing immense good ; we had not 

 had any rain to speak of, except an occasional thunder shower, 

 for many weeks. Good prospect of fruit in garden and orchard. 

 The spring was so cold that our spring migrants were not heard 

 to sing or call much this spring. Ash trees were very late and 

 bare of leaves on June i . A fine summer and corn harvest ; a 

 very good farmers' year ; root crops good ; wool and pigs very 

 high priced ; very hot weather at the end of August and 

 beginning of Sept., the temperature being 90 degrees in the 

 shade on Aug. 31, and I never in 40 years shot on a hotter ist 

 of Sept. The great heat from Aug. 3 1 to Sept. 3 was extra- 

 ordinary, and has not been so great in England for over 60 years. 

 (NOTE. The thermometer has reached a higher point, but has 

 not before been so high for four consecutive days. ED.) Great 

 drought throughout the country. A very mild winter up to 

 Christmas, snow and a little frost for a few nights. Snow 

 storms and gales about Dec. 1 1 ; Christmas day bright and 

 lovely ; the last week of the year very changeable. Never do 

 I remember in 50 years more sudden and greater changes in 

 weather, wind, and temperature than in the last 10 days of 1906. 

 (E. S. R.) 



PULHAM. The driest year here since 1900. Ponds dry 

 which have not dried before for many years. On night of 

 April 27, a good inch of ice on water barrel. On night of 

 May 30, so cold that cool frames were closed for fear of frost. 

 On March 26, the only time that the whole landscape was 

 covered with snow. (J. R.) 



THUNDER AND LIGHTNING AT PULHAM. Jan. 4 : Two vivid 

 flashes and thunder; again same night. Jan. 13 and April n : 

 Lightning in evening. Ap. 13: Distant thunder. Ap. 30: 

 Heavy peal about 4 p.m. ; hail. May 13 : Heavy thunderstorm 

 all round, but not heavy with us ; wind S.E. ; local rain-floods 

 near. May 16 : A little thunder. June 23 : Wind S.S.E. ; 

 thunder from evening till midnight. July 3 : Wind N.E. ; heavy 

 thunder in distance. July 26, Aug. 2, and Sept. 15 : A little 

 thunder. (J. R.) 



