ALPHEGE TIDE. 113 



APRIL 22. St. Oppo rtuna, virgin abbess, a. d. 770. 

 SS. Soter and Caius, popes, martyrs, 2d century. 

 SS. Aezadis, Tharba, and others, mm. 341. 

 SS. Eppodius and Alexander, mm. at Lyons. 

 St. Theodoras of Siceon, b. c. 

 St. Leonides, martyr, 202. 

 St. Rufus, anchoret, in Ireland. 



06s. St. Soter was raised to the papacy upon the death of St. 

 Anicetus in 173. He vigorously opposed the heresy of Montanus, 

 and governed the church to the year 177. In the Marty rologies 

 this pope is styled a martyr. 



St. Caius succeeded St. Eutichian in the Apostolic See in 283. 

 Having sat twelve years, four months, and seven days, he died on 

 the 21stof April, 296, 



Yellow Water Avens Geum intermediutu flowers. 



Bitter Lady's Smock Cardamine amara flowers. 



Wood Crowfoot Ranunculus auricomus flowers. 



Lady Smock Cardamine pratensis full flower. 



The Intermediate Water A. yens differs from the common species 

 in having an upright and dull orange instead of a depending and 

 reddish flower ; it blows later, but both continue in flower through 

 the rest of the vernal season. The Bitter Lady's Smock is much 

 more rare than the common sort, and is found about wet ditches 

 and marshy grounds. We have frequently found it in full flower at 

 Hartfield in Sussex in May in the pits and ditches near to Hartwell. 



Our gardens are now in full blow with the early vernal Flora, the 

 primaveral being hardly gone out yet. Wallflowers, Anemones, 

 Early Tulips, llanunculi. Narcissuses, Hyacinths, Dog's Tooth, 

 Hepaticas, Gentianellas, and a great number of our hardy herba- 

 ceous plants, being in full flower. The fruit trees are in blossom, the 

 birds in full song, and the atmosphere generally clear. The nights how- 

 ever are often cold, and the clear northerly and easterly winds that 

 so often prevail are occasionally exchanged for rapid showers of rain 

 and hail, with western gales. The great power of this last sort of 

 weather over vegetation is very remarkable. The highly electrified 

 showers of spring seem to produce the most rapid germination, and 

 it is probable that the advance of vegetable life is principally owing 

 to electrical causes. 



The Lady's Smock is by this time very abundant in moist mea- 

 dows and fields, and by the sides of ditches and drains. 



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