iSyg.] The Anomalous Season , 459 
and the harvest was late and deficient in quantity and 
quality. 
In 1860-61 all these characters were still further intensi- 
fied. Already in October, i860, so severe a frost occurred 
that rocks and railway embankments were fringed with 
icicles. On the morning of Christmas-day was observed 
' the severest cold probably ever experienced in England. 
Large well-established apple-trees, and even oaks of a yard 
in girth, were killed. Through the spring and summer the 
polar current still retained its ascendancy, and in many 
parts of the north of England frost was experienced almost 
every night in the month of July. The corn rotted where 
it had grown, and was ploughed into the ground in the 
ensuing season. 
The claims of the season 1870-71 to rank in this evil 
catalogue are not unquestionable. It was undoubtedly the 
severest winter between 1S60-61 and 1878-79, and the snow 
which fell on December 22nd lay unmelted into February. 
There was, further, no summer weather till the beginning 
of August. But November and the earlier part of December, 
1870, were mild and genial ; and in March, April, and May, 
notwithstanding an excess of easterly winds, the leaves and 
flowers were not far behind the average in their time of 
appearance. 
We now come to the present season, the characteristics 
of which are too fresh in the public mind to need recapitu- 
lation. The following faCts will show the effects upon 
vegetation 
Mean Time. 
1879. 
Sloe and plum flower ... 
April 7 
May 13 
Maple in leaf 
April 10 
May 24 
Lilac flowers 
April 30 
June 3 
Ash in leaf 
April 30 
May 25 
Oak 
May 2 
May 30 
Horse-chesnut flowers ... 
May 3 
June 12 
Whitethorn flowers 
May 5 
June 4 
(a few flowers ir 
sheltered places), 
The animal world is much less gravely affeCted. The 
cuckoo was first heard and seen here on April 25th, two days 
before its mean time of appearance, and the swallows re- 
turned to us on April 20th, only one day behind its average. 
The nightingale, also, was singing at its accustomed season, 
though among branches nearly leafless. These faCts, we 
2 h 2 
