394 CALENDAR, 1819. 



10th. Weather fine and warm ; we passed last night at 

 Dunkerque. The POMONA seems very luxuriant this year 

 throughout Flanders, particularly in Pears and Grapes. 



In crossing the channel this evening from Calais to Dover, 

 the captain noticed to me the quantity of Gossamer on the 

 rigging of the vessel, which he said was a sure sign of fine 

 weather. 



On the llth and 12th I noticed this web so abundant all 

 the way through Kent, by Canterbury and Maidstone, to 

 Hartfield, that the fields were quite white with it. 



Swallows were numerous, and in large flocks on the coast 

 and hills of Kent on the llth. 



13th. At Hartfield the Amaryllis sarniensis in flower in 

 the open ground. Of Papaver somniferum many varieties. 

 Agaricus muscarius, A. vercuosus, and others. 



15th. Aster tardiflorus, A. Tradescanti, and A. Chinensis, 

 in full blow. The cold Northerly Wind, with frosty nights, 

 which set in a few days ago, carried away all the Swallows. 

 I have seen none since the llth instant. 



16th. There are still some remains of summer flowers. 

 The White Poppy, the Red Field Poppy, the Garden 

 Crepis, autumnal Dandelion, with a few Roses, Geraniums, 

 and Marigolds, still bloom. The Guernsey Lily Amaryllis 

 sarniensis is still in blow, but begins to droop with the 

 frost.* 



* I noticed to-day a habit among Starlings Sturni vulgares which I have 

 not seen mentioned in any works on ornithology. When they alighted on 

 the grass, they sat in a regular circle. Pliny and other writers mention 

 that these birds fly in a globular figure ; but I have not yet seen any 

 account of their sitting in a ring, nor can the reason of their choice of this 

 position be easily assigned. Pliny says of their flight : Ci In ori>c volant 

 omnibus in medium aymen tendcntibus" 



