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XI. — A Calendar of Natural Periodic Phenomena kept at Bodmin 

 for the year 1875. — By Thomas Q. Couch, F.S.A. 



"Ilseinhle, en effet, que les phdnomenes periodiques forment, pour tes Stres 

 organises en dehors de la vie individuelle, tme vie commune, dont on ne pent 

 saisir le phases qu'en V etudiant simultaniment sur toute la terre." — Quetelet. 



N.B. — The names printed in italics indicate plants and animals marked for 

 special observation, fl. means flowers ; fol., foliates ; defol., defoliates. 



The time of flowering is to be noted when the flower is sufficiently expanded 

 to shew the anthers ; of foliation, when the leaf bud is so far open as to shew the 

 upper surface of the leaves ; of fructification, at the period of dehiscence of the 

 pericarp in dehiscent fruits ; and, in others, when they have evidently arrived at 

 maturity ; of defoliation, when the greater part of the leaves of the year have 

 fallen off. 



THE year 1875 was ushered in by cold weather, rapidly alte"'"- 

 nating between frost and thaw. The cold was not so severe 

 as in the north of Bodmin where heavy rains and a sudden thay^ 

 inundated our rivers, raising them within a few inches of the flood 

 of 1865. Janiiary was very rainy throughout, with only one, or 

 at most, two days on which no rain could be recorded. February 

 entered with fine, dry, and calm weather, becoming cold as it 

 proceeded, keeping back a vegetation which was becoming too 

 exuberant. March brought with it slight snow, and sleet or cold 

 showers, until the middle, when we had fine mild weather. 

 Vegetation was still sluggish, and so continued through a cold, 

 wet and windy April. May was sunny and hot, with now and 

 then refreshing showers. June was very wet, and sometimes 

 cold, much delaying the hay harvest ; but July introduced us to 

 some good hay-making weather for a short time. The continu- 

 ous rain made the aftermath quite rank between the "pukes," 

 and the weather became very wet and unpropitious for the 

 blossoming and kerning of the cereal crops, and the heads of 

 wheat were largely abortive. July ended with fine and sunny 

 weather, and so began August ; but in its second week we had 

 lightning, thunder, and torrents of rain. The corn fields had 

 not their usual rich yellow hue, but were of a dingy brown 

 colour. September was variable, but generally very rainy, as 

 were also the two following months. The year ended with a 

 mild but humid December. 



