XXI. 
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REPORT. :QM' bhenological phenomena observed in 
HERTFORDSHIRE DURING THE TEAR 1883 . 
By John Hopkixsox, E.L.S., E.G.S., etc. 
Head at Watford, 24 £A March , 1885 . 
Phexological Phenomena have now been observed in Hertford¬ 
shire for eight years in succession. Por the first five years there 
was an increase each year in the number of observers ; for the last 
three there has each year been a slight decrease, and our principal 
table showing the dates of flowering of plants in 1883 comprises 
returns from only eight stations as against nine in 1882 and ten in 
1881. We have no longer returns for St. Albans from Mr. A. E. 
Gibbs, nor for Hoddesdon from Miss Alice Warner, but we have a 
new station, Hitchin, where observations have been made by the 
Hitchin Natural History Club, and have been communicated to the 
Society by Mr. William Hill, jun. 
Our present phenological stations, for which returns are entered 
in the accompanying table, with the names of the observers, are 
as follows:— 
Watford . Mrs. J. Hopkinson. 
Harpenden ..... J. J. Willis. 
Hertford R. T. Andrews. 
Ware (Fanhams) R. B. Croft. 
High Wych Miss Simpson. 
Hitchin ..... Nat. Hist. Club. 
Odsey ..... H. G. Fordham. 
Royston ..... A. Kingston. 
In 1883 the Meteorological Society issued a new and extended 
list of species to be observed, the number of plants being increased 
from 71 to 79, of insects from 8 to 11, and of birds from 17 to 21, 
so that, including the frog as before, the total number of species to 
be observed is raised from 97 to 112. Of the plants, the hairy 
bitter cress ( Car damme hirmta ), barren strawberry ( Potentilla 
fragariastrum ), cow-chervil (. Anthriscm sylvestris ), field gentian 
(Gentiana campestris), and ivy-leaved speedwell ( Veronica 
hederifolia ), are omitted in the new list, and the following are 
added:—water-cress ( Nasturtium officinale), garlic hedge-mustard 
(Sisymbrium Alliaria), spindle-tree ( Euonymus europeeus ), sycamore 
(Acer Pseudo-p lat anus ), horse-chestnut (JEsculus LTippocastanum ), 
laburnum ( Cytisus Laburnum ), mountain ash (Pyrus Aucuparia ), 
hawthorn ( Crataegus Oxyacantha ), wild carrot (Daucus Car old), dog¬ 
wood (Cornus sanguinea), lilac (8y ringa vulgaris), privet ( Ligustrum 
vulgare), and beech (Fagus sylvatica). Of the insects, the winter 
gnat ( Trichocera hiemalis) is omitted, and the bloody-nosed beetle 
(Timarcha Icevigata), glow-worm (Lampyris noctiluca ), wasp (Vespa 
vulgaris), and orange-tipped butterfly (Anthocaris cardamines ), 
are added. Of the birds, all in the former list are included, and 
there are added the house-martin (Hirundo urbica), sand-martin 
(LI. rip aria ), goat-sucker or nightjar ( Caprimulgus europeeus), and 
corncrake ( Crex pratensis). 
VOL. III.—PART VI. 
13 
