128 COUNTRY RAMBLES. 



included for the year 1900), Oxeye Daisy (just coming along nicely), 

 Soft-knotted Trefoil, Frog Bit (the only British species), Hedge 

 Parsley, Lesser Stitchwort, Prickly- headed Poppy, and White Clover. 

 The Dog's Mercury has now ceased flowering. It will be observed 

 that our list includes over 50 species of familiar Wild Flowers in 

 bloom, a fact upon which we may congratulate ourselves, and there 

 are many more "coming on." Bird Cherry still in flower, Ash 

 forging ahead (the Bullrush-like flowers are well worth observing), 

 Traveller's Joy foliage out, Elder Flowers bursting, White or Silver 

 Poplar very lovely as the wind turns the leaves over, White and Pink 

 Chestnuts out (the former mostly, and the aroma very sweet), flower 

 of the Wych Elm going quite brown now, catkins of the Willow 

 dying down, Burdock leaves prominent (called erroneously Wild 

 Rhubarb), Yellow Iris (or Flag) showing well in the ditches, together 

 with various Rushes, which are in flower; Dogwood well budded, 

 and ought to burst soon, a remark which also applies to the Mealy 

 Guelder Rose, or Wayfaring Tree. The flower of the Maple (Acer 

 campestre] is very delicate now, but the Acer platanoides is seeding; 

 Red May out, also Rhododendrons, and flowers of Larch Fir enlarging 

 considerably; Ferns up nicely in the woods. There are many Grasses 

 in flower now. It is well worth making a study of these, for they are 

 both various, and beautiful. 



Birds heard or seen to-day: Swallow, Chaffinch, Greater, White- 

 throat (the fluttering flight over the top of the hedgerows as this 

 delicate Warbler sings is interesting and amusing), Tree Pipit (one of 

 the most plentiful birds seen and heard on my rambles to-day), Willow 

 Warbler, Nightingale (the alarm note is something like "witt-krr''), 

 Song Thrush, Blackbird, House Martin, Common Wren, Yellow 

 Bunting, Greenfinch, Ring and Turtle Doves, Starling, Chiff Chaff, Green 

 Woodpecker, Robin, Great Titmouse, and Hedge Sparrow. I think 

 it will be better in future if I put my Bird Notes under two headings, 

 thus:-(l), "Birds singing"; (2), "Birds heard, or seen." That will 

 enable the reader to obtain at once information as to the birds in 

 song Of course, some song birds will probably only be heard 

 uttering an alarm note, or some call, and not singing. These will 

 then go in under the second heading, together with birds heard, 

 which cannot be classed as song birds, and birds seen. 



Saw some young House Sparrows which could just fly, nest of 

 four young Chaffinches, four Song Thrushes, and four Blackbirds. 

 What Frog-like throats the young Thrushes possess, and how they 

 squat with head bolt upright, the yellow mouths ready to receive the 



