£08 J\''oUce of some Cypcracece of our vicinity. 



On tlie 1st of May, 1837, with a bright sun shining nearly 

 all day, the thermometer only rose to 40°, and it scarcely 

 thawed in the shade at any time during the day. At sunset 

 the thermometer was at 2S°, and the ground frozen stiff. In 

 the morning of the 2d the ground was frozen several inches, 

 water frozen an inch thick or more, and the thermometer stood 

 at 26°. 



The present spring has been as cold and backward as those 

 of 1835, 1837, and 1838, and certainly more severe and 

 unpleasant than any within my remembrance. March was 

 very cold, with frequent snows, and its last days as severe as 

 its first. April has been very cold, with little clear weather, 

 and with frequent and abundant rain and some late snows. 

 May has been cold almost throughout, with one snow on the 

 3d, and with very frequent and often abundant and cold rains. 

 The wind from no quarter has brought fair weather for more 

 than a day or two at a time, and for a week or more past, the 

 rains have been brought by the west wind, and the clear weath- 

 er by the east. The Skunk Cabbage began to flower ]March 

 20th: riola odorata, April 9th: the Dandelion, April 30th: 

 Houstonm, May 3d: the Dog's Tooth Violet, May 4th: the 

 Wood Anemone, May 5th: the first Asparagus, from a new 

 bed and very warm situation, 3ray 12th: one of my Peach 

 trees opened a flower or two, May 15th: the Plum and the 

 Cherry begin to flower to-day, May 20th. 



The Pear and Apple, unless the three next days are quite 

 warm, will open even later than in 1837. According to the 

 newspapers, the season has been excessively cold and back- 

 ward from Canada to Virginia. 



Art. II. ^"otice of some Cyperdcecs of onr vicinity. By 

 Edward Tuckerman, Jr., Resident Graduate, Cam- 

 bridge. 



The genus Cdrex is one of great extent, and has a vast num- 

 ber of species. Of those which belong to the flora of Boston, 

 the more remarkable forms are described by Bigelow, and 



