236 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 



From Rev. C. W. H. Dicker, Pydeltrenthide Vicarage. I 

 saw a beautiful pair of " mock suns " on Mar. 2 from Rawls- 

 bury Rings, each of them was coloured like a short segment of 

 a rainbow, but so bright that the eye could only rest on it a 

 moment. 



From (J.R.) Pulham. Snow fell on Feb. 9 (slight), Mar. 13, 

 Ap. 6 (slight). The first fortnight in April was very cold, 

 more than once there were 10 degrees of frost. Thunder on 

 Mar. 22 (heavy with rain), May 1 (distant), May 26 

 ^heavy, hail and rain), June 4 (distant), June 5 (heavy), Aug. 

 21 (distant), Aug. 25 (a little), Oct. 7 (a little). 



Rain July 29 (first rain for 29 days), Aug. 24. There was 

 practically no rain for 54 days up to this date. The leaves of 

 trees were falling as in autumn, shrivelled and yellowed. 

 Ponds never known dry before were now quite dry. 



From (E.S.R.) Chard. January 10th, 13th, 14th, and 15th 

 were perfect winter days. Jan. 10th brilliant sun, mild and 

 still. Jan. 13th, 14th, 15th, sharp frost from 8 to 10 dgs., and 

 more in places, and brilliant sunshine and still. We were just 

 able to hunt, and scent on Jan. 13th was holding and good. 

 Riding home on Saturday, January 14th, from Buckland 

 Ripers to Chardstock after hunting with the Cattistock I 

 noticed, just after the very lovely sunset, the beautiful 

 phenomenon of a sun pillar, which presented itself very clearly 

 as I rode home to Chardstock over the lovely Downs from 

 Abbotsbury to Burton Bradstock. The moon was at the full, 

 and the scene was one of indescribable loveliness. A fine dry 

 February, remarkable for absence of frost. April 1st to 

 20th, very cold. A more beautiful May, June, and 

 July, Spring and Summer, could not possibly be con- 

 ceived. There were two considerable droughts, and from June 

 16th to June 25th we had unsettled weather, and " catchy " 

 for the hay harvest. Hundreds of acres of the most beautiful 

 hay however were carted before June 16th, as it was an early 

 hay harvest, and thousands of acres of most beautiful hay 

 were carted after June 25th, and we were among the fortunate 

 ones at Chardstock House, Home Farm, and on the Estate. 



