ature, in an irregular manner it is
true, but sufficiently to be worthy of record. It has been said {237}
that Thoreau, the American recluse and naturalist, knew the look of the
country-side so intimately that had he been miraculously transferred to
an unknown time of year, he would have recognised the season "within a
day or two from the flowers at his feet." If this is true, either
American plants are much more businesslike than ours (which is as it
should be), or else Thoreau did not test his opinions too severely, and
this seems even more probable.

NOTES.

* This column gives Blomefield's _mean_ dates.

+ S is the date on which the song was first heard.

L is the date of leafing.

N that of nesting.

The other entries are the dates of flowering.

No. Name Fact F. D. Blomefield.
observed *
1 Celandine April 1 Feb. 28
(_Ficaria_)
2 Blackbird S+ ,, 2 Feb. 10
3 Bramble L ,, 2 Mar. 25
4 Daisy ,, 4 Jan. 29
(_Bellis_)
5 Wild Rose L ,, 6 Mar. 15
6 Wild Violet ,, 16 April 16
7 _Lamium ,, 17 Feb. 19
purpureum_
8 Willow ,, 19 Mar. 19
9 Elder L ,, 21 Feb. 13
10 Raspberry L ,, 21 April 2
11 Hazel L ,, 21 April 2
12 _Caltha_ ,, 22 Mar. 5
13 Chiff-chaff S ,, 22 Apr. 7
14 Humble Bee ,, 22 Mar. 17
15 Cuckoo S ,, 23 Apr. 29
16 Dandelion ,, 26 Feb. 21
17 Martin N May 1 May 3
18 Lady's Smock ,, 2 April 19
19 _Nepeta ,, 2 Mar. 30
glechoma_
20 Blackthorn ,, 3 April 4
21 Ash ,, 3 April 11
22 Cowslip