LADY TIDE. 83 



MARCH 23. St, Alphonsus Turibius, bish. and 

 conf. A.D. 1606. 

 SS. Victorian, proconsul of Carthage, &c. martyrs. 

 St. Edelwald, priest and confessor. 



Tuhilustrium. — Julian Cal. 



Obs. St, Alphonsus Turibius was the Archbishop of Lima. He 

 was the second son of the Lord of Mogrobejo, and was born in Leon 

 in 1538. When at school he was noted for every day giving part of 

 his dinner to some poor person, and shewed other signs of early vir- 

 tue. After his death he was beatified by Pope innocent XL in 

 1679, and subsequently canonized by Pope Benedict XIII, in the 

 year 1726. 



Peerless Daffodil Narcissus incomparabilis flowers. 



This Daffodil, flowering a full fortnight later than the common 

 sort, begins now to blow, and continues in flower through April. 

 The single variety is the most elegant, nevertheless florists are apt 

 to prefer the double sorts, of which one variety having an orange 

 cup and white petals is called the Butter and Eggs Flower. All 

 this elegant tribe flower but a short time, a month generally being 

 the duration of their beauty. The common Daffodils are now in 

 full flower, and in some places whole fields are covered with thera. 



The hooting of Owls is particularly prevalent at this season of the 

 year, and reminds one of the following lines : 



The cold March moon is dull and pale, 



The aire smells dank and harsh. 

 The hooting Howlet fills the gale. 



That breathes o'er yonder marsh. 



Ill omened Bird ! that by his cry 



Now startles dampish night, 

 And bodes ill fortune tarrying nigh. 



If sages augur right. 



Anthol. iii. 23. 



Water Wagtails now get numerous, and the notes of the Lesser 

 Pettychaps are commonly heard in the fair intervals of " March's 

 many weathers," 



