35 
monly mild and fine weather. Some told me they heard thrushes 
sing on y® 2nd ; hut I did not see a snowdrop, till y 6 15th, nor hear 
a thrush ’till y“ 17th, and on y® 21st I thought I heard a blackbird ; 
and on y° next day I heard a ringdove coo. The last of January, 
thunder, with mild showers. From this day, to y® 2Gth of Feb- 
ruary, had been y" finest weather I ever felt in this season ; and, 
indeed, from New Year it had been quite open and fine for y° 
time ; yet there had been a good deal of wind in February ; 2Gth, 
cool, 27th and 28th, some snow. 
“ February. On y“ 4th of February I had leaves on my weep- 
ing willows ; and on y® 9th some saw yellow butterfly, and on y* 
13th I saw rooks carry sticks, and hawthorn leaves, and on y* 14th 
blew violets, and y° elms knop’d in Essex : the 20th was the 
warmest and finest day I over felt in February in England ; and I 
hoard bitterns and toads sing ; and y® 2 1st I had birch leaves, and 
y" 22nd sycamore leaves, and turnip flowers, but I was told turnips 
were in flower in Norfolk on y° 14th, and I saw fair buds of haw- 
thorn May in this month. 
“ March. The whole month of March was surprizing fine, ex- 
cept a little hail on y“ 21st, and some sleet on y e 28th and 29th. 
On y® 2nd (viz., March) I saw blackthorn May, and on y® 13th my 
spruce firs had some of them broke bud, and on y® 25th I heard 
a deaf bird, [wryneck] and on y® 30th I heard young rooks ; and 
on y® 31st I saw oak leaves out, in the parish of Stratton. 
“April. The month of April, tho’ not bad, was much less 
pleasant than March ; yet the easterly winds were not constant, 
and there was snow only upon y® 3rd, and on y* 10th was a tem- 
pest. On y® 2nd I heard a mock nightingale, and on y® 8th saw 
swallows, and y* next day heard a nightingale, and on y® 1 1 th a 
cuckow, and on y® 13th saw hawthorn May, and on y® 15th beech 
leaves, and on y® 23rd rye ears. The last week of this month were 
very dark days. 
“ May. 1st to y® 12th of May cold, N. and E. winds, then to 
20th good weather ; y® 22nd was frost, and thunder on y® 25th, 
but from y® 20th cool to y® 30th, but that and y® last day of May 
fine days, with showers. So on y® whole May was a bad month. 
On y® 12th I saw clover heads, and on y® 13th mackerell, and on 
y® 17th heard a dawhawk, and on y® 19th saw pease, and on y® 30th 
wheat in ear. 
D 2 
