FLOWERS IN THE SHETLANDS.
[TO TRH EDITOR OP TILE "SP ECTPATOR:] SIR,—On Sunday, November 29th, while looking over flower- bed and border for the last lingering blooms of the past season, I was astonished to observe some of the spring flowers, including narcissi (Horsfieldii), crocuses, and tulips, pushing through the soil and showing a fine vigorous growth. This aruck me as being exceptionally early for this locality. I do not know if it would be considered early for the Southern Counties of England, but should be interested to'learn. My garden is situated on the lip of the sea, with a good southerly exposure but no shelter, in the island of Unst, the most northerly of the Shetland group. This island (which should not be confounded with Uist in the Hebrides) lies in latitude 600 50' N., and a little west of the meridian of Greenwich, and is about six hundred and fifty miles mirth of London as the crow flies. "It is a far cry to Loch Awe," but farther to Ultima Thule, as will be seen by a glance at the map, which shows that the little speck which indicates Unst lies a little north of the parallel of latitude of Cape Farewell in Green- land and Okhotsk in Siberia. When this is borne in mind, the early springing of the flowers referred to above cannot fail to strike one as remarkable, and a clear indication of the very exceptional mildness of the late autumn and early winter.
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