] 92 SALMONIA. 



the rainbow is in the east, and in the morning 

 in the west; and as our heavy rains, in this 

 climate, are usually brought by the westerly 

 wind, a rainbow in the west indicates, that 

 the bad weather is on the road, by the wind, 

 to us ; whereas the rainbow in the east 

 proves, that the rain in these clouds is passing 

 from us. 



PoiET. — I have often observed, that when 

 the swallows fly high, fine weather is to be 

 expected or continued ; but when they fly low, 

 and close to the ground, rain is almost surely 

 approaching. Can you account for this ? 



Hal. — Swallows follow the flies and gnats, 

 and flies and gnats usually delight in warm 

 strata of air ; and as warm air is lighter and 

 usually moister, than cold air, when the warm 

 strata of air are high, there is less chance of 

 moisture being thrown down from them by 

 the mixture with cold air ; but when the warm 

 and moist air is close to the surface, it is al- 

 most certain, that, as the cold air flows down 

 into it, a deposition of water will take place. 

 PoiET. — I have often seen sea-gulls as- 

 semble on the land, and have almost always 



