Winter Frosts
The exceptional winter frosts showed us which birds and beasts, which shrubs and to some extent which insects, were good resisters. I think the mortality was high among a number of our butterflies. Such im- migrants as the Common Whites are legion. They are daily to be seen in swarms on my lavender and valerian, and of course among the cabbages ; but other home-bred butterflies are very few, at least in my experience. Especially regretted is the Comma, which had become very common. With me Peacocks are in great numbers, Red Admirals and the lesser Copper very rare. Happily the frost seemed to have been severe on the queen wasps in some districts, though perhaps it is too early to congratulate oneself on the complete absence of their progeny in the garden. The frost doubtless made the queens late in emerging from hibernation.
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