X. 
REPORT OX PHENOLOGICAL PHENOMENA OBSERVED IN 
HERTFORDSHIRE DURING THE YEAR 1885. 
By John Hopxinson, F.L.S., F.Gr.S., etc. 
Head at Watford , 11th May, 1886. 
"With one exception aH our observers of Phenological Phenomena 
in 1883 and 1884 have continued to observe in 1885. ¥e have no 
longer returns for Boyston from Mr. A. Kingston, and having no 
other observer there this station disappears from our table. Croxley, 
near Bickmansworth, where observations have been taken by Mr. 
Lloyd, is added, and there is also a second column for Watford, 
where we have an additional observer in Mrs. Applebee. 
The phenological stations, the returns from which are entered in 
the accompanying table giving the earliest dates of flowering 
of the plants in the Boyal Meteorological Society’s list, are as 
follows:— 
Station. 
N. Lat. 
Long. 
Observer. 
Watford (1). 
... 51 
39 
0 
24w 
Mrs. J. Hopkinson, 
„ (2)..... 
.. 51 
39 
0 
24w 
Mrs. Applebee. 
Mr. F. G. Lloyd. 
Croxley, Rickmansworth. 
.. 51 
39 
0 
27w 
Harpenden . 
... 51 
m 
0 
21 w 
Mr. J. J. Willis. 
Hertford ...... 
.. 51 
48 
0 
5w 
Mr. R. T. Andrews. 
Ware (Fanhams Hall) . 
.. 51 
49 
0 
lw 
Major R. B. Croft. 
High Wych, Sawbridgeworth ... 
.. 51 
481 
0 
8 E 
Miss Simpson. 
Hitchin..... 
... 51 
57 
0 
16w 
Natural Hist. Club. 
Odsey ..... 
.. 52 
If 
0 
7w 
Mr. H. G. Fordham. 
Details of the observations of insects and birds are given as 
before in Mr. Silvester’s Beport on the Insects (p. 49) and Mr. 
Littleboy’s Notes on the Birds (p. 53), and therefore the earliest 
observations are, as usual, alone given on the following page. The 
only additional observation is that of frog-spawn, which was first 
observed at Watford on the 28th of February; at Fanhams Hall, 
Ware, on the 7th of March; at Hertford on the 14th; and at 
Harpenden on the 28th. 
The general result of the observations of the time of flowering 
of plants, as recorded in the accompanying table, is that 1885 may 
be considered a late year. The mean of the whole of the 7 9 species, 
every one of which was observed in 1885, gives 3*6 days late. Of 
the 60 selected species which have now been observed for at least 8 
years, and most of them for 10 years, the mean is 4*2 days late. 
Of these 60 species 45 came into flower later than the mean of 
1876-85, 12 earlier, and 3 on the same day as the mean. 
Of the 30 species which come into flower by the middle of May, 
which we consider as spring flowers, 27 appeared after the mean 
date, 2 before it, and 1 on the same day as the mean; and of the 
30 which come into flower after this time, which we consider as 
summer flowers, 18 appeared after the mean date, 10 before it, and 
2 on the same day as the mean. The spring flowers were on the 
average a week late and the summer flowers a day and a half late. 
