JULY. 
143 
suffered very much, although they had the protection of a mat. Scarlet 
Runners and French Beans were killed to the ground, hut some of them 
are breaking out again. 
The last time we had a destructive frost in May, at this place, was on 
the 8th of May, 1855, when the glass fell to 20°, and Plums, Peaches, and 
Apricots on walls were frozen quite black, even under good protection, but 
the foliage was not so much injured then as it is this year, because it had 
not been unnaturally forced by extreme heat. Altogether I should consider 
that the changes and vicissitudes of temperature during this month of 
May, 1867, are unprecedented in the memory of most, if not all, the gar¬ 
deners of the present generation. 
Uedleaf. John Cox. 
FUCHSIA CORALLINA. 
This, notwithstanding its age, stands, as I consider, unrivalled as a 
summer decorative plant for lofty houses; though of course, looking at the 
variety from a florist’s point of view, it lacks those properties which 
constitute a first-class flower. Some plants of it at this place, planted 
some fifteen years ago in our lofty conservatory, are now as luxuriant as 
ever, blooming annually all the season through. Some of them are from 
15 to 20 feet high. All the attention we give them is comprised in these 
two points—to apply some good soakings of water in the growing season, 
and to close prune them during the winter. 
Wrotham Park. John Edlington. 
NATIVE SINGING BIRDS. 
Your correspondent “W. P.,” in his anxiety for the preservation of 
our “ indigenous singing birds,” alleges that they are fast diminishing in 
numbers. I believe that this is only taking place near cities or large towns, 
where professional bird-catchers are always on the alert to capture them, 
and where numbers of senseless men and youths keep prowling about hedges 
and trees on the look-out for a shot, whenever they have a chance. Now, 
this is to be lamented; but it is difficult to see how it can be put down 
unless by the Legislature. As to our singing birds diminishing in country 
places, where shrubberies and woodlands abound, I am of opinion that this 
is not the case. After very severe winters great numbers of our amall bird 
perish by the cold and want of food, but in a few years their numbers are 
again made up. 
In the locality from whence I write, the flocks of linnets, finches, black¬ 
birds, thrushes, and starlings have of late years been larger than I have 
ever known before. The only birds that do not seem to increase are the 
bullfinches ; and this is not to be regretted, for a small flock of them in the 
spring will do incalculable mischief to the fruit-buds in a very short time. 
In the beginning of April last, the flocks of starlings that frequented the 
park and fields here were something extraordinary, for they quite darkened 
the air when united in flying to their roosting places at night. To see the 
rapid gyrations of a large flock of them in a grass field where insect food 
was to be found, was something to look at. After ransacking all the booty 
to be picked up, they would darken the trees in the neighbourhood with 
their numbers, and begin a ‘‘palaver” of the most noisy kind—no doubt 
