About the middle of this month, the bittern (ardea stellaris) makes a hollow booming noise during the night in the breeding season, from its swampy retreats. Towards the end of the month, the blackcap (motacilla atricapilla), called, in Norfolk, the mocknightingale, begins its song.

Plovers' eggs now come into season, and are exhibited in small baskets, laid in moss, in the shops of fishmongers and poulterers.

The progress of vegetation is general and rapid in this month. The blossoms of trees present to the eye a most agreeable spectacle, particularly in those counties which abound with orchards. The blackthorn (prunus spinosa) is the first that puts forth its flowers; a host of others follow, among which may be named the ash (Fraxinus excelsior), ground-ivy (glecoma hederacea), the box-tree (buxus sempervirens), the pear-tree (pyrus communis), the apricot, the peach, nectarine, the wild and garden cherry, and the plum; gooseberry and currant trees; the hawthorn (crataegus oxycantha), the apple tree (pyrus malus sativus), and the sycamore (acer pseudo-platanus).

With anxious look the nest he 'spies,
And from the bush the young he tears,
Though each fond parent's plaintive cries
Earnestly beg him to forbear.

Flying around his thoughtless head,
They follow him with mournful strain,
Pining for those they've hatched and fed;
But all their cries, alas! are vain.

Rejoicing o'er his callow prize-
The parent birds their loss deplore-
With hasty step from them he hies;
And they behold their young no more!
Unfeeling boy, whoe'er thou art,
In future from such deeds refrain;
Let pity dwell within thy heart,
And never give another pain.

On observing a FRUIT TREE in BLOOM.
Awake, thou sleeper, view the budding spray,
Its bloom unfolding to the light of day;
Delightful woody garland of the year.
Oh! cursive fancy, be by reason led-

Where are thy phantom hopes?—what, are they fled?
Ah! trembling passions, coolly bid me hear.

Here, nature cries, this must for ever be

Ere the ripe fruit makes known the doubtful tree:
Know, too, the bud of Grace must break with care,
That angels pure may see Faith's harmless bloom
Mature to fruit of duty on the tomb,

And thou in CHRIST triumphing o'er despair.

The elm (ulmus campestris), the beech (fagus sylvatica), and the larch (pinus-larix rubra), are now in full leaf.

Many and lovely are the flowers which are showered, in profusion, from the lap of April: among them may be named the jonquil, anemoné, ranunculus, polyanthus, and the crown-imperial. Other flowers which adorn our fields, at this time, are the checquered daffodil (fritillaria meleagris); the primrose; the cowslip (primula veris); the lady-smock (cardamine pratensis);1 and the hare-bell (hyacinthus non scriptus). The yellow star of Bethlehem (ornithogalum luteum) in woods; the vernal squill (scilla verna) among maritime rocks; and the wood sorrel (oxalis acetosella), are now in full flower.

Various kinds of insects are now seen 6 sporting in the sun-beams,' and living their 'little hour.' The jumping spider (aranea scenica) is seen on garden walls; and the webs of other species of spiders

This is sometimes called cuckoo-flower. Shakspeare, in the song introduced into Love's Labour Lost,' notices the lady-smock, and the 'cuckoo bud of yellow hue,' which is probably the crowfoot or buttercup.

When daisies pied and violets blue,

And lady-smocks all silver white,

And cuckoo buds of yellow hue,

Do paint the meadows with delight.

are found on the bushes, palings, and outsides of houses. The iulus terrestris appears, and the deathwatch (termes pulsatorius) beats early in the month. The wood-ant (formica herculanea) now begins to construct its large conical nest. The shell-snail comes out in troops; the stinging-fly (conops calcitrans) and the red-ant (formica rubra) appear. The mole cricket (gryllus gryllotalpa) is the most remarkable of the insect-tribe seen about this time. The black slug (limax ater) abounds at this season. The blue flesh-fly (musca vomitoria), and the dragonfly (libellula) are frequently observed towards the end of the month. Little maggots, the first state of young ants, are now to be found in their nests. The great variegated libellula (libellula varia of Shaw), which appears, principally, towards the decline of summer, is an animal of singular beauty. The cabbage butterfly also (papilio brassica) now appears.

The following anonymous lines from the Northampton Mercury describe very prettily some of the appearances of nature in this month.

O charming Spring, with what delight I watch
Thy gradual progress! I've viewed with joy
The earliest snowdrop on the sunny bank,
And felt the odour of the ev'ning gale,
Whose sweetest fragrance the eye bewrayed
Where the first vi'let peeped. Thy temp'rate sun
Wakes nature to new life.-Now o'er the vale
Big with new life the industrious bee
Rifles the op'ning flow'r. The insect tribe
Sport in the ev'ning ray, not wearying now
The thoughtful man, as with the ceaseless sound
Of summer, myriads, o'er their parent stream,
Dark'ning the twilight sky; for these called forth
To earlier life, the first-born of the year,
Now but remind him, that the better time

Draws on. Well pleased he views each wintry trace
That still remains, and when he hears the wind
Shake the green budding boughs, or clatter harsh
The bright-leaved ivy to the trunk it clasps,

He thinks that soon the summer breeze shall sound
Refreshing in the waving foliage.

On the habits and food of caterpillars consult T.T. for 1816, p. 124, and T.T. for 1818, p. 119. The scenery of a forest at the approach of spring is beautifully described in our last volume, p. 107, in an extract from Mr. Gisborne.

River fish leave their winter retreats, and again become the prey of the angler.

For the various employments of the Fisher Boy' in this month, and some lines descriptive of river fish, see T.T. for 1817, p. 121.

The spring flight of pigeons (columbæ) appears in this month, or early in the next.

Dry weather is still acceptable to the farmer, who is employed in sowing various kinds of grain, and seeds for fodder, as buck-wheat, lucerne, saintfoin, clover, &c. The young corn and springing-grass, however, are materially benefited by occasional showers. The important task of weeding now begins with the farmer, and every thistle cut down, every plant of charlock pulled up, may be said to be not only an advantage to himself, but a national benefit.

Sowe burlie this season in land that is strong,
Your garden hearbes setting delaye not too long:
To sowe hempe und flaxe and other good seede,
As cucummers and melons, this month you had neede.
To hoalsome bathes vse thee,

Sweet hearbs there to chuse thee.

The lambe and kyddes in Lenten time

Which dreadlesse slept of slaughtering knyfe,

To furnysh Easter in his prime

To butcher's gripes now pawne their lyfe.

DESCRIPTION OF FRUIT TREES.
[Continued from p. 90.]

FILBERD TREE.-See HAZEL.

GOOSEBERRY TREE (ribes grossularia).-The name of this fruit, which is so universal in England,

appears to have been derived from its having formerly been eaten as a sauce with young, or, as they are commonly called, green geese. The best judges do not think it to have been originally a native of this country. In its wild state, the gooseberry tree or bush is only a foot or two in height, with a straight stem, and wholly covered with yellowish stiff prickles. This diminutive plant has, therefore, been greatly improved by cultivation; for in our gardens, when full grown, it generally attains to four feet in height. The smoothness or hairiness of the fruit is purely accidental. It is by no means esteemed in the southern parts of Europe, though so universally eaten in Great Britain. It is almost unknown in the Spanish peninsula. Even in this country it was at first held in but slight estimation; but has been so assiduously cultivated and improved, that it is now become valuable, not only for tarts, pies, and sauces, both fresh and preserved in bottles, but as an early dessert fruit: it is, also, preserved in sugar for culinary purposes during the winter. The varieties best known at present are of the red kind, as the hairy and smooth; the deep red; the damson, or dark bluish red; the red raspberry; the early black red; and the champaigne. The green sorts are the hairy, the smooth, the Gascoigne, the raspberry. The yellow kind are the largest, and are called the great oval, the great amber, the hairy amber, the early amber, and the large tawny or great mogul. The whites, are the common white, the white veined, and the large crystal. Besides all these there is the rumbullion, the large ironmonger, the smooth ironmonger, the hairy globe, and an immense host of others that are annually raised from seeds. Some of these are of an enormous size, so that the boughs would not bear their disproportionate weight, unless effectually propped, which the gardener could not safely omit. In the neighbourhood of London, these bushes have often been seen covered with berries, each of which