318 Wild Life in a Southern County. 
them for illustration: these, too, were taken in a warm 
district. Rooks usually soar a good deal about the 
time of the equinox. On September 29 the heaths 
and furze were white with the spiders’ webs alluded to 
above. September 27, larks singing joyously. Oc- 
tober 2, a few grasshoppers still calling in the grass— 
heard one or two three or four days later. October 4, 
the ivy in full flower. October 7, the thrushes singing 
again inthe morning. October 6and 7, pheasants roam- 
ing in the hedges for acorns. October 13, a dragon-fly 
—-large and green—hawking to and fro’on the sunny 
side of hedge. October 15, the first redwing. During 
latter part of September and beginning of October, 
frogs croaking in the ivy. 
Now, these dates would vary greatly in different 
localities, but they show, clearer than a mere assertion, 
that about that time there is a movement in nature. 
The croaking of frogs, the singing of larks and 
thrushes, are distinctly suggestive of spring (the 
weather, too, was warm and showery, with intervals of 
bright sunshine) ; the grasshopper and dragon-fly were 
characteristic of summer, and there were a few swal- 
lows still flying about ; the pheasants and the acorns, 
and the puff-balls, full of minute powder rising in 
clouds if struck, spoke of autumn; and, finally, the 
first redwing indicated winter: so that all the seasons 
were represented together in about the space of a fort- 
night. I do not know any other period of the year 
which exhibits so remarkable an assemblage of the 
