WEATHER PROGNOSTICATIONS. 79 



leaves, branches, rocks, or whatever shelter may present. Here they will 

 remain until the storm is over. I always know, after such a sudden change 

 in the summer or autumn, that it will be useless to go into the fields for 

 the purpose of studying spider webs until after an interval of a day or 

 more, and until the weather has moderated. But I am constrained to say 

 that this prognostication is after the facts instead of before them. Let us 

 proceed to apjil}' the test of scientific observation to the belief. Perhaps I 

 may better enable the reader to decide upon tlie matter by quoting from 

 my journal records of notes made during several years, which, as will be 

 seen, concern summer showers and ordinary rains of the season. 



II. 



"Annisquam, Massachusetts, August 14th, 1888. — Severe rains yesterday. 



The Zillas have spun this morning and the day is bright, but a strong 



wind is blowing. . . . August 17th. — Orbwebs were fi-eely 



Notes of gp^iji this morning, but a shower with thunder came on about 



, 11.30, and the rest of the day was overcast and showery. 



"Webs. " Philadelphia, September 8th, 1888. — A warm, moist morning, 



soft showers falling freely, yet in spite of this a number of my 

 colonized Argiopes have spun webs or parts of webs as though confident 

 that the day would be clear. There were heavy rains all day, which the 

 spiders did not appear to mind, lianging upon tlieir webs during tlie showers, 

 which seemed to be no inconvenience to them. They would stop spinning 

 their snares while the rain fell, but take up the unfinished work daring 

 tlie intervals. . . . September 9th. — Rains tliis morning. At eight 

 o'clock the sky was overcast, drizzling rains following a shower. The 

 showers are soft like those of late spring. Many spiders are out upon 

 their webs, and liave so continued during the day. 3.20 P. M. — Epeira 

 vertebrata spinning an orb ; tlie former one evidently destroyed. . . . 

 5.30 P. M. — A large Domicile spider is making a new orb. No rain this 

 evening, but the sky much overcast now and threatening. 



" September 10th. — All the spiders appear this morning in beautiful 

 new webs. There has been no rain since yesterday afternoon. The sky 

 is overcast this morning. The Government weather predictions for the 

 twenty-four hours between 8 P. M. September 9th arid 8 P. M. September 

 lOtli indicate cloudy weather, with rains and cooler temperature. Some of 

 the spiders have moved their positions. The day kept clear though over- 

 cast, and a few drops of rain. 



"September 11th. — This morning I found no activity among the spiders 

 in the way of web making, but most of them were upon orbs which 

 appeared to be new, and probably were made during tlie earl}' morning. 

 The Argiopes and Vertebratas were out in special force. Rain began about 

 10.30 A. M. and continued an almost steady downpour until eight or nine 



