172 best's art of angling, 



near the tops, the weather, though cloudy and 

 drizzling, which is very frequently the case in 

 those parts, will clear away by degrees, and ter- 

 minate in a fine day; but if they feed in the 

 bottoms, the rains will continue and increase. 



Dogs grow sleepy and stupid before rain, and 

 shew that their stomachs are out of order, by 

 refusing their food, and eating grass, that sort 

 which is hence called dog's grass: this they cast 

 itp again soon afterwards, and with it the foul- 

 ness that oifended their stomachs- Water-fowl 

 dive and wash themselves more than ordinary; 

 and even the fish in rivers are affected, because 

 all anglers agree, that they never bite freely 

 whenrainis depending. Vide part lst,rule l6th. 

 Flies, on the contrary, are particularly trou- 

 tlesome, and seem to be more hungry than 

 usual ; and toads are seen in the evening, crawl- 

 ing across the road or beaten path, where they 

 seldom appear but when they are restless vvith 

 an approaching change. 



Before any considerable quantity of rain is to 

 fall, most living creatures are affected in such 

 sort as to render them some way sensible of its 

 approach, and of the access of something new 

 to the surface of the earth, and of the atmos- 

 phere. Moles work harder than ordinary, they 

 throw up more earth, and sometimes come 

 forth: the worms do so too ; ants are observed 

 to stir about, and bustle more than usually for 

 some time, and then retire to their burrows be- 

 fore the rain falls. All sorts of insects and 

 flies are more stirring and busy than ordinary. 

 Bees are ever on this occasion in fullest employ ; 

 but betake themselves all to their hives, if not 

 too far for them to reach before the storm 

 arises. The common flesh-flies are more bold 



