5GG Migration of Birds, Sc. By Dr Charles Stuart. 



plants of the cabbage tribe. Nothing was more astonishing than that within 

 a week after this rigorous March storm, whenever a warmer temperature 

 made itself felt, the Snowdrops, Crocuses, and other early spring flowers 

 were above the ground, and in flower at once. From the 19th inst., the 

 weather became decidedly fresher; on the 19th temperature 49 ° ; on the 

 20th 52.° The cry of the Green Plover, and the song of the Thrush, were 

 once more heard. The smaller birds were absent at feeding time, being 

 able now to provide for themselves. The snow was rapidly disappear- 

 ing, the rivers running continuously large. There was a great spring on 

 flowers in the garden. Saxifraga Burseriana in grand state, and its yellow 

 var. S. B. Boijdii also very good. Bulbocodium vernum, Spring Snow-flake 

 (large form) Crocuses; Hepatica angulbsa, Gal'artthus MelviMei grand. At 

 West Foulden the thermometer at 2 p.m., stood at 04-.° The wheatfields 

 were green. Young grass covered with Ewes and Lambs. I never saw 

 such a rapid spring on everything. The heat felt oppressive, after such 

 arctic weather, but dangerous to lighten any one's clothes. Temperature 

 at 9 p.m. here 45.° 23rd, another fine day but temperature never so high 

 as yesterday. On the hill here 50° in the shade. Deep wreaths were 

 still to be seen in some sheltered places. On Cheviot the south wind has 

 made itself felt, the snow melting very quickly except in the hollows, and 

 behind the dykes. The roads are drier than they have been this spring. 

 The Spring flowers are beautiful, but will be dashed with the wind and 

 rain of to-night. Narcissus pallidua prcecox, N. minor, N. minimus and N. 

 nanus all in bright flower and attractive. 27th, A pouring wet day, pre- 

 venting all progress. 28th, Improvement in the weather. The Narcissi 

 make a gay garden. 



Till April the 7th the state of the weather was bad. The Field-fares, 

 lled-wings and others Hying about in their winter feeding places, Narcissus 

 bulbocodium, the petticoat-hoop N. in fine order in the greenhouse. A 

 number of seedling Narcissi from crosses of princeps with cernuus, after six 

 years, nursing, are showing flower. No. ] w r as a beautiful example, 

 Moschatus Section, in style like N. albicans' Trumpet two inches long, 

 fine spiral twist on the perianth divisions ; large sized flower — colour 

 changing from primrose to white — quite up to the mark. This was open 

 on the 8th of April, and delighted me much as the first seedling Narcissus 

 I ever raised. 9th April cold dry day, snow covered the ground during 

 the night, but the fields and gardens are dry. Had a walk round Mr 

 Muirhead's rock borders at Paxton. Anemone blanda and Primula minima 

 were the two best plants I saw, among much that was interesting. This 

 specimen of P. minima is perhaps the best plant of this shy grower in 

 Great Britain, and when in flower is well worth seeing. The Common 

 Gull eats grain readity, both at harvest and when newly sown in spring. 

 I was not aware of this fact, till I saw a P.M. of a Gull shot by the 

 shepherd at Harelaw. Lately in writing a sketch of the Botany of the 

 County, for the Botatiical Society of Edin., I incidentally mentioned that 

 in April the sheets of Daffodils, which adorn the woodlands at Whitehall 

 near this village, were well worthy of further inspection, as where so many 



