1807.] Naturalifi’s Monthly Report. 307 
it has become the praétice on moft farms, where a dairy is kept, to rear annually fome calves, 
which they feed in the new way, giving them linfeed jelly, ei] cake powder, and hay tea 
mixed in their fkim milk, on which the calves are found to thrive and do well. ( 
Owing to the mildnefs of the winter, there is much fodder remaining on hand, ftore 
theep having required but little affiftance. The te fairs have been well fupplied witia 
Jean Cattle, Sheep, Cows, and Calves, for which there is a demand at good prices. Sows in 
plg are much in requeft for the dairy. 
The Country Markets continue to be abundantly fupplied with fat Cattle and Sheep, which 
fell at reduced prices. In Smithfield Market, Beef fetches from 4s. 4d. to $s.: Mutton 
45. Od. to 4s. 10d.; Pork, Gs. to 63. Gd. ae J 
——— ee eee eee 
NATURALIST’s MONTHLY REPORT, 
Winter, ftill lingering on the verge of Spring, 
Retires reluctant, and from time to time 
Looks back ; while, at his keen and chilling breath 
Fair Flora fickens. 
PPOWARDS the latter end of February the weather became fo mild, after a few days of 
hard froft, as tu be again very unfeafonable. The country people have an adage, that 
** winter feldom rots i’th’ fky.” This is perhaps not often the cafe, but in the prefent year 
it bids fair to do fo, During feveral days in the beginning of March the wind, which had 
veered to the eaft, continued fieadily fixed in that quarter. We had confequently fome 
frofty and cold weather; but now (19th of March) the wind has again paffed to the fouth 
weft, and the froft is, for a while, at leaft, entirely gone. The fun will foon attain fuch 
an elevation as to render the return of any continuance of fevere weather extremely im-~ 
probable. 
In the New Foreft, and inthe Ifle of Wight, there has been a heavy fnow fince my laft 
report was fent, but on the fea coafts of Hampfhire I have not hitherto been informed ef 
any. 
It fhould be remarked, refpeéting the weather of the whole fouthern coaft of England, 
that, in winter, the eafterly winds bring froft, and that the wefterly and fouth-weftevly 
winds produce rain. 
On the ¥8th of Febfuary I obferved peas and beans in the gardens, which were two or 
three inches in height, There is alfo a field of rye in fuch a ftate of forwardnefs, that the 
ears of feveral of the ftems were become vifible. As the crop would of courfe have been 
deftroyed, in confequence of this premature growth, there was no alternative but to employ 
it for feeding theep. I have been informed that about the fame time there was a field of 
wheat in ear in Dorfetthire, 
The cold weather in the beginning of March put a feafonable ftop to the progrefs of 
vegetation. The fnow drops, which were in full flower, are now in that ftate which the 
country people denuminate ‘¢ froft bitten.” 
March 1. The partridges begin to pair. The rosksy and all the fpecies of fmall birds, are 
bufily employed in colle@ting materials for their nefis. ; 
In feveral pieces of ftagnant water by the road fides I obferve that very interefting little 
animal, the ¢ancer flagnalis, {wimming about with great aftivity. Thefe little creatures 
have not yet attained their grafs-green tinge, nor havel yet feen any of them that have been 
full of fpawn. After having depofited their eggs they die; the fplathes which they inhabit 
are dried up by the heats of the {pring and fummer; and the eggs/are not hatched till the 
enfuing winter, when the fame places are again covered with water. It is my intention very 
thortly to draw up a full account of the habits and economy of thefe animals. 
March 2. The daffodils are in flower. ‘The firt leaves of the wild tanfy (tanacetum vul- 
gare) appear. Lhave not yet obferved the flowers of that favourite little harbinger of {pring 
the wernal whitlw grajs (draba verna). 
March 16. Two or three fpecies of willow have put forth their white and filky catkina 
The flowers of Jauruftinus begin to fall. ; 
It is a maxim of fome of the country farmers that ‘¢a peck of March duf is worth a 
king’s ranfom.” By this expreffion they underftand that fuch a ftate of weather, in the 
month of March, as will caufe the roads to be dufty, is bighly favourable to agriculture : 
that, in fhort, the country derives from ita benefit more than would be equivaient to the 
ranfom of a monarch. All the roads are at prefent (March 19th) as dufty as they ufually 
are in the early part of furmmer. ‘ 
Hampjhire. 
N.B. Errata in the laft report, line 45, for male read female; 1. 27, for arbuftorem read 
arbuftorum. . METEORO- 
