MKTP:OROLOfTY-CORRP’.SPONl )P: N CE . 
()9 
Snow fell on the 8th, and almost daily from the 24th to the 80th 
inclusive. The minimum thermometer, about four feet above ground, 
fell below 32“^ Fahr. about eight times, and some nineteen grass frosts 
were recorded; the cold, however, could not be called intense on any 
of these occasions, and the mean temperature of the air may be given 
as 89-6®.* Mean pressure was about 29’870in., the highest mean reading 
of the barometer was 30-640 on 22nd—23rd, and the lowest 29-026 on 
25th—26th. West-south-west and east-south-east winds were frequent, 
and much damage to trees, etc., resulted from the violent gales of the 
last week. The mean amount of cloud was 6-9 (scale 0 to 10), and 
relative humidity 90°/o. The absolute maximum temperature in the 
sun’s rays (reported) was 95-6° at Hodsock on the 30th, and the absolute 
minimum on grass was 18-9° at the Radcliffe Observatory on the 31st. 
Bright sunshine 45-4 hours or 18o/o at Hodsock (being slightly more 
than in the two previous years), 49-5 hours or 20°/o at Strelley, 60 hours 
at Oxford, and 41-7 hours at Blackpool. The mean temperature of the 
soil at a depth of one foot was 39-3° at Hodsock, 38-8° at Strelley, and 
43-2° at Cardiff. At a depth of four feet at Cardiff the mean tempera¬ 
ture was 46-3°. The mean amounts of ozone were 1-1, 3-2, 4-0, and 4-4 
on the usual scale of 0 to 10—values for Oxford, Cheltenham, Carmar¬ 
then, and Blackpool respectively. Lunar halos on the 17th and 18th. 
Notks by Observers. — Stokemy. — Large hunch of primroses 
gathered in a wood adjacent on 7th; missel thrush singing throughout 
the month. More Rectory.~A complete absence of winter birds, 
especially fieldfares; a few redwings, however, and one hawfinch 
appeared. Orleton .—Land become perfectly saturated with rain, 
and all farming operations stopped. Rowley Reyix .—Primroses and 
polyanthus in flower. .S'poadou.—Filberts in blossom early in the 
inonth; yellow crocus in bloom in third week; all early spring 
flowering bulbs advancing rapidly. Hodxock .—Snowdrop blooming 
on 17th, in full flower 29th; hazel in flower by 23rd, and in full 
flower on 29th; dog’s mercury in bloom 29th. Waltham-le-Wold .— 
Snowdrop, primroses, etc., in bloom during the latter part of month. 
Corrcspoiikuti'. 
Note on the Food of Small Birds.— Now that winter is come, and 
the arable land is for the most part broken up, the feeding grounds of 
our small hard-billed birds become very much restricted in area. In 
the few stubbles still remaining—-chiefly those which were barley or 
oats planted with clover to follow—the Finches, Sparrows, and Buntings 
congregate in considerable numbers, and the amount of seed that it 
takes to keep them alive cannot fail to be a matter of curiosity to the 
naturalist, and of interest to the farmer. About the middle of this 
month I shot from a flock of small birds a Tree Sparrow(Pa.s'.s-r7- mwitu/ULs-), 
and noticing that the oesophagus was considerably distended, I had the 
curiosity to examine its contents. I took from it twenty-two shelled 
oats, two seeds of a small species of vetch, and one hundred and ninety- 
two others, the greater part of which appeared to be those of the field 
clover, there were also numerous fragments, and allowing four for these, 
it brings up the total to 220 grains. These were in the crop alone, and 
* It must be borne in mind henceforth that all mean and extreme values 
(except where otherwise stated) are for the districts embraced by our Midland 
Stations only and that all barometric values are reduced to 32"" Fahr. and sea 
level. 
