226 COUNTRY RAMBLES. 



sure! How prominent the yellow at sides of beak. How the little 

 creature already fears a human being! 



23rd Temperature dropped to 56 degrees ! 



24th. After a miniature gale, which raged through last night, 

 the bright sunshine this morning was very welcome. Fine all day, 

 and temperature up amongst the eighties again. Noticed two or 

 three Skylarks to-day going over my house in a Southern direction, 

 very high up, and uttering their by no means unmusical twittering 

 note. 



In the August issue of the "Zoologist" there is an extremely 

 interesting and useful article on the Bearded Titmouse by Mr. J. H. 

 Gurney. From it we learn that this beautiful bird was first dis- 

 covered by Sir Thomas Browne, who communicated the fact to 

 John Ray, who published the first notice and description in 1674. 

 Mr. E. L. J Ridsdale has since stated that the first notice and des- 

 cription appeared in 1575 in "De Avibus," by Conrad Gesner, and 

 this has since been contradicted by the Rev. H. A. Macpherson. 

 Mr. Gurney gives an approximate estimate of their decrease in Norfolk 

 in six decennial periods since 1838, but the earlier figures given are 

 little more than a guess. Here are the figures: 



1838 1848 1858 1868 1878 1888 1898 

 Number of nests 200 170 140 1 25 90 45 33 



25th. Bright and warm early, dull later; showery. Robin singing, 

 Swallows and House Martins seen. The Swifts have without doubt now 

 departed. 



26. Dull and overcast most of day ; rather chilly. 



Flowers found in bloom to day: -Sow Thistle, Scentless May- 

 weed (going off rapidly now), Nipplewort. Dandelion, Groundsel, 

 Yarrow, Creeping Crowfoot, Toadflax, Larger Willow Herb, White 

 Dead Nettle (coming on fast again), Pink Campion, Bird's-foot 

 Trefoil, Field Scorpion Grass, Field Convolvulus, White and Red 

 Meadow Clovers, Charlock, Shepherd's Purse, Mugwort, Hedge 

 Mustard, Dwarf Thistle, Knot Grass, Dove's-foot Crane's Bill, 

 Common Mallow (just a few still in flower), White Campion, Wild 

 Carrot (mostly gone off bloom now, and the bird's nest seed-heads 

 are more noticeable than ever), Hop Trefoil, Purple Medick, 

 Field Scabious, Bindweed, Bladder Campion, Self Heal, Prickly- 

 headed Poppy, Avens, Hedge Calamint, Herb Robert, Bramble, 

 Hedge Stachys (seems to have started flowering again). Upright 



