4730 Calendar of Natural Phenomena, 



flowers which flourish despite the frost; but among them was one 

 which I should little have expected to find in such circumstances : in 

 an open turnip-field, half-covered with frozen snow, I plucked a hand- 

 some and fully-expanded blossom of the corn marigold {Chrysanthe- 

 mum Segeium), a plant which we are accustomed to see blooming in 

 July among the ripening grain. On the 7th a considerable fall of 

 snow took place, which has not yet entirely disappeared : from that 

 day until the 23rd was an unceasing frost, and the most trying part of 

 the whole winter to the feathered tribes : the days were all unusually 

 fine, and the nights clear and bright, the thermometer generally sinking 

 below 20° F. The number of wild fowl visiting our streams have not 

 increased in proportion to the severity of the weather, and that for two 

 reasons : — in the first place, the country being densely populated, there 

 was little chance of rest for birds, which every one who possesses a 

 gun considered fair game ; and, secondly and chiefly, the river and 

 other waters have long been almost entirely closed up by ice, so that 

 they are forced to proceed further in search of open waters, which are 

 necessary to their existence; nevertheless, we have had some variety 

 of them, as follows : — 



More than one flock of wild swans (Cygnus ferus) have passed this 

 way. The first flock of these magnificent birds I had the good fortune 

 to see ; it consisted of six, one of which was shot near Reading, and 

 sold by the shooter for one guinea; the remaining five, when I saw 

 them, were hovering over a small piece of open water near the lock, 

 attracted there by the presence of a pair of tame swans (Cygnus olor). 

 These birds are very unusual here, and are only seen in the hardest 

 winters : the lockman tells me, however, that he has seen them settle 

 in the meadows, and feed there for a whole morning, during which time 

 he was deterred from shooting them by the idea that they were only 

 the tame swans of the neighbouring ornamental waters. 



Wild Geese. I am not sure whether more than one species has 

 visited us this year, viz., the Bean Goose (Anser segetum), but numerous 

 large flocks have been seen. 



Wild Duck (Anas boschas). The earliest and latest wild fowl that 

 have been observed, and also the most common. 



Wigeon (Anas Penelope). Not unfrequent. 



Teal (Anas crecca). A very few at the commencement of the frost. 



Scaup Duck (Fuligula marila). Two or three have been shot 

 close by. 



Goldeueye (Fuligula clangula). Several of these handsome birds 

 have been taken : the last, a most beautiful male specimen, was shot 



