ANIMAL WEATHER-LORE. 6z7 



cant part of the body can ease a painful sensation common to the en- 

 tire surface. On the other hand, it is certain that flies and other 

 troublesome insects are sensitive to atmospheric changes, even a slight 

 lowering of the temperature, such as no mammal would appreciate ; 

 and for an hour or two before a shower, for this reason, they congre- 

 gate in extraordinary numbers about animals — horses and cows par- 

 ticularly. I have thought that they seek the cows for warmth when 

 the air suddenly cools ; and is it not more than probable that the 

 nervousness on the part of the animal, shown by frantic efforts to 

 scratch its ears with its hind-feet and the lashing of its tail, has to do 

 with the excess of irritation caused by innumerable flies, and not with 

 any unusual electrical titillation ? If so, the cow's action is still in- 

 dicative of an approaching change in the .weather, and so far may be 

 claimed as a sign of such change, but the connection of the two facts 

 is not such a one as is usually given. It is an indirect, not direct, in- 

 dication of the prophesied rain-storm. But bearing heavily on the 

 subject is the unquestionable fact that an unusual number of flies 

 often suddenly make their appearance, and torment cattle almost be- 

 yond endurance, during the four or six weeks of drought which in 

 summer, early or late, we are so sure to have. In such cases the signs 

 fail. I have asked many a farmer how this could be, and the one re- 

 ply that I have received in every case is that " there was a shower in 

 the neighborhood." It usually happened, however, that the neighbor- 

 hood was as parched as we were, and, seeing the signs fail with them, 

 they were covetous of the shower they supposed that we had had. 

 Perhaps it is with such indications of changes in the weather as it 

 has been said of autumnal proofs of the character of the approaching 

 winter. Miles Overfield once remarked, " When the signs get to 

 failin* 'long in the fall, there'll be no tellin' about the winter." 

 Of pigs, I have heard it said, very frequently — 



""When swine carry sticks, 

 The clouds will play tricks'^; 

 but that — 



"When they lie in the mad, 

 Fo fears of a flood." 



The first of these couplets is of twofold interest. I have watched 

 them for years, to see what purport this carrying of sticks and bunches 

 of grass might have, and have only learned that it has nothing what- 

 ever to do with the weather, or at least with coming rain-storms. 

 The drought of summer is so far a convenience as to throw light upon 

 this habit, as it did upon the uneasy cows. Pigs carry sticks as fre- 

 quently then as during wet weather, or just preceding a shower. 

 Furthermore, these gathered twigs are not brought together as though 

 to make a nest, but are scattered about in a perfectly aimless manner. 

 For some cause, the animal is uneasy, and takes this curious method 

 of relieving itself. The probabilities are that it is a survival of some 



