64 OUTDOOR STUDIES 
yellow violet (V. rotundifolia) , and the clayto- 
nia or spring beauty. 
But in England the crocus and the snowdrop 
— neither being probably an indigenous flower, 
since neither is mentioned by Chaucer — usually 
open before the 1st of March ; indeed, the snow- 
drop was formerly known by the yet more 
fanciful name of “Fair Maid of February.” 
Chaucer’s daisy comes equally early ; and March 
brings daffodils, narcissi, violets, daisies, jon- 
quils, hyacinths, and marsh marigolds. This is 
altogether in advance of our season, so far as 
the wild-flowers give evidence, — though snow- 
drops are sometimes found in February even 
here. But, on the other hand, it would appear 
that, though a larger number of birds winter in 
England than in Massachusetts, yet the return 
of those which migrate is actually earlier among 
us. From journals which were kept during 
sixty years in England, and an abstract of which 
is printed in Hone’s “Every-Day Book,” it ap- 
pears that only two birds of passage revisit Eng- 
land before the 15th of April, and only thirteen 
more before the 1st of May; while with us the 
song sparrow, the bluebird, and the red-winged 
blackbird appear about the Ist of March, and 
a good many more by the middle of April. 
This is a peculiarity of the English spring which 
T have never seen explained or even mentioned. 
