Alexander Dherma Ramal

(Formerly a High Priest of Bováhu. )

Educated in England by the Rev. Adam Clarke! ZLD.

MONTHLY OBSERVATIONS.

With a Catalogue of all really British
Plants, as they come into Flower.

MAY.

[1821.

som to blossom continually: and for the purpose of taking it from the bottom of the flower, without injuring the tender vegetable organs, the slender bill of this genus of birds is well adapted. An opinion has prevailed, that the Titmouse devours the blossom, which perhaps originated from observing the white petals that were. ready to fall, scattered by it as it perches on them; but this is a mistake, the Beetle alone is destroyed; and the dung of the bird may often be observed to consist almost entirely of the wing-cases of the insect.

THE month of May has been celebrated by the poets for its refreshing breezes, and pleasing character. The air has acquired a feeling that renders it agreeable to be abroad, the trees are clothed in umbrageous green, their shoots are advancing; and they afford a shade, when, in the middle of the day, it becomes agree able to seek retirement from the direct Hay advances in growth, usually in beams of the sun. Flowers no longer proportion to the wetness of the seaappear as if afraid to shew themselves; son; and Corn prepares to shoot into but they embellish the hedges with ear. Cattle soon experience the betheir beauty and fragrance; so that nefit of feeding on the new grass, acthe scenery of nature in this month, quiring a sleek skin, renovated health, affords the most perfect idea of what and increased activity. Angling for the fancy imagines to itself of Spring. the trout is in its chief perfection; the One of the most pleasing appear-fish frequent the most rapid streams, ances of the vegetable world, that and one of the best and most temptoccurs in May, is the bloom of Apple ing baits, the Mayfly, now abounds. orchards,which is red at the commence- Young Salmon, which have for some ment, but becomes like a white sheet time swarmed in the rivers, are swept spread over the trees about the middle by the first land-flood this month, into of the month. The blossom of the Apple, the sea, where multitudes of them are like that of the Pear, Cherry, Straw- devoured by the ravenous natives of berry, and many other fruits, does the deep; the remainder soon acquire not close, like various other flowers, a considerable size. Shoals of Mackaat the approach of wet; on the con- rel become common along all the Britrary, frequent showers appear ne-tish coasts; they are taken in immense cessary to the well setting of the fruit. That the presence of wet in the flower does not render it sterile, is to be accounted for by the fact, that the numerous stamens do not come to prolific perfection at one time; so that a continued deluge can scarcely pre-offspring. It is amusing to see the vent some of the seeds from being impregnated; and when this is effected, the setting of the fruit follows of course. At the time when the blossoms are open, a small species of Beetle very commonly gets into the flower, probably to its great injury. This Beetle, which sometimes exists in great numbers, is a favourite food of Titmice, which search after it with great eagerness, jumping from blosNo. 27, VOL. III.

numbers. Young broods of birds quit the nests never to return; and are followed by the parents, who shew as much care for their safety, and pride in their appearance, as any of the human race can do in the case of their

little Wren full of importance, in the presence of a numerous race still more diminutive than itself. It tempts them to fly from the slender twig, to which they hold with unsteady foot; they flutter to the ground, and at the least alarm, hide in the nearest tuft of herbage, while the old ones seek safety in no distant flight. The young are fed for some time after they have quitted the nest; but by some birds a 2 C

second nest is begun, before the young have quitted the first.

About the beginning of the month, the Swift, the last and largest of the Swallow tribe, makes its appearance; and as its time is short, soon proceeds to form its nest, either in towers, or holes under the eaves of houses. It brings up but one brood while it remains in this country. Young Eels appear in rivers. Eels produce their young alive; and endeavour to get within the reach of the tide, to fulfil that work of nature. The young soon proceed up the stream, at first in small numbers, and as the Summer advances, in considerable quantities; and to get as high up the river as possible, overcome formidable obstacles; and they will even quit their element to facilitate their ascent. The object of this migration is not clear; but they thereby become the prey of birds, which devour multitudes of them.

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color & lutea; Pale perfoliate Honeysuckle, Lonicera caprifolium; Buckthorn, Rhamnus catharticus; Berrybearing Alder, R.frangula; Prickwood, Euonymus Europæus; Common Currants, Ribes rubrum; Acid Mountain Currants, R. spicatum; Rock Currants, R. petræum; Black Currants, R. nigrum; Lesser Periwinkle, Vinca minor; Greater Periwinkle, V. major; Perennial Goosefoot, Chenopodium bonus Henricus; Whiterot and Floating Whiterot, Hydrocotyle vulgaris & inundata; Wood Sanicle, Sanicula Europæa; Knotted Stone Parsley, Caucalis nodosa; Great and Common Earthnut, Bunium bulbo castanum & flexuosum; Spignel, Meum atharmanticum; Sweet Cicely, Scandix odorata; Rough Chervil, S. anthriscus ; Alexanders, Smyrnium olusatrum; Rock Parsley, Pimpinella dioica; Goutweed, gopodium podagraria; Wayfaring Tree, Viburnum lantana; Mousetail, Myosurus minimus; Summer Snowflake, Leucojum æstivum; Poetic Narcissus, N. pocticus; Ramsons, Allium ursinum; Wild Hyacinth, Scilla nutans; Lily of the Valley, Convallaria majalis; Angular Solomon's Seal, C. polygonatum ; Common Solomon's Seal, C. multiflora ; Narrow-leaved Hairy Rush and Wood Rush, Juncus forsteri & sylvaticus; Barberry, Berberis vulgaris; Sea Arrow Grass, Triglochin palustre; Chickweed Winter Green, Trientalis | Europæa; Bilberry, Vaccinium myrtillus; Sycamore, Acer pseudo-platanus; Common Maple, A. campestre; Herb Paris, P. quadrifolia; Blackberried Alpine Arbutus, A. alpina; Alternate-leaved Golden Saxifrage, Chrysoplenium alternifolium; Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage, C. oppositifolium; White Saxifrage, Saxifraga granulata; Rue-leaved Saxi

Come into flower in May:-Mare'stail, Hippuris vulgaris; Privet, Ligustrum vulgare; Common Ash, Fraxinus excelsior: Common Speedwell, Veronica officinalis; Smooth Speedwell, V. serpyllifolia; Mountain Speedwell, V. Montana; Germander Speedwell, V. chamædrys; Wall Speedwell, V. arvensis; Common Butterwort, Pinguicula vulgaris; Sweetscented Vernal Grass, Anthoxanthum odoratum; Meadow Foxtail Grass, Alopecurus pratensis; Water and early Hair Grass, Aira aquatica & præcox; Wood Melùgrass, Melica uniflora; Bulbous, and smooth-stalked Meadow Grass, Poa bulbosa & pratensis; Common Quaking Grass, Briza media; Allseed, Polycarpon tetraphyllum; Sweet Woodruff, Asperula odorata; Crosswort, Galium cruciatùm; Cleavers, G. aparine; Barrenwort, Epimedium alpinum; Holly, Ilex aquifolium; Procumbent Pearl-frage, S. tridactylites; Palmate Saxiwort, Sagina procumbens; Annual frage, S. palmata; Ladies' Cushion, small-flowered Pearlwort, S. apetala; S. hypnoides; Wood Stitchwort, Stel Upright Pearlwort, S. erecta; Mossy laria nemorum; Greater Stellaria, S. Tillæa, T. muscosa; Common Grom- holostea; Lesser Stellaria, S. grawell, Lithospermum officinale; Corn minea; Plantain-leaved Sandwort, Gromwell, L. arvense; Creeping Arenaria trinervis; Vernal Sandwort, Gromwell, L. purpuro coeruleum; A. verna; Yellow procumbent Wood Evergreen Alkanet, Anchusa semper- Sorrel, Oxalis corniculata; Red Gervirens; Common Lungwort, Pulmo-man Catchfly, Lychnis viscaria; Red naria officinalis; Common Comfrey, and White Campion, L. dioica; NarSymphytum officinale; Yellow Pim-row-leaved Mouse-ear Chickweed, pernel, Lysimachia nemorum; Cream- Cerastium viscosum; Tetrandrous coloured Violet, Viola lactea; Pansy, Mouse-ear Chickweed, C. tetrandrum ; and Yellow Mountain Pansy, V. tri- Field Chickweed, C. arvense; Asara

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Varieties of the Human Mind.

398

bacca, Asarum Europeum; Cypress | Heath Pea, Orobus tuberosus; Bitter Spurge, Euphorbia cyparissias; Bird Vetch, O. sylvaticus; Grass Vetch, Cherry, Prunus padus; Cherry, P. Lathyrus nissolia: Common Vetch, cerasus; Hawthorn, Mespilus oxy- Vicia sativa; Bush Vetch, V. sepium; cantha; Medlar, M. germanica; Ap- Bird's-foot, Ornithopus perpusillus ; ple, Pyrus malus; True Service Tree, Tufted Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis P. domestica; Mountain Ash, P. au- comosa; White Trefoil, Trifolium recuparia; White Beam Tree, P. aria; pens; Subterraneous Trefoil, T. subRaspberry, Rubus idæus; Wood terraneum; Honeysuckle Trefoil, T.Strawberry, Fragaria vesca; Common pratense; Rough Trefoil, T. Scabrum; Avens, Geum urbanum; Baneberries, Slender Bird's-foot Trefoil, Lotus difActæa spicata; Celandine, Chelido- fusus; Black Medick, Medicago lunium majus; Violet-horned Poppy, pulina; Heart Medick, M. polymorGlaucium violaceum; Hoary Dwarf pha; Purple Goat's-beard, Tragopogon Cistus, C. marifolius; Pheasant's Eye, porrifolius; Mouse-ear Hawkweed, Adonis autumnalis; Grassy Crow- Hieracium pilosella; Mountain Fleafoot, Ranunculus gramineus; Butter-wort, Cineraria integrifolia; Great cups, R. bulbosus; Small-flowered Leopard's Bane, Doronicum_pardaCrowfoot, R. parviflorus; Ivy Crow-lianches; Wild Chamomile, Matricafoot, R. hederaceus; Water Crowfoot, ria chamomilla; Meadow Orchis, O. R. aquatilis; Globeflower, Trollius moris; Military Orchis, O. militaris ; Europæus; Marsh Marigold, Caltha Marsh Orchis, O. latifolia; Bird's palustris: Common Bugle, Ajuga rep-nest Ophrys, O. nidus avis; twentytans; White, Red, and Yellow Dead eight species of Carex; Dwarf Birch, Nettle, Lamium album, & purpureum, Betula nana; Bryony, Bryonia dioi& Galeobdolon luteum; Reddish Bas- ca; Wake Robin, Arum maculatum ; tard Balm, Melittis melissophyllum; Chesnut, Fagus Castanea; Horn Purple and White Bastard Balm, M. | Beam, Carpinus betulus; Scotch Fir, grandiflora; Ivy-leaved Snapdragon, Pinus sylvestris; Crakeberry, EmpeAntirrhinum cymbalaria; Linnæa, L. trum nigrum; Misseltoe, Viscum alborealis ; Simple hard Whitlow Grass, bum; Sallow Thorn, Hippophae rhamDraba hirta; Twisted-podded Whit- noides; Sweetgale, Myrica gale; low Grass, D. incana; Common and Roose Root, Rhodiola rosea. English Scurvy Grass, Cocklearia officinalis & anglica; Danish Scurvy Grass, C. Danica; Horse-radish, C. armoraica; Naked-stalked Candytuft, Iberis nudicaulis; Seakale, Crambe maritima; Impatient Ladies' Smock, Cardamine impatiens; Yellow Rocket, Erysimum barbarea; Sauce-alone, E. allieria; Wild Wallflower, Cheiranthus fruticulosus; Scentless Dames' Violet, Hesperis inodorata; Bristol Rock Cress, Arabis stricta: Tower Wall Cress, A. turrita; Smooth Tower Mustard, Turritis glabra; Hairy Tower Mustard, T. hirsuta; Rape, Brassica napus; Sea Cabbage, B. oleracea; Charlock, Sinapis arvensis; Sea Stork's Bill, Erodium maritimum; Dusky Geranium, G. phæum; Knotty Geranium, G. nodosum; Stinking Geranium, G. robertianum; Shining Geranium, G. lucidum; Jagged-leaved Geranium, G. dissectum; Common Mallow, Malva sylvestris; Yellow Fumitory, Fumaria lutea; Common Fumitory, F. officinalis; Broom, Spartium scoparium; Hairy Greenweed, Genista pilosa; Petty Whin, G. anglica;

THE VARIETIES OF THE HUMAN
MIND.

AMONG the contemplations of the
thinking and intelligent, the varieties
incident to the human Mind will not
be overlooked. What is man? He
is indeed a creature; but he possesses
a spark which was imparted by the
Almighty. What, we may ask, was
he in his primeval state? Then that
spark shone in all its brilliancy,-then
he was spotless and innocent; but, at
present, he is degraded, and he has
lost that happiness which he before
enjoyed. Even now, however, he
shows himself superior to other crea-
tures; but let him beware of being
proud of a bestowed eminence.

We are all at present liable to passion, and subject to change. It is pleasing to observe this not only in other persons, but also in ourselves. At one time cast down, at another time cheerful, we are, and must necessarily be influenced by circumstances; and we bend to them all, being affected in as many different shapes as there