150 Efects of the Winter of 1878-9, by James Hardy. 



Killed to the Gkoond. — Anagyris Nepaulensis on a wall, Ceanothus Lobbi 

 also on a wall ; Double Whin, Common Broom, English Laurels above snow- 

 line ; Privet in some places dead. 



Partially Injured. — Portugal Laurels much singed, Sweet Bay, Yews, 

 Fyrocanthus, Mahonia {Berberis) aquifolia, Heart-leaved Ivy. 



Untouched. — Wigelia rosea, Jasmine (YeUow). 



Birds' arrival at BtamforAham^ 1879 : — 

 "Wheatear, April 16th; redstart, April 23rd; swallow, April 25; cuckoo, 

 April 28th; sandpiper. May 1st ; sandmartin. May 14th ; swift, May 15th; 

 corn-crake, May 18th ; flycatcher, May 25th. 



Hedgeley, Northumberland. By Ralph Caer-Ellison, Esq. 



J ust before the first hard weather last November, and during the whole of 

 October, I had been surprised at the great activity and lively gracefulness of 

 the common wrens {Troglodites), which seemed to be present at Dunston Hill, 

 in unwonted numbers. Probably they were in more high plight than 

 ordinary ; the insect world and their favourite spiders being doubtless 

 numerous after the very high temperature of August and September. But 

 after the first or second spell of severe weather, not a wren was to be seen or 

 heard throughout the winter. They never came with redbreasts and 

 "hedgies," blackbirds, tits, and sparrows to feed on crumbs, &c., at our 

 windows any more than in preceding years. They do not seem capable of 

 partaking of scraps of meat or fat, dressed or raw, like the tits, but are some- 

 times found frozen to death in outhouses, whither they have gone in search 

 of spiders. A few, and only a very few, have survived both at Dunston Hill 

 and at Hedgeley, as I believe they undergo hibernation in cavities, chiefly 

 under the foot-roots of large trees, such as are frequented by mice. And as 

 wrens roost in haystacks in groups of half-a-dozen together, so I fancy they 

 may seek mutual warmth in old mouse-nests through such a winter as we 

 have had. There seems to be thus pretty strong evidence that our little 

 Troglodite is capable of enduring torpidity in winter, for a time, if it retires 

 whilst in good condition and in parties together, as we know it often roosts, 

 for boys catch them so, when procuring sparrows at night in stacks. 



Blackbirds (all males but one) were fed with the robins on four sides of my 

 house at Dunston HUl, two were repeatedly in my dining-room. They are 

 almost as numerous as usual this spring, at least the cock birds, and singing 

 merrily, but I believe the hens to have returned in but small numbers from 

 their winter-haunts near our coasts. Thrushes are singing only here and 

 there, at either Dunston Hill or Hedgeley. The missel-thrush came through 

 somewhat better, wheresoever it may have wintered. One solitary missel 

 used to come with our blackbirds for food, and I think lived by robbing 

 them of crusts of bread which they carried away. In like manner lived a 

 solitary jay, too sly to come quite to the windows. I also laid supplies of 

 white peas for him, but am not sure that he took the hint. No doubt he had 

 an eye to any sickly robin too. Chaffinches (all males) came regularly with 



