1 70 NOTEBOOKS AND COLLECTIONS 



or of one season, with that of another. The 

 observer will find his calendar, if kept for a 

 few years carefully and regularly, a source of 

 interest, through the comparisons which he is 

 able to institute by means of it. It is curious 

 to note the variation between the date on which 

 one saw the first primrose, or the first white 

 butterfly, in different years, and it is no less 

 surprising to mark the regularity which 

 prevails in the operations of Nature each 

 plant and insect and bird arriving true to 

 its appointed time with reference to others. 



As an illustration of the form of such a 

 record, I select a few entries from a calendar 

 which I kept for a number of years in Elgin- 

 shire. I have purposely chosen entries of a 

 varied character 



Jan. 23. Hive bees flying. 



30. Lilac leaf-buds appearing. 

 Feb. 13. Gooseberry leaves opening. 



,, 26. Catkins on willow. 

 Mar. 9. Hawthorn leaf-buds opening. 



15. Lilac leaf -buds opening, 



,, 16. First primrose. 



23. Crocuses in full bloom. 



