1 76 THE EULOGY OF RICHARD JEFFERIES. 



" Feb. 8. Numerous larks soaring ; copse quite musical ; 

 now the dull clouds of six weeks have cleared away, we see 

 the sun has got up quite high in the sky at noon." 



" Feb. 12. Rooks, five, wading into flood in meadow, 

 almost up to their breasts ; lark soaring and singing at 

 half-past five, evening ; light declining ; partridges have 

 paired. 



" No blue geranium in Surrey that I have seen." 



"Feb. 17. Rooks busy at nests, jackdaws at steeple; 

 sliding down with wings extended, 4.50, to gardens below at 

 great speed." 



" Feb. 20. Ploughs at work again ; have not seen them 

 for three months almost." 



" Feb. 21. Snow three or four inches ; broom bent down; 

 the green stalks that stand up bent right down ; afterwards 

 bright sunshine for some hours, and then clouded again." 



" Feb. 22. Berries on wild ivy on birch-tree, round and 

 fully-formed and plentiful ; berries not formed on garden 

 ivy." 



"Feb. 27. Snow on ground since morning of 21st ; four 

 wild ducks going over to east ; first seen here for two years ; 

 larks fighting and singing over snow ; thawing ; snow dis- 

 appeared during day; tomtit at birch-tree buds; pigeons 

 still in large flocks." 



" March 7. Splendid day ; warm sun, scarcely any wind ; 

 wood-pigeons calling in copse here." 



" April 16. Elms beginning to get green with leaf-buds ; 

 apple leaf-buds opening green." 



"May 12. A real May-day at last ; warm, west wind, 

 sunshine ; birds singing as if hearts would burst ; four or 

 five blackbirds all in hearing at once ; butterfly, small white, 

 tipped with yellowish red ; song of thrush more varied even 

 than nightingale ; if rare, people would go miles to hear it, 

 never the same in same bird, and every bird different; fear- 

 less, too ; operatic singer. 



" More stitchwort ; now common ; it looks like ten petals, 



