PREFACE. IX 



It may serve in some respects to take the place of 

 White's : but it is rather offered as a specimen of the 

 kind of Calendar, which it would be desirable to see 

 kept in different localities, in order to determine 

 (what science at the present day principally re- 

 quires), the mean date of occurrence of the several 

 periodic phenomena observed in such localities. 

 With this view, as well as for the purpose of shew- 

 ing the coincidences more clearly, the plan of it is 

 somewhat different from, and, as the author is in- 

 clined to hope, an improvement upon, that of the one 

 compiled from White's Manuscripts by Aikin. The 

 Calendar itself is, confessedly, very imperfect ; 

 though, in respect of a considerable number of the 

 entries contained in it, it may be regarded as a near 

 approximation to the truth. Strictly speaking, also, 

 it has no immediate reference to any other district, 

 than that in which the author is resident, and in 

 which the registered phenomena were severally ob- 

 served : nevertheless, it may serve in a general way 

 for all places in this country on or near the same 

 parallel of latitude. In order to assist observers in 

 comparing the dates of the periodic phenomena 

 which they may notice in their own neighbourhood 

 with those here given, as well as to facilitate the in- 

 quiries of persons generally, who may wish to know 

 when any particular phenomenon takes place, there is 

 annexed to the whole an Alphabetical Index having 

 a reference to the mean date of occurrence in each 

 particular case : any information that may be desired 

 beyond ' this must be sought for in the Calendar 

 itself. The author does not think it necessary to 



