w 



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kind; and that without any means or dlfpofition^i 

 thereto, more than we, except that their velieis, h-^| 

 bres, Sec. bcinp; in other refnecls in one equable ha- 



bitude, the fame, or a proportionable caule trom with 



has always a like or proportionable efted on 

 ; that is, their veiTels are reQ;ular barometers, 



out, 

 them 



t<c. 



aHetted only from one external principle, viz. 

 the difpofuion of the atmofpliere -, whereas oars are 

 ndlcd on by divers from within, as well as without •, 

 fo:v.e of which check, impede, and prevent the aftion 

 of others. 



Animals that live in the open air mud neceflarily be 

 fuppofed to have a quicker fenfe of it than men that 

 live withindoors ; and efpecially the airy inhabitants, 

 the birds, which live in the freell and clcarefl: air, 

 and are more apt, by their flight, and other motions, 

 iis well as their voices, to difcover their fenfationsof it. 

 I'herefore thofe who have applied themfelves to the 

 obfervarions of the figns and prognoftics of good or 



have laid down thefe following: rules : 



bad Weatiier, 



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afcending) it beipeaks rain. 







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Y to their nefts, when fowls pick 

 :h their bills, when cocks crow be- 

 r, and hens creep. in clufters into 



. ^'. 



Weather 





'\— birds, but beafts, give notice of rain; as 



^ ...When iheep leap mightily, and pufli at one another 

 _:: "With their heads, it denotes rain, .v-*:-; f , ' ■- : 



Wh 



, with fliesj when deep fight, when foxes and wolves 

 ^-,howl niiahtily* wBeli hogs at play break.pr^Xc^tt 



their food, and oxen that areVied rncrf-thf>r r'l'if^ the 



er 

 their 



3^ »■- 



-- ,t. 



■ ; heads and liclc tEeif fnouts, it is a fign of rain. 



^;, Whch cattle leave ofF feeding^ and make li . , __ 

 ■r- Ihclter under bufhes and hedgesV&cr when cats r^^^ 



5- thqir. heads with their fore" paws' (efpecially t6at part 

 ; .n.of their heads which is above their eaTs} and'liqk their 



• ' V. bodies v/ith their tongues, it is a figh of rain. .' T' 

 , vJeafts generally delight in a moift air, and it caufes 

 ; them to eat their meat the better; cattle^ deer, and 

 rabbets, will feed heartily before rain., , Heifers will 

 -put up their nofes, and fnuffin the' air agalnft rain. 

 ' Sheep will rife early in a morning to feed againft 

 ram: ;, . ■, . _. 



Alfo fidies, either fea or river fifbj do often, by their 

 playing towards lhe_ top of the waters, foretel rain, 

 tor this.the Lord Bacon gives this reafoh. That wheri 

 the Weather is dry, the fifti love to kee|) as 



r 



Slg??s or prcgiicfiications cf rainy Weather. 



The Lord Bacon fays, that water fowls, fuch as fea- 

 guls, moor-hens, &c. when they flock and fly toge- 

 ther from the fea towards the fliore, foretel rain and 



wind. 



And, on the other hand, when land birds, fuch as 

 crows, fwallows, &c. fly from land to the waters, and 

 beat the waters with their wings, it betokens rain and 



Vv'ind. ' 



The natural reafon of that feems to be, the pleafure 



tliat both land and water fowl take in the moifl:nefs 



and dennty of the air, and their love to be in motion, 



and upon the wing. 



It is no iirange thing that water fowls delight in that 



air v/hich is moll like water, their natural element \ 



and that land fowl alfo, many of them, delight in 

 bathing, and moift air. 



And alfo, for the fame reafon, many birds prune their 

 feathers ; geefe gaggle, and the crows call for rain ; 

 all which feems to be but the pleafure they take in 

 the relaxation of the air. 



When crows flock together in large flights, and hold 

 their heads upward as they fly, and cry louder than 

 they ufually do, it is a fign of rain ; and ^,when they 

 walk ftalking by rivers and ponds, it is the fame. 

 When fwallows chatter, and fly low about lakes and 

 ponds (which they do, in order to catch flies ; for the 

 air, being clogged with vapours, hinders the flies from 



they tan from the air, and fwim lower, and v»'ill not 



come near the air till it is moill. 



Infects and reptiles alio give prognoflics of rain. 



Ants quit their labour, and hide themfelves in the 



ground againft rain \ for rhefe provident infers, by a 



lecret in(lin61: in nature, carry their eggs and food to a 



place of drier fecurity, when they find the air changed 



into moiftnefs, and clogged with vapours. 



Bees, when rain is coming en, do not llir from dieir 



hives, or at leaft not far. 



Moles will cafl: up more earth ; and earth-worms 

 will creep out of the ground againll rain. 

 Even the bodies of men and women give tokens of 

 rain or froft, by aches, corns, and wounds, which 

 will be more troublcfome againft fuch feafons • for 

 rain makes the humours of the body to abound more 



and froft makes them ftiarper. 



bod 





and vegetables is, as it were, a contexture of barome- 

 ters, hygrometers, and thermometers ^ for the hu- 

 mours, v^ith which organized bodies are replenifhed 

 increafe or decreafe, according to the different difpo- 

 fitions of the air. 



■ 



Prognoftics of the Weather frora "vcgetahles. 



Mr. Pointer tells us, he has obferved, that many, if 

 not moft vegetables, expand their flowers and down 

 in fun-Ihiny Weather, and towards the evening, and 

 againft rain, clofe them again, efpecially at the begin- 

 ning of their flowering, when. their leaves areyouno- 

 and tender. ^ 



This is evident in the down of Dandelion and other 

 downs, and evidently in the flowers of Pimpernel, the 

 opening and fhutting of which, he fays, are the coun- 

 tryman's Weatherwifer. 



And Mr. Gerard fays. If the flowers be clofe fhut, it 

 betokens rain and foul Weather ; but if they be fpread 

 abroad, fair Weather. * ■ 



The Lord Bacon fays, Trefoil fwells in the ftalk 

 againft rain, and fo ftands more upright ; for by wet, 

 ftalks do ere£t, and leaves bow down j and Phny 

 fays much to the fame purpofe. 

 The former fays likewife, that there is in the ftubble 



. fields a fmall red flower, which country people call 

 r^ ■ the Winqopipe (which is the Pimpernel) ; which, if it 



. ; opens in the morning, you may be fure of a fair day 



;r^to follow. ,,:;_ ,_.-_■_ 



. Mr. Ozanam gives, as a natural reafon for this, that 



plants are a fort of natural hygrometers, "which are 



;, compofed of an infinite number of fibres, trachas, or 



.^air-yeirels^^ which are like fo many canals or pipes, 



-through which the moifture of the air, as well as the 



■ -juice of the earth, is conveyed to all itsparts. . •- .• 



.^ Thefe^trachse, or air-veflfels are vifible, and app€a:r 



X very pretty in the leaf of the Scabious, or the Vine ; 



- if you pull afund[er,fome of its principal ribs, you may 

 'J fee bety/,een them the fpiral air-veflels (like threads or 



cobwebs) a little uncoiled. 



in warm dry weather, if the leaves of Cabbages, Cau- 

 :,: liflowers,. and ofher broad-leaved plants, are very lax, 

 \ and hang do\Yn more tlian ufual, it is a fure fign of 

 .-rainin a Iliort tijne. : i,; ;i.. : ., -,i ^ .-'xv> 

 --^There are.. many kinds, of vegetables, whofe furiace 



- of their leaves are altered in their pofition before rain, 

 XCiculgtrly moft of thofe of the pulfe kind, as Vetches, 

 cans,' Saintfoin, Clover, &c, the leaves of thefe clofe. 



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f( 



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and others their inner. 



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cohftantly 



p. 



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;Ward the evening at all times, for as the rays of the 

 fun become oblique, fothe vapours begin to rife from 

 the ground ; therefore thofe furfaces of the leaves 

 which imbibe the greateft quantltv of moifture. arc 

 turned outward to receive it. 



This change of the 



milch as 





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-j:.l fcyjp "v>.- 



%* ffw 



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pofition of the leaves of plants in the evening has been 

 .. idly called the fleep of plants, but thofe who will be 

 . at the trouble of confulting Mr. Bonnet's book on the 

 • ufe of the leaves of plants, will foon be convinced 



;V this alteration in the pofition of leaves is defignedfor ^ 



^;Va nobler purpofe. . . ; 



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