378 CALENDAR, 1819. 



carduchs the Goldfinch has young ones almost fledged. I 

 noticed to-day the exactness with which the purple Goat's 

 Beard closed its blossoms at noon.* 



5th. The gardens now begin to be ornamented with Pinks, 

 Roses, and other early summer flowers. 



Iris pseudacorus the Flag is still out in abundance by the 

 sides of ponds and rivers. The Monkey Poppy, the German 

 Iris, and Goat's Beard, with many others, are still in prime. 

 The weather is moderately warm, with abundance of Cirrus 

 clouds ; afterwards a fine summer's evening, and stratus. 



Ornithogalum utnbellatum was flowering wild near Bleach- 

 ingly to-day. This is a very rare plant hereabouts. 



6th. A return of fine warm spring weather, with S. W. 

 Wind. In riding through the corn fields this morning, I was 

 struck with the total absence of Corn Poppies Papaver Rhacas, 

 and P. dubium. The former of these is a plentiful weed in 

 Surrey, and in all the chalky soils also about London ; but in 

 this clay district it is a plant of extremely rare occurrence. 



The yellow Jasmin is flowering in the garden. The four 

 sorts of Ranunculi and the Potentilla reptans are still abun- 

 dantly in flower in fields and hedges. Thermometer at 4 

 p. M. 62 ; barometer falling, and 29 95'. I found the Marsh 

 Groundsel Senecio aquations flowering among the long grass 

 in the meadows this evening. The Oxeye or Midsummer 

 Daisy is now abundantly in flower. 



8th. Sonchus oleraceusthe Sowthistle and lesser Stitchwort 

 in flower. 



This property of many flowers, particularly of syngenesious plants, of 

 closing at particular hours, ought to be more minutely attended to. The 

 two British Goat's Beards T. porrifolius and T. pratensis shut up at noon. 

 The Cat's Ear Hypochoeris radicala closes at three o'clock, and the 

 Hieraciiun pilosella at three quarters past two. 



