120 HALF-AX-HOUR AT 



Another sign of storm is said to be the appearance of blue 

 flame in the fire. Can anybody tell me whether the proportions 

 of carbonic oxide, formed by an ordinary fire (since this is of 

 course the gas which gives rise to the blue flame), would be 

 affected by variation in the atmospheric pressure, and in what 

 manner ? I can imagine that a real relationship of that sort may 

 exist between the blue flame and the state of the weather. 



Another " sign of storm " is a halo round the moon, of which, 

 it is said, the further off the halo from the moon, the further off 

 the coming storm. Can anybody corroborate this, and give an 

 explanation of the distance of the halo ? We had a fine example 

 of the distance of the halo a few weeks ago, its diameter occu- 

 pying, I should think, quite 45^ of the sky. 



Yet another "sign of storm " receives from the fishermen the 

 names of " dogs " or "weather-heads.'' These are like a small 

 round piece cut out of a rainbow ; they appear to be about the 

 size of the sun, and round in shape, though presenting the 

 colours of the rainbow in vertical stripes ; they are seen among 

 distant clouds. Can anyone tell me their scientific name, and 

 explain how they are produced ? 



The rising mist seen quivering over the surface of a meadow 

 is yet another storm sign ; the name given to it is slienai?ie. 

 How is this mist a sign of storm ? Then the curlew is said to 

 fly high before a storm. I had always thought that all birds 

 flew low before a storm ; can anyone explain this, or is it a 

 mistake ? 



The Manx are very wise in weather lore of all kinds : for 

 instance, if the frogs lay their spawn at the edge of the pond, it 

 will be a wet season ; if in the middle, a very dry one. I 

 suppose the frogs have some special means of communicating with 

 the clerk of the weather. B. Lindsay. 



Ibalf^^-an^lbour at tbe flDicroecope, 

 Mttb /IDr. Xluffen Meet, ff^XS,, ff.1R,/llb.S., etc 



In arranging the slides so as to get a clear idea of what is pre- 

 pared for the banquet, I place Crystals first ; then going on to 

 organised structures in increasing complexity, should take Diato- 

 ??iacea (low algae) ; Futigi ; Higher Plants (tuber and root struc- 

 ture) ; Frotozoon ; Entozoon ; Poly zoo n ; Annelid; Insect; Verte- 

 brata (Dermal structure). Imagine the mind like a room with 



