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cut. If the crop was flattened early in the season, the grain will not develop properly as it will not receive sufficient light. The crop is at its most vulnerable just after flowering, when the developing seed head has a lot of moisture, the stem is bendy and the leaves of the plant will hold water, making the plant heavier. Heavy winds and rain at this time can cause substantial damage. A crop flattened early in the season will try to regain a vertical position, through the phototropic response of turning towards the light. Later in the year, it will stay flattened. In the United Kingdom, the first circles of the year usually appear in oilseed rape, followed by barley and then wheat. The 'season* runs from late April through to harvest, generally from July to September. Terminology Aerial phenomena, such as lights in the sky, are seen in association with the circles. Banding refers to the pattern that appears as bunches of stems are swept into noticeable 'ribs'. Corn circles or crop circles describe the general phenomenon, or the simplest markings. Croppies are those who are obsessed with the circles. Dowsable traces, detectable with dowsing rods or a pendulum, might be left behind after the circle forms. e Energies are said to cause or remain in the formations. e Flow is the term used to describe the directional sense of the stems. Counter-flows describe stems lying in a direction different from the surface flow. Gap-seeking occurs where a bundle of stems spills into the tramlines left by tractor wheels. Grapeshot are small or tiny circles scattered at random round the main circles. Lay is used to describe the pattern of the flattened crop, which might be seen to be clockwise or anti-clockwise, perhaps with spiral or concentric veining. Pictograms describe more complex formations. Rings are narrow, or wide circular pathways around a central circle. Satellite is used to describe small circles arranged around a larger one. It may be that, in previous ages, crop circles were seen only by the farmers when they harvested their fields. Nowadays, fields are regularly over flown by aircraft and this, together with the public's insatiable appetite for novelty, have combined to inflate interest in the circles. This reached a peak in 1991, but since then the circles have entered the visual vocabulary, appearing in advertisements, on album covers, in television shows and generally achieving an acceptance alongside the usual range of Practice Like all specialist subjects, the circles have acquired a language of their own. The following list explains some of the commonly used terms: Spread of Interest Worldwide ‘paranormal’ phenomena. Over the course of a season, observe the growth of cereal crops. Notice the tramline patterns. Identify