INTRODUCTION, XXV. 



nestling and incubation of birds now begins to 

 take place and occupies all the rest of this season 

 and the beginning of the next, and it is to this 

 function of nature that we owe the sweet and 

 varied notes of the cock birds who sing to their 

 hens while thus employed in rearing the young. 

 The meadows are now spangled with the daisy, 

 the dandelion, and the buttercups. The garden 

 flowers of this season are rich and beautiful, but 

 are too numerous to be described: at its beginning 

 the various daffodils, narcissi, and hyacinths are 

 in full blow, followed by early tulips, pionies, 

 show tulips, and lastly by the anemone in all 

 its species and varieties. The monkey poppy, 

 papaver orientale, now contrasts its bright red 

 colour with the deep crimson glow of the double 

 piony poeonia officinalis blowing' by its side, or 

 the varied purple of the German iris. The bright 

 light blue of the cynoglossum is also finely con- 

 trasted with the deep violet colour* of the viola 

 odorakf, or the varied tricolour of the heartsease. 

 Meanwhile the fruit trees in the orchard and 

 gardens, with the blackthorn in the hedges, and 

 lastly the hawthorn or may bush in bloom, and 

 the young leaves opening every where, while the 

 meadows and banks are in full flower, render the 

 country one wide garden at the close of this 

 season. 



Calendar. — As Lent draws to a close as 



c 



