94 COUNTRY RAMBLES. 



delicate the bright olive-green upper plumage, and the yellowish-white 

 under parts, and what a pleasing little warble it utters. 



The Green Woodpecker is especially noisy just now, more so than 

 I have noticed for some time past. Chiff Chaff, Cuckoo, Hedge 

 Sparrow, Song Thrush, Redbreast, Starling, Skylark, Coal Tit, and 

 Chaffinch singing. 



We want some nice April showers now. 



Writing to me under date of April 26th, Mr. Nicholson, of Porto- 

 bello, N.B., says: "Spring is late this season, and the only arrivals 

 of Summer Migrants so far are the Chiff Chaff, Wheatear, Swallow, 

 Ring Ouzel, and Willow Wren." 



29th. Westerly breezes, not much sunshine. The following 

 wild flowers found blooming to-day: Red and White Dead Nettles, 

 Groundsel, Dandelion, Garlic Mustard, Daisy, Blackthorn, Greater 

 Stitchwort, Hedge Parsley, Dog Violet, Dog's Mercury, Strawberry- 

 leaved Potentil, Lesser Celandine, Primrose, Cherry, Sallow, Ground 

 Ivy, Wild Hyacinth (many budded, but not a great many in flower as 

 yet), Furze, Elder (just bursting), Germander Speedwell, Coltsfoot, 

 and Shepherd's Purse, The flower of the Maple is out beautifully 

 now, the Acer Platanoides. This tree, unlike the commoner Acer 

 Campestre, has leaves with sharp-pointed lobes. 



BLACKCAP. 



I saw a couple of Swallows to-day for the first time; also the 

 Blackcap. What a delicious songster this latter bird is, for he 

 belongs, of course, to the Warbler family. 1 heard him first; he was 



