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month, or later in some seasons, this bird, at oth times wary and shy, becomes uncommonly bold a fearless, and few birds are more injurious to t countryman than he is.

In this month, trouts begin to rise; blood-wor appear in the water; black ants (formica nigra) a observed; the blackbird and the turkey (meleag gallopavo) lay; and house pigeons sit. The gree finch (loxia chloris) sings; the bat (vespertilio) is se flitting about; and the viper uncoils itself from winter sleep. The wheatear (sylvia oenanthe), English ortolan, again pays its annual visit, leavi England in September. They are found in gre numbers about East Bourne, in Sussex, more th eighteen hundred dozen being annually taken in th neighbourhood. They are usually sold at sixpen a dozen.-See T. T. for 1816, p. 88.

Those birds which have passed the winter in Er land now take their departure for more northe regions. The fieldfares (turdus pilaris) travel Russia, Sweden, and Norway, and even as far Siberia. They do not arrive in France till Dece ber, when they assemble in large flocks of two three thousand. The red-wing (turdus iliacus), whi frequents the same places, eats the same food, and very similar in manners to the fieldfare, also tal leave of this country for the season. Soon after, woodcock (scolopax rusticola) wings its aërial v age to the countries bordering on the Baltic. So other birds, as the crane and stork, formerly nati of this island, have quitted it entirely, since our c tivation and population have so rapidly increased

On the 20th, the vernal equinox takes place, a all Nature feels her renovating sway, and seems rejoice at the retreat of winter. The general great flow of sap in most trees takes place in t month; this is preparatory to the expanding of leaves, and ceases when they are out according

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maple, in North America, for its juice, to be ted for sugar; every 200 lbs. of sap yielding f very good sugar. The gooseberry and curshes now show their young leaves; the ash its ds; and the hazel and the willow exhibit some returning life in their silky enfolded catkins. nellia japonica' is the chief ornament of the ouse in this month, bearing very handsome tly admired clusters of beautiful flowers.

ardens begin now to assume somewhat of a appearance. Crocuses, exhibiting a rich of yellow and purple, ornament the borders; on is in all its beauty; the little flowers' with crest and golden eye,' daisies, are scattered y pastures; and the pilewort (ranunculus ficaseen on the moist banks of ditches. The se too (primula veris) peeps from beneath the

To the PRIMROSE.

Mark in yonder thorny vale,

Fearless of the falling snows,
Careless of the chilly gale,

Passing sweet the Primrose blows.

Milder gales and warmer beams
May the gaudier flow'rets rear,
But to me the Primrose seems
Proudest gem that decks the year.
Darling flow'r! like thee, may I,
Dauntless view the tempest rise,
Danger neither court nor fly,

Fortune's bleakest blasts despise ;
Oppression's threats regardless hear,
Nor past regret nor future fear.

equinoctial gales are, usually most felt, both and land, about this time.

- leaves of honeysuckles are now nearly ex

leaves of a plant belonging to the genus camellia are said to by the Chinese for the purpose of giving a peculiar fragrance iner and more expensive kinds of tea.

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panded: in our gardens, the buds of the cherry tr (prunus cerasus), the peach (amygdalus persica the nectarine, the apricot, and the almond (prun armeniaca), are fully opened in this month. T buds of the hawthorn (crataegus oxycantha) and the larch tree (pinus larix) begin to open; and t tansy (tanacetum vulgare) emerges out of the groun ivy-berries are ripe; the coltsfoot (tussilago), t cotton-grass (eriophorum vaginatum), wood spur (euphorbia amygdaloides), butcher's broom (rusc aculeatus), the daffodil (pseudonarcissus) in mo thickets, the rush (juncus pilosus), and the spur laurel (daphne laureola), found in woods, are n in bloom. The common whitlow grass (draba ver on old walls; the yellow Alpine whitlow grass (dra aizoides) on maritime rocks; and the mountain p per-wort (lepidum petræum) among limestone roc flower in March.

The sweet violet (viola odorata) sheds its d cious perfumes in this month.-(See our preced volumes for poetical illustrations of this univer favourite.)

The barren strawberry (fragaria sterilis), and yew tree (taxus baccata), are now in flower, and elder tree (sambucus nigra) begins to put forth flower buds. The hepatica (anemone hepatica), un the weather be severe, gives brilliance to the gar with its bright pink flowers; and the hounds-ton (cynoglossum) with its more modest flowers of pin light blue. Nor, in this picture of renovation, n we forget that beautiful contrast, the bay (la nobilis) with its ever-during foliage.

And sweet the laurel grew-that hallowed tree,
With leaves that seem the leaves of song to be,-
Which never loseth its appareling,

But looketh constant of th' undaunted SPRING.

The smelt (salmo eperlanus) begins to as rivers to spawn, when they are taken in great ab

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The gar-fish, gar-pike, or horn-fish (esox appears in this month. The general length two to three feet, the body slender, and ly flat. The jaws are very long and slend the edges of both armed with numerous chin teeth. The back is of a very fine beneath which is a rich changeable blue and cast, while the sides and belly are of a ilver colour. It is a native of the European rriving in shoals on the British coasts, prethe mackerel. The spine and bones acquire tiful transparent green colour by boiling, notnding which it is eaten with perfect safety. uch esteemed in Devonshire and Dorsetshire, not upon the Essex coast and in London. gannets or Soland geese (pelicanus bassanus) in March to the Hebrides, and other rocky of North Britain, to make their nests and lay ggs.

ch amusement may be derived in this month, las in the last, from watching the progress rms, insects, &c. from torpidity to life, partiy on the edges or banks of ponds.-See T. T. 17, p. 53.-In the latter end of March, a brim-coloured butterfly (papilio rhamni) appears.

on a BUTTERFLY, which came from its Chrysulis in a Lady's Hand. Born in Aspasia's fost'ring hand,

My finished form I first displayed,
And felt my plumy wings expand,
While gazing on the beauteous maid.
No sunshine glowed upon the scene
With kindly warmth those wings to dry;
Yet fair each painted pinion grew
Beneath the lustre of her eye.

No zephyr rose with gentle gale
To fan my infant frame with air,
But, fanned by fair Aspasia's breath,
The zephyr's gale I well might spare.

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No rose or lily near me grew

On which my downy limbs might rest;
But these in brighter tints I found
Upon the virgin's cheek and breast.
Thus nature, with indulgent care,
Propitious graced my natal hour;
And with superior sweetness gave

The gale, the sunshine, and the flow'r!

Bees may now be seen in the garden, culling the various sweets, with never-ceasing industry, an seizing every hour of sunshine and of mild weath to pursue their task of collecting materials for the honied condiment, so grateful to the palate of ma For the mode in which this botanical plunder commits his depredations, and for a poetical cat logue of those flowers which yield materials f honey of the best quality and in the greatest abun ance, consult our last volume, pp. 82-85. It is n known, perhaps, to many of our readers, that some parts of Great Britain the bee is consider by the superstitious and the ignorant to have a pr siding faëry or demon, called Browney. In son places, the assistance of Browney is still invoke when the bees begin to swarm; and, in conjuncti with the tinkling of a pestle and mortar, it is believ they will be induced to pitch in the vicinity of t parent hive. In some parts of Ireland and Scotlan the character of Browney is well known. He is su posed to be a kind of benevolent demon, than who a spirit less impure fell not from heaven. He presumed to befriend the human race, to assist the in their labours, to promote their interests, never do any one the least harm, and to preside over t bees. His form, when visible, bears some reser blance to that of a bear; his hair is long and shagg his legs are short, and his aspect presents a mela choly gloom. Sometimes he has been reported speak; but his language is always that of pathet

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