84 JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS. 



III. 



The g-enial warmth returned so early this year, March 

 9th, that many supposed (or surmised) that we were about 

 to be visited by a premature spring, but up to this date (April 

 28th) the result has not fulfilled those apprehensions, and now 

 there are occasional frosty nights that may keep back the fruit 

 blossoms from a too early "setting." The month of March, 

 was almost unprecedented in its mildness, and a number of 

 .the hardier feathered visitants appeared here from the 3rd 

 and 9th to the 24th. Robins, bluebirds, grackles, killdeers 

 (plovers) and cranes were seen on the 21st and the phoebe fly 

 catchers on the 20th. 



The sugar (maple tree) making had an early beginning. 

 Sap-flowing began on the 8th and 9th of March, with a range: 

 of the thermometer of from 40 to 65 degrees in the shade. 

 The first ten days of April were colder, yet the dandelion 

 flowers appeared in considerable numbers (on sunny slopes) 

 on Easter Sunday (loth), and the first scarce fully expanded 

 hepatica flowers were to be seen in the forests on the same 

 day. 



From the beginning of Easter week there came a cooler 

 wave, with northeast airs. Heavy rains, and chilly breezes 

 on the iQth and 20th retarded farm work for a week or more. 

 More warmth and sunshine eventuated on the 25th and swal- 

 lows promptly appeared and bats were seen on wing in the 

 twilight of evening at the present date (April 28th). Some 

 idea may be formed of the progress of the season from ob- 

 serving that numbers of birds are incubating. Crows were 

 setting two weeks since, and now the phoebes, quails, killdeers 

 (plovers'), bluebirds and robins are at the same interesting- 

 proceeding. One of my neighbors was regretting the loss 

 of a brood of young goslings which inopportunely emerged 

 from the eggf during the violent nortlieasterly rain storm of 

 the 19th instant, and died of cold, etc., ere seen by their human 

 superintendent. A gfreater number than normal of thunder 

 storms visited these regions during the past three months,. 



