MARCH. 57 



song ; the blackbird and the turkey lay ; house- 

 pigeons sit; and the viper uncoils itself from its 

 winter sleep. The wheatear, or English Or- 

 tolan (saxicola cenanthe) again pays its annual 

 visit, leaving England in September. The gan- 

 nets or Soland geese, resort in March to the 

 Hebrides, and other rocky islands of North 

 Britain, to make their nests and lay their eggs. 

 In March and April before pairing-time, star- 

 lings may be seen in the fields, in large dense 

 flocks, circling about in their remarkable wheel- 

 ing kind of flight; and, ever and anon, settling 

 upon some tree, which they cover to blackness, 

 and making a cheerful warbling chorus, much 

 in the same manner as the red-wing thrushes 

 before they take their departure for the north. 

 In this month, black ants are observed ; trouts 

 begin to rise; and blood-worms appear in the 

 water. The clay hair-worm is found at the 

 bottom of drains and ditches, and the water- 

 flea may be seen gliding about on the surface 

 of sheltered pools. Black beetles may now be 

 observed flying about in the evening. Roach 

 and dace float near the surface of the water, 

 and sport about in pursuit of insects. Peas 

 appear above ground ; the sea-kale (crambe 

 maritima) now begins to sprout. The male 

 blossoms of the yew tree expand and discharge 

 their farina. Besides the catkins of the hazel 



