David's tide. 59 



FEB. 28. St. Proterius, patriarch of Alexandria, 

 martyr, a.d. 552, 



SS. Romaniis and Lupicinus, abbots. 



Martyrs of the Pestilence of Alexandria, 261. 



Obs. St. Proterius was ordained priest by St. Cyril. He lived 

 in Alexandria, then celebrated lor its turbulence and insubordina- 

 lion. The Greek Calendar, as well as ours, record him on the 28th 

 of February. 



Purple Spring Crocus Crocus vernus flowers. 



Purple Spring Crocus Crocus vernus now blows, and is the latest 

 of our Crocuses ; it continues through March like tiie rest of the 

 genus, and it varies with purple, with whitish, and with li^lit blue 

 flowers, described in Bnt. Mag. 860, and in Eng. Bot. 344. 



I'he flowers of the Crocus vernus appear before the leaves are 

 iirown to their full length. The vernal and autumnal Crocus have 

 such an affinity, thai the best botanists only make them varieties of 

 the same genus. Yet the vernal Crocus expands its flowers by the 

 beginning of March at farthest, often in very rigorous weather, and 

 cannot be retarded but by some violence offered ; while the autum- 

 nal Crocus or Saffron alike defies the influence of the spring and 

 summer, and will not blow till most plants began to fatle and run to 

 seed. 



On the beaso)ts rf Ftnicering among Plants, by U kite. 

 Say what impels, amid surrounding snow 

 Congealed the Crocus' flaming bud to glow ? 

 Say what retards, amid the Summer's blaze, 

 'J'he autumnal bulb, till pale declining days ? 

 The Ood of Seasons, whose pervading power 

 Controls the Sun, or sifeds the fleecy shower: 

 He bids each flower his quickening word obey. 

 Or to each lingering bloom enjoins delay. 



The Stone Curlew Fedoa Oedicnemus arrives. 



The peculiar and shrill voice of this bird, resembling the creeking 

 of great stones grating against each other, is now heard of a nigiu 

 as the bird itself flits over our head unseen. We heard the Stone 

 Curlew on this day in 1826, about seven in the evening, and that 

 was considered to be about its usual time of coming. We have heard 

 this bird, or some one with a very similar cry, flying by night over 

 the Thames behind Whi'ehall Place. Stone Curlews continue to be 

 heard all spring. 



6 



