The parting of the icy chains of winter, and the return of spring, is the most acceptable change in the seasons of the year in North America. The latter part of the winter is most tedious, and the strong links with which it binds the face of nature are snapped but slowly—so slowly that one is apt to become very impatient—heartily sick of the sight of snow and the tinkling sleigh-bells. The 17th March, as a general rule, is about the time of the first appreciable change. Warm rains and reeking fogs cause the snow to disappear rapidly ; here and there the roads exhibit patches of bare ground with deep mud, and the settler’s sled has to seek the strips of snow which still fringe the edge of the road, or often altogether to turn into the woods. Now may be seen the wild goose winging his way in long wedge-shaped flights to his distant breeding-grounds in Hudson’s Bay, alighting on the way in the various large harbours which, from the extent of the flats left uncovered by the receding tide, offer a secure rest and an abundant supply of marine grasses. I know of no more pleasing sight at this season than the passage of a phalanx of wild geese : majestically cleaving the air with slow, measured strokes, they press onwards towards their distant resorts, hundreds of feet above you, now and again uttering their wild note of apparent encouragement —“honk! hawnk!”—a sure sign of the winter breaking up for good.

“Hawnk! honk! and for’ard to the Nor’ard, is the trumpet-tone,
What goose can lag, or feather flag, or break the goodly cone?
Hawnk ! onward to the cool blue lakes where lie our safe love-bowers;
No stop, no drop of ocean brine, near stool or hassock hoary,
Our travelling watchword is “Our mates, our goslings, and our glory!”
Symsonia and Labrador for us are crown’d with flowers,
And not a breast on wave shall rest until that heaven is ours.
Hawnk! hawnk! E-e hawnk!

Frank Forester.

Then come a few warm, sunny days, and the expression of Nature’s features appears quite altered, and our welcome guests, the early migratory birds, arrive from the more genial southern climes, filling the long-silent woods with animation and melody. And, first, the well-known robin, or rather red-breasted thrush (Turdus migratorius), affects warm, sunny banks in open woods, whence he springs with a sudden note of alarm as the murderous boy, bent on developing his sporting propensities, creeps with levelled gun over the hill’s brow, and seeks to “fill his gaping tuneful bill with blood.” Then is heard the whistle of the rusty grackle (Q. ferru-gineus), and the cheerful notes of the song sparrow (F. melodia), and before the end of March the woodcock (M. Americana) may be seen, in the evening, running through the swamps and warm springs by the road-side, every now and then stopping to bore for worms, and from its comparative tameness at this season, becoming an easy prey to the poacher or our friend (?) the robin-shooter. But, alas! all these pleasant appearances of spring are but transient charms; back comes the frost, and the wintry blast, and the snow-storm ; the gentle advances of spring are rudely repelled, and the rills from the melting snow again arrested, and—

“What will the robin do then, poor thing?”

However, April ushers in some fine days, and the increasing power of the sun tells upon the masses of snow in the fir-woods and the rotting ice in the lakes ; and at last comes a fierce storm of wind and rain, with a warm, oppressive atmosphere, as if the genial breath of spring, tired of attempting to coax away the departing chills of winter, had now determined to exert all its force, and with hot gales and heavy rains ease the surface of the country and lakes of their icy garments. Now a change is indeed evident; the snow, with the exception of a patch or two in hollows, has all disappeared from the face of the earth, and the great monotonous fir-woods themselves lose their dark wintry aspect and blackness, assuming a lively green tint, and emitting, as one wanders through their sunny glades, faint odours of that delicious aroma which pervades the atmosphere in the heat of midsummer. How great a relief this to the resident in these climes, subject so long to the stern rule of winter! What heart does not feel forgotten memories recalled, when, wandering along sunny banks in the fir-woods, the first blossom of the fragrant May-flower is seen and culled? “We bloom amid the snow" is the motto of our province ; and the May-flower (Epigsea repens) is to us what the violet, sought in hedge-rows, is to our friends at home—entailing the same close search for its retiring blossoms, and evoking the same feelings of gladness and hope. And we cling to these balmy spring days all the more closely as we dread the chill easterly wind, and the dark sea-fog which may cover us with its gloom on the morrow; for we live on the shores of the “mournful and misty Atlantic" and many a spring day must yet be darkened by fog and chilled by gales from the floating ice-fields drifting down the coast, before the tardy green leaves of the hardwoods fully appear.

About the 20th of May the presence of spring is perceptible in the sprouting of little leaves on almost all the smaller deciduous shrubs, simultaneously with the light green sprays of the larch. From this time vegetation progresses with extraordinary rapidity; a delightful change in the atmosphere almost invariably occurs; the cold easterly winds cease ; balmy airs from the westward succeed, and assist in developing the tender buds and blossoms, and in a few days the face of the country, lately so bare and dreary, glows with warmth and beauty. All nature rejoices in this pleasant season ; the songs of the hermit-thrush (T. solitarius), robin, and of a host of warblers, the cheerful piping of the frogs throughout the warm night, and the soft west wind, which borrows an indescribable fragrance from the blossoms of innumerable shrubs and plants now flowering in the woods and on the barrens, afford charms which more than repay for the gloom of the long and trying winter.

The red blossoming maple (Acer rubrum) now exhibits crimson flower-clusters topping each spray, almost vieing in colour with the glories of its autumnal foliage : the Indian pear (Amelanchier) and wild cherry (C. Pennsylvania), growing in great abundance throughout the country, seem overburdened with their masses of delicate white blossoms, and impart a fragrance to the air, in which are mingled a thousand other scents; for in this land nearly every shrub and plant bears sweet-smelling flowers. The blueberry, huckleberry, and other Yaccinise now show their pretty heath-like blossoms in promise of the abundant harvest of delicious fruit which is so acceptable to birds, bears, and bipeds throughout the fall; the rich carpet of mosses in the fir-woods is adorned with a great variety of flowers, the most frequent being the common pigeon-berry (Cornus Canadensis), whose bright scarlet clusters of berries look so pretty in the fall in contrast with the green moss; and large tracts of country are tinted by the rich lilac flower-masses of the wild azalea (Ehodora Canadensis), which blossoms even before its leaves have sprouted from their buds. Many of the young leaves of the poplars, willows, and others are coated with a canescent down, and, as they tremble in the sunlight, with waving masses of white blossoms, give a sparkling and silvery appearance to the country, which is very beautiful and attractive.

This delightful season is, however, of short duration— imperceptibly losing itself in the increasing heat and development of summer. A few days change the aspect of the country marvellously, and the broadly-expanding leaves of the maples produce a dense canopy of shade in the forest, hiding the granite boulders and prostrate rampikes on the barren by covering the bushes with a drapery of lovely green. Nothing can be brighter than American spring verdure, nor does it degenerate into the dull heavy green of English summer foliage—the leaves maintaining their vernal hue on the same branch, side by side with the brilliant orange scarlet of their dying fellows, at that beautiful season the fall of the leaf.

The advent of summer is characterized by the waning of the flower-masses of the Rhodora, and the succession of the crimson whorls of the Kalmias (K. angustifolia and K. glauca) as prominent species. The Kalmia, locally termed laurel, enlivens large tracts of forest, as does the last-named shrub earlier, and forms a pleasing contrast to the new green shoots of the young coniferse. The moss in the greenwoods is now covered with the nodding bells of the twin flower (Linnsea borealis) which, in imparting fragrance to the atmosphere, takes the place of two pretty little spring flowers, the star-shaped Tri-entalis, and the (locally so called) lily of the valley (Smilacina bifolia). The swamp vegetation, headed by the Indian cup (Sarracenia purpurea) and blue flag (Iris versicolor), flowers abundantly in ponds and moist hollows in the woods, the dark-red drooping petals of the former prettily contrasting with the blue of the iris. The large, yellow-throated frog (Bana fontinalis) here rules the world of reptile life ; his solemn ejaculation—“ glum! glumpk ! ” is heard in every direction and at regular intervals, mingled with the long trilling love-note of Bufo Americanus—the common toad—and the sharp and ceaseless cries of the little Hylodes (H. Pickeringii). The deciduous foliage attains its full development; ferns are strong and their spores beginning to ripen. The whip-poor-will (Caprimulgus vociferus), and- the night hawk (C. Yirginianus) — leading representatives of summer birds—arrive; and the plaintive song of the former— “Wyp-o-Il”—repeated in fast succession and at frequent intervals, is now heard in the maple-bush copses by lake or river-side throughout the night, with the shrill scream of the night hawk, and the strange booming sound which is produced by the latter bird in rushing perpendicularly downwards on its prey.

The fir forest at this season becomes intensely heated, and emits a strong aromatic odour. Where a tree has fallen its withering branches fill the air for some distance around with a most delightfully fragrant scent of strawberries. To the sojourner or traveller in the woods, the shelter and cool air under deciduous trees, in groves of maple or birches, is an appreciable relief.

Lastly comes the flora of autumn, with its asters and golden-rods; and these, choosing open barrens and fields as their residence, leave the woodlands almost without a flower.

Towards the end of August some of the features of the fall are developed. Maple leaves turn colour in unhealthy situations — as where the trees have been subjected to inundation during the summer, and have consequently lost the vigour necessary to resist the frosty air of the nights.

The plovers arrive, and the wild pigeon is found in large flocks on the ground feeding on the ripe pigeon-berries. The barrens now afford astonishing supplies of berries of many sorts of Ericacese, and an unpremeditated meeting not unfrequently occurs between the bear and the biped, both intent on culling a portion of the luscious harvest.

In September the full brightness of the fall colour is brought out on deciduous foliage ; fast fading, however, towards the close of the month, and altogether disappearing by the end of October—the last lingering phases of autumnal glory being the rich golden-yellow hue assumed by the larch, and the dark Indian-red of the leaves of the oak and whortleberry.

Then conies the Indian summer—a season of dreamy delight, when a warm, hazy atmosphere mellows the rich brown foreground and distant blue hills of the woodland picture, and all nature seems to bask in a calm serenity. The hermit thrush now warbles forth his farewell from the spruce groves; the robins congregate on the barrens, busily picking the remains of the berry-harvest ere their departure for the south; and the squirrels and wood-marmots hasten into their granaries their winter supplies of acorns and beech-mast.

November is not far advanced before cold northerly winds and black frosts remove all traces of the beautiful fall. The bear and the marmot hybernate; the moose select their winter yards; the last detachments of lingering robins depart, and the retreating columns of wild geese are soon followed by the fierce driving storm, which buries the hard-frozen ground under the first snows of the long American winter. Varying in intensity of cold and general changeableness of climate, according to distance from the sea and the influence of the gulf stream, the winter drags on with but little to mark the monotony of its course. On the sea-board of the maritime provinces snow and rain constantly succeed each other, and fields and clearings are often buried and as often bared; but back in the woods even the long January thaw, which is of regular occurrence in these regions, makes but little impression on the steadily accumulating snow.

The summer birds have all left, and the frogs are deeply buried beneath the mud at the bottom of ponds. On the smooth white surface, which is spread over his former hiding-places in the forest, the little American hare (Lepus Americanus) has assumed his winter coat, assimilated in colour to the face of nature, and affording somewhat of protection from the numerous enemies which hunt him on the snow so unrelentingly—the two lynxes, the foxes, the great fisher-marten, and the tree-marten, and lastly, and most perseveringly of all, the little ermine weasel. But he has feathered enemies besides—the horned and snowy owls, as well as one or two of the larger hawks. Considering the abundance in which the former bird occurs in the forest, and the lengthy list of his foes, it appears marvellous 'that the little rabbit, as he is locally called, is able, with his family increasing only in the summer months, not merely to exist as a species, but to contribute so largely as he does to the winter food of the human population.

Undeniably gloomy as is the general character of the American winter, apart from the vigorous bustle of civilization, there are days when even the forest affords sensations of pleasure to the observer of nature. What can be more beautiful than early morning, after a long-continued snow-storm, when the sun rises in a sky of purest blue, speckled, perhaps, with light fleecy cirrhi, and looking almost as the sky of a summer day \ Every branch and bough is covered with radiant crystals of the new snow, and the air holds a delicious freshness.

Rising from his soft bed of silver-fir boughs before the embers of the great logs which have warmed the camp throughout the night, the hunter steps forth into the bright morning with feelings of the highest exhilaration. Not a branch stirs, save where the busy little titmice or gold-crests, sporting amongst tlie foliage, dislodge a shower of sparkling crystals—

“Myriads of gems that in the waving gleam
Gay-twinkle as they scatter,”

when the disencumbered bough flies back to its original position. The faintest sound finds an echo amongst the stems of the forest trees; the chopping of an axe is borne through the still rarified air for many a mile. Bird-life is in full activity. The Corvidae, the raven, crow, blue-jay, and moose-bird are hunting round for their morning meal of carrion. The grosbeaks and crossbills, busily engaged on the fir-cones, frequently rest to deliver their low but melodious song from the topmost sprays of the pines. The taps of the woodpeckers resound from the hard surface of barked trees, and the sharp, wrathful chirrup of the common red squirrel (Sciurus Hudsonius) is heard in every direction. The very flight of birds may be heard at a considerable distance, as may also the scratching of a squirrel against the bark as he races up a trunk some two hundred yards away, or the shuffling of the porcupine in the top branches of a hemlock, his favourite retreat on a fine winter’s day.

Short-lived, however, are such pleasant breaks in the winter weather. The short day, commencing so brilliantly, more frequently closes with a prevailing leaden gloom portending more snow, or, if near the sea-coast, a fierce southerly gale and rain.

In a damp atmosphere, or with gentle rain, the stratum of air nearest the ground being of a temperature below freezing point, every spray in the forest becomes coated with ice. Thus originates the beautiful phenomenon called a silver thaw. Seen in sunlight, when the mists have dispersed, the forest presents a wonderful and magic appearance under such circumstances. The network of the smallest bushes is brought out to prominent notice by the sparkling casing of ice, and the surface of the snow gleams like a mirror. Such a scene as I once beheld it at night by the light of a full moon was most impressively beautiful, and, I would almost say, unreal.

Should a wind arise before the ice has melted, much mischief is caused amongst the heavily-laden branches, which make the wood resound with their snappings.

The close of the winter is the most disagreeable season of the year, and the discoloured snow, assuming a round granular shape, resists the sun with wonderful tenacity. Night frosts consolidate the surface, so that small animals, and man himself, are carried on the snow, and leave no track. The bulky moose sinks through; flying from his pursuers with laborious and painful strides, and leaving a trail of blood along his tracks from the sharp edge of the incrustation cutting 'his legs, he soon succumbs an easy prey to the wanton poacher. The settlers’ sleds and ox-teams are now in full activity, drawing out the logs felled during the winter through the woods and over the lakes to the river-side ; and the farmers hasten their remaining stock of produce to the market and purchase their seeds, striving to return before the final breaking up of the snow leaves the roadway an impassable sea of mud.

NOTES ON PERIODIC PHENOMENA.

The following observations of periodic phenomena were made in Halifax, Nova Scotia, an excellent and central station for observing the natural features of the seasons in the lower provinces, being on the line of migration of water birds as well as of such land birds as pass over farther to the north or eastward, to Newfoundland or Labrador. Some allowance must be made with regard to locality in different parts of the provinces —as, for instance, in the case of Montreal, where the advent of winter and of spring phenomena is rather earlier than at Halifax, or of Quebec, where the latter season is more backward, and a lower degree of mean winter temperature prevails — yet, excepting that a larger number of species is comprised in the fauna and flora of the Canadas, and, on the other hand, in Newfoundland, a great reduction occurs in the representation of both kingdoms with an entire absence of the class Reptilia, it may be said that the phenomena of the seasons in Nova Scotia afford a fair index to such occurrences throughout the British provinces of North America bordering on the Atlantic.*

NOTES OF THE YEAR 1866.

January 5. Snow falls at night to depth of four inches, quite level, with a cold N.E. wind.

6. First good sleighing of the year in Halifax; thermometer ranges about 12° Fahr. throughout the day.

7. Clear and cold; thermometer, — 5°. A dense pall of vapour on the harbour, obscuring all but the tops of vessels, and coating the sides and rigging with ice. Large numbers of smelts and frost-fish (Morrhua pruinosa) brought to market; the former taken with bait through holes cut in the ice in upper harbours or large lakes freely communicating with the sea ; the latter by bag-nets in rivers at the head of the tide, where they are now engaged in spawning. They are only taken at night, returning at daybreak to deep water. Trout, taken through the ice, and brought to market, dark and flabby, and quite worthless.

10. The north-west arm of the sea in rear of the city of Halifax frozen from head to the Chain Battery, two miles, and covered with light snow. Sleighing on roads excellent.

10—21. Mild, close weather, with southerly winds and occasional heavy rains ; snow nearly disappears, even in the woods to the eastward. This is an instance of the usual January thaw.

22. Ice on the lake twelve inches thick. Many moose killed during the thaw brought to market; the bulls still retain their horns. Eels taken in harbours by spearing through holes in the ice on muddy bottoms, where they lie in a state of torpidity.

26. Four inches of snow fall during day.

27. Calm, clear weather; excellent sleighing.

28—31. Very variable ; soft and mild, with rain from southward, changing to hard frost with N.W. wind; three inches of snow from N.E. on 31st.

February 1. Thermometer, 0°, in the morning.

2—7. Very oppressive, unhealthy weather: dense fogs and occasional rains ; snow disappearing, except in the woods. The sap is commencing to flow in deciduous trees, owing to the mildness of the weather ; buds appear on maples and currant bushes.

8. Distant thunder heard.

10—13. Light frosts recommence. Ground bare of snow on roads ; good skating on lakes and arms of the sea, all the snow having been melted off the surface.

14. Wind shifts to N., with gale ; mercury falls at night to 0°.

18. Cold weather continues ; mercury, — 2°, at eight A.M. Good sleighing, considerable snow having fallen since the change.

22—24. A thaw; rain, with thick sea fogs; roads and streets deep with mud.

26—27. A little snow falls, succeeded by mild weather.

March 2. A heavy snow-storm from N.E.; five inches fall; the sleighing good. Smelts, caught through the ice, still brought to market, but becoming more scarce. The song sparrow (F. melodia), a few of which stay all winter, singing in gardens.

4. Snow disappearing under the sun.

5—10. Very variable; much rain.

11. First salmon brought to market from the sea at Margaret’s Bay. Several flocks of wild geese pass over to the eastward. A few robins (Turdus migratorius) seen. It is uncertain whether these are new comers, as many have remained all winter around the Halifax peninsula.

14. The fine, warm weather of past few days dispelled by a northerly snow-storm, with 14° of frost at night. Western salmon become more plentiful in the market. The fur of the hare assuming its summer colour, showing patches of light brown interspersed with the white.

19. Mild and clear, after rains. Ice on the lakes becomes very rotten, and unsafe for travelling. The rusty grakle (Quiscalus ferrugineus), locally termed blackbird, arrives. Immense quantities of sea-fish, comprising cod, haddock, and halibut, brought to market. Woodcock arrives. Robins frequently seen in open spots in the woods near the sea. Snowbird (Fringilla nivalis) arrives. A few have remained all winter.

23, 24. Easterly wind, with snow. Sleighs out again in the streets.

26. Fine and mild.

27. Very fine and pleasant. The song sparrow (F. melodia) is heard frequently. Grass on sloping banks becoming green. Robins find worms at the surface. Maple-trees (Acer saccharinum) tapped by sugar makers.

30—31. Cold rains, with N.E. wind. Many, moose killed by settlers in woods near Annapolis, where the snow still continues deep.

The weather during the foregoing winter months was exceedingly unsettled. The mean temperatures of January, February, and March were 23°, 26°, and 28°, respectively; the minimum of cold in January, — 5°, being unusually small. There are few instances of the two coldest months, January and February, passing over without —10° to —15° being registered. Even in the beginning of March, in some winters, the climate is still subject to the occurrence of one of those sudden passages of extreme cold, with strong N. and N.W. winds, which sweep uniformly over the continent from high latitudes, and form the most dreaded feature of the North American winter. On these occasions, and in severe visitations, the mercury will fall to —15°, and sometimes, though very rarely, to —20°, at Halifax, Nova Scotia; the minimum contemporary cold indicated at Sydney, (Cape Breton), Frederictown (New Brunswick), Bangor .(Maine), and Kingston (Upper Canada), being —30° to —40°. In the beginning of March, 1863, a heavy snowstorm was followed by severe cold, the thermometer registering —6° at Halifax, and —30° at Sydney, Cape Breton. A similar late visitation of cold weather following a deep fall of snow occurred in March, 1859, when the mercury fell to —3° and —5° during the nights of .the first three days of the month. The heaviest falls of snow occur in February and early in March, when sometimes nearly three feet of fresh snow is deposited, accumulating by road sides in immense drifts which almost hide small dwellings. . On the 8th February, 1866, Halifax harbour was entirely frozen over, and bore large numbers of persons securely. The thermometer indicated only — 7° when this occurred, but the cold was pf some days’ continuance, and favoured by a perfect calm. This harbour rarely freezes to impede navigation, as do those further to the eastward.

The roseate hue cast over the snow-covered surface of the country by the suns rays on a fine March afternoon in the fine weather succeeding a storm imparts a beautiful effect to the wintry landscape ; in a steady winter this is the most busy time for sleds, snow-shoes, and the youthful sports of “ trabogining ” and coasting down the ice-clad hillocks and drifts of snow by the roadside.

As has been before observed, St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) is looked upon generally as indicating the breaking-up of the winter at Halifax, Nova Scotia, when the wild geese pass over in large flights; southerly weather, with soft rains and fogs, fast dissolving the snow, and rotting the ice on the lakes, which lingers a few days longer in dark, discoloured, and honeycombed patches, and finally sinks below the surface.

April 1. Cold N.E. wind, with rain ; large fields of ice drifting past the entrance of the harbour.

2-10. Fine, but with cold easterly winds. Common crow (C. Americanus) mated and building in tall spruces. Also ravens (C. corax) in tops of lofty pines and rocky precipices. Fox-coloured sparrow (F. iliaca) arrives. Trout take the fly in open water found in runs between lakes.

15. Wind veers to the westward after rain, with fine spring - weather. Mayflowers (Epigasa repens) in flower abundantly; occasional blossoms have been picked during the last fortnight. The small marsh frog (Hylodes) is heard. Robins and song-sparrow sing frequently. Camberwell beauty (Vanessa antiopa) about. Ice disappeared from lakes.

20. Fine weather succeeded by cold N.E. wind and heavy snowstorm.

21. A few sleighs out in the streets in the morning; snow disappears at noon, leaving a sea of mud on the roads.

22—30. Fine clear weather ; dust in the streets towards close of month. White-bellied martin (H. bicolse) arrives on 23rd ; the gold-winged woodpecker (Picus auratus) on same date. Wood frog (R. sylvatica) and common spring frog (R. fontinalis) are heard to croak; both are spawning. Trout take the artificial fly readily in lakes. Smelts ascend brooks to spawn, and are taken in great numbers by scoop nets. Dandelions picked in fields and sold as a vegetable.

May 1—3. Chilly, with rain ; all vegetation backward, owing to cold easterly weather till now prevailing. Wild gooseberry in leaf. Scarlet buds developing on maple. The Hylodes chirp in the evenings.

4. Bright and warm, with westerly wind. The kingfisher (Alcedo alcyon) arrives; also the white-throated sparrow (F. Pennsylvania), commonly called in Nova Scotia the “poor Kennedy bird.” The hermit thrush (T. solitarius) is heard. The trilling note of the common toad is heard in the evening swelling the chorus of the frogs.

7—11. Cold easterly weather ; much ice off the coast. Green snake (Coluber vernalis) observed sunning on bank. Ferns (Lastreae) sprouting. Blue wood-violet flowers, also white variety.

12. Clears up from westward for fine weather. Frogs and toads very noisy in the evening. Robins, white-throated sparrow, and hermit thrush sing till 8 p.m. The toad trills all day. May and stone flies (Ephemerae and Phryganeae) issue from the water, and are greedily devoured by trout. Black flies (Simulium molestum) make their appearance. The light green blossoms of the willow contrast prettily with the red bloom on maples (A. rubrum). Grass four or five inches high. Larches showing light green leaves and crimson blossoms. Waterlilies commencing to grow upwards from the bottom of ponds.

13—15. Fine weather continues. Gaspereaux (Alosa tyrannus) ascending stream to spawn in lakes. Ruffed and Canada grouse (Tetrao umbellus and T. Canadensis) incubating. Frog spawn hatching.

18. Fine weather continues. Trout gorged with Ephemerae and refuse bait. Gold thread (Coptis trifolia) flowering. Ferns unfolding. Fir cones of A. picea of a delicate sea-green colour.

20. Atmosphere hazy from fires in the forest. Herons (Ardea Herodias) arriving in flights. Young leaves tipping the blossoms of the red-flowering maple. Poplar (P. tremuloides) in leaf. '

21. The whip-poor-will (C. vociferus) is heard in copses on the banks of the north-west arm of the harbour; the night hawk (C. Yirginianus) on same evening. Rain at night.

22. Shad (Alosa sapidissima) ascends rivers to spawn, and will sometimes take the artificial fly. The moose-bush (Yiburnum lantanoides) in flower; also Indian pear (Amelanchier); the young leaves of the latter of a rich bronze tint. Light green' leaves of birches unfolding. Pigeon berry (Cornus Canadensis) in flower ; also wild Azalea (Rhodora Canadensis).

23—27. Variable weather, with rains. Blueberry and whortleberry (Vaccinise) in flower on open barrens. Smilacina bifolia and S. borealis in flower in fir woods, with Star of Bethlehem (Trientalis Americana). Profuse blossoms on Indian pear and wild cherry (Cerasus Pennsylvania).

28—31. Occasional showers, with thunder on the 31st. Leaves and seed-keys developed on maples. The white death flower (Trillium pictum) in bloom. The flower of the Rhodora now imparts a roseate hue to open spots in the woods and by the roadside, contrasting most pleasingly with the light green of birch and larch leaves and young fern fronds.

June, 1. Warm, pleasant weather. Blossoms of service tree and wild cherry fading. Royal fern (Osmunda regalis) in flower; also 0. cinnamomea and 0. interrupta. Yellow-throated frog assumes bright colour, and croaks all day. Young hares (first brood) about. Labrador tea (Ledum latifolium) and lady’s slipper (Cypripedium) in flower.

2—6. Fine weather continues ; high winds from westward. Leaves of trees nearly developed.

7. A splendid aurora at night. A corona formed a little south of the zenith, to which streamers ascend from all points of the compass, though their bases did not approach the horizon to the southward. Hylodes, frogs, and toads very noisy at nights. Young robins leaving the nest.

11. Fine weather, but cold .for time of year. The Bob o’ Lincoln (Emberiza oryzivora) in full song in pasture fields. .

15. Weather has become very fine and warm; this day the thermometer indicates 87° in shade. Linnea borealis, the twin flower, out, and imparts much fragrance to the atmosphere under green woods. Pollack (Merlangus) arrive in bays and harbours, and take artificial fly on the surface greedily. Kalmia angusti-folia coming into bloom ; the Bhodora fading off.

16—20. Warm sultry weather, with thunder showers on 20th. Indian cup (Sarraeenia jpurpurea) flowers with iris, cranberry, and sundew in swamps. Abundance of salmon exposed for sale in the markets.

22. Fireflies (Lampyris corusea) are seen.

23—30. Variable weather : frequent incursions of fog from the sea, extending many miles inland. Wild strawberries ripen and are brought to market in great abundance. Withrod in flower.

July 5. Heavy rain succeeds fogs. The wood-sorrel (Oxalis aeetosella) in flower. Wild roses (R. parviflora) out.

6—10. Very fine and warm ; atmosphere hazy, with strong smell of burning woods. Grilse numerous in the rivers. Haymaking commences.

12. Fireflies very numerous in evenings. Water-lilies, white and yellow, flowering; also arrowhead (Sagittaria). Robins sitting on eggs of second brood. Balsam poplars (balsamifera) shedding their cotton.

13—21. Very fine and dry. .Vegetation suffering from drought; grass withering. Humming-birds numerous. Summer flowers going off. Orange lily (L. Canadense) flowering in intervale meadows, and fire-weed (Epilobium) in burnt woods.

24. Still fine, with high winds. Extensive fires in the woods fill the air with smoke and obscure the sun. Grasshoppers very numerous. Wild currants ripen. Young woodcock, partridge, and flappers of duck well grown. Wild cherries ripening; also blueberries (Yaccinium) on the barrens, with wild raspberries. (Rubus idseus). Cargoes of sea-birds’ eggs brought to market from the Gulf and sold for food. Garden cherries ripe and much visited by waxwings (Ampelis Americana).

25—31. Uninterruptedly fine weather. Albicore (Thynnus vulgaris) strike the N.W. arm, feeding on herring. House-flies become troublesome. The cicada sings continually in the woods.

August 1. Fine weather continues. Berries of Cornus Canadensis ripe and very plentiful; do. of blueberries and Indian pear. Great quantities of wild raspberries brought to market.

2—10. Weather changes to wet, commencing with thunder. The rivers, hitherto almost dry, swell, and salmon, delayed by drought, ascend.

11—17. Fine weather, with occasional showers. Passenger pigeons (Ectopistes migratorius) seen on barrens feeding on berries ; these birds are more numerous westward from the coast. Cariboo (Cervus tarandus) commence to rut.

18. Golden plover (Charadrius marmoratus) arrives. Nights become cooler, and houseflies sluggish.

19—31. Fine weather. Tree frog (Hyla squirrella) pipes. Moose have their horns developed, and rub off deciduous skin. Trout recover from their summer lassitude, and again take the fly. Fungi very numerous in damp woods, with common mushroom (Agaricus cam-pestris) on grass plots. Golden rods (Solidago), Michaelmas daisies, and spieries flowering in fields and barrens; also the ground-nut (Apios tuberosa) in damp localities by margins of lakes and brooks. Blackberries (Rubus hispidus) ripen, and are brought to market. Maples and birches in damp spots are tinged with fall colours.

REMARKS ON THE FOREGOING MONTHS

The spring, comprising the months of April and May and part of June, was generally fine, though the long-continued easterly winds, coming over the ice-fields off the coast, greatly retarded vegetation. This feature was followed by a most unusual drought which prevailed through the summer over the whole continent. The prairies presented the appearance of an arid desert, and the large game suffered severely. On the Atlantic coast rivers and lakes were nearly dried up, and multitudes of eels and other fish were left dead on the banks. A large proportion of the migratory fish spawning in summer were prevented from reaching their grounds.

The mean temperature of April was 36°; of May 48°; of June 57°; of July 62°; and of August 64°.

The summer in Canada, the Lower Provinces, and New England is characterised by the remarkable energy of growth of all vegetation and rapidity of maturing. Garden operations, begun late in May, will produce in a few weeks the same results as if the seed had been sown in England a month earlier; and the same rule applies to general agriculture. The suitableness of the climate to the growth of maize, tobacco, and the gourd family attests its value in an agricultural light. The Jerusalem artichoke flowers, and tomatoes and peppers produce abundantly; and in Nova Scotia the vine succeeds so well, that black Hamburg grapes will ripen in the open air.

September 1—10. Fine autumnal weather. Apples and fall fruits fast ripening. Berries of mountain ash (Pyrus Americana) reddening. Rutting season of Cervus Alces commences. Woodcock and snipe, partridges (Tetrao), and hares brought to market, the latter being principally snared. The whip-poor-will and night-hawk leave. Gold-winged woodpeckers congregate before departure.

11—13. Heavy rain-storm, lasting two days, and accompanied by thunder-storms.

14. Leaves of maples and other bushes resplendent, with orange and scarlet appearing in splashes on the green leaf. Brooks full and low lands inundated. Porcupines’ rutting season commences. Moose travelling and calling. Scarlet berries of Trillium pictum and blue of Smilacina borealis are very conspicuous in the green woods. Large stops of fall mackarel made along the coast. Apples and plums brought to market abundantly.

20—30. Dull weather, but generally fine. Osmunda cinnamomea assuming a beautiful golden-brown hue. Willows turning yellow; also young poplars and birches.

Wild cherry leaves partially tinted with crimson. Sumach leaves parti-coloured: green and vivid orange-scarlet. Leaves of Vaccinese becoming tinted, especially those of the whortleberry. * Slight frosts at night. The young of the Gaspereau descend from the lakes (observed on 22nd). Large deciduous forest trees assume fall tints. The hill sides are now resplendent with colour.

October 3. Vegetable decay in the forest proceeding rapidly. Ferns withering. . The leaves of young oaks turn dark brick red.

10. Fall colours fading. Distant woods appear of a dull brownish red. Fir cones ripe. Eobins and hermit thrush sing at sunrise, the former feeding on berries in flocks, and preparing to depart.

19. Leaves of most deciduous trees falling. Poplars nearly bare. The huckleberry is now brilliant scarlet, and the larch turning golden. •

31. Migratory birds depart.

November 1. A beautiful day, of the same character as the last of October : a soft west wind and hazy atmosphere, quite Indian summer weather. The tints on the landscape are charming ; the distant hills show a light plum bloom ; the sky and water light apple green.

5—8. Cold rains. Leaves all fallen from deciduous trees, excepting the beech, to which many cling all winter.

11. Quantities of salmon in the market in prime condition. They continue to be brought in till the 20 th.

12—31. Variable weather, with rain, sleet, and slight frosts. Salmon spawn.

December 1. Snow birds (Emberiza nivalis) arrive. A little snow falls from S.W.

2. Cold and wintry; minimum cold at night being 16° of frost. Large flights of wild geese passing over to the S.W.

5. Skating on ponds.

6—17. Damp, close, unseasonable weather.

19. Clear. Cold weather recommences.

20. The “Barber” appears on the harbour in the morning—a dense steam, due to the great difference of temperatures of air and water. The mercury in afternoon descends to 5° above zero, and during ensuing night to —10°.

21—31. Variable. Good skating on large lakes, and ice making on north-west arm of the sea, near the head.

REMARKS ON THE FALL AND FIRST WINTER MONTH

The mean temperature of September was 56°, of October 46° of November 39°, and of December 27°. There were several days at the close of the fall when the attributes of Indian summer weather appeared; but no lengthened season of this delightful feature in the American autumn occurred in Nova Scotia. Nor is this weather ever prolonged here, as further westward, where (in Canada) a week or ten days is its frequent duration.

The song of birds in the early morning in the fall of the year has been generally ascribed to the resemblance of the temperature to that of spring. Perhaps from a similar cause is the occurrence of autumnal blossoms on spring-flowering plants. In the first week of October I have seen the wild strawberry in blossom in large patches in the woods, and also blossoms on the Kalmia and blueberry.