PROCEEDINGS COTTESWOLD CLUB 
1 6 
1918 
variability) his dates do not seriously differ from mine. In the 
first three weeks of June the temperature was above the normal. 
In July, except at the beginning and end of the month, my 
observations are clearly later in date than Blomefield’s, and 
during rather more than half of July the temperature was below 
the normal. On the whole, and in spite of many doubtful 
points, the difference between my results and Blomefield’s 
seems to me to be related to the curve of temperature, in an 
irregular manner it is true, but sufficiently to be worthy of 
record. It has been said 1 that Thoreau, the American recluse 
and naturalist, knew the look of the country-side so intimately 
that had he been miraculously transferred to an unknown time 
of year, he would have recognised the season “ within a day or 
two from the flowers at his feet.” If this is true, either American 
plants are much more business-like than ours (which is as it 
should be), or else Thoreau did not test his opinions too severely, 
and this seems even more probable. 
TABL E. 
No. 
Name. 
Fact 
Observed. 
F. D. 
Blomefield 
* 
I 
Celandine ( Ficaria ) 
April 1 
Feb. 28 
2 
Blackbird 
S§ 
, , 2 
„ 19 
3 
Bramble 
L 
,, 2 
Mar. 25 
4 
Daisy ( Beilis ) 
» 4 
Jan. 29 
5 
Wild Rose 
L 
>. 6 
Mar. 15 
6 
Wild Violet 
,, 16 
April 16 
7 
Lamium purpureum 
» 17 
Feb. 19 
8 
Willow 
„ 19 
Mar. 19 
9 
Elder 
L 
,, 21 
Feb. 13 
10 
Raspberry 
L 
,» 21 
April 2 
11 
Hazel 
L 
,, 21 
„ 2 
12 
Caltha 
„ 22 
Mar. 5 
13 
Chiff-chaff 
S 
,, 22 
April 7 
14 
Humble Bee 
„ 22 
Mar. 17 
1 The Times Literary Supplement, January 12th, 191 7, p. 326. 
Notes. 
* This column gives Blomefield’s mean dates. 
§ S is the date on which the song was first heard. 
L is the date of leafing 
N that of nesting. 
The other entries are the dates of flowering. 
