242 AUSTIN TIDE. 



AUG. 29. Decollation of St. John the Baptist. 



St. Sabina, martyr. 



St. Sebbi or Sebba, king and confessor. 



St. Merri, abbot. 



Obs. St. John the Baptist was called by God to be the fore- 

 runner of his divine Son. He was beheaded at the request of a 

 young lady, who demanded of Herod that his head should be brought 

 to her in a dish ; this was executed, and the damsel was not afraid 

 to take that present to her mother, who was the instigator of her 

 petition. Thus died the great forerunner of our Saviour a year be- 

 fore his death.- After the above account, in a more expanded form, 

 the historian goes on to pass some curious reflections on dancing. 

 See Butler's Lives, 



Pale Marsh Mallow Althaea pallida fl. 



Yellow Hollyhock Althaea ftava full fl.? 



Scarlet Cristarea Cristarea coccinea fl. 



Deadly Nightshade Atropa Belladonna fl. and fr. 



Lesser Persicary Polygonmn minus fl. 



The Yellow Hollyhock is a permanent variety of the Althaea 

 rosea. The Deadly Nightshade bears berries now, but still in 

 places its flowers are seen, as was observed on Northaw Common 

 in the year 1780, when the late Mr. Edward Forster saw it in 

 flower on St. Uosalia, Sept. 4th. 



The numbers of common Flies, which have been encreasing since 

 about St. Swithin, are now usually become very troublesome in our 

 houses, settling in millions on the walls and ceilings of our rooms, 

 and in some instances constituting a great annoyance. Gnats, too, 

 are very troublesome in some places, particularly in situations near to 

 water. 



Bulls begin to make that remarkable shrill noise which is pecu- 

 liar almost to autumn. 



Starlings, Sparrows, and otiier small birds, now resort to the 

 fields and stubble lands in large flocks to feed. 



Arcturus in Bootes begin to be seen soon after dark of an even- 

 ing, setting in the W.iM.W. Higher up the Northern Crown is 

 visible. The bright stars in the Eagle, in the Harp, and in the 

 Swan, culminate early in the evening. 



