THE WINDS AND THE BAROMETER. 39 



the well-known wispy appearance of the clouds ; soon they change into a more 

 extended sheet of white clouds and in a few hours or days they overspread the whole 

 face of the sky. The fine lofty streaks first seen and which consist not of vapour, but 

 of fine spicule of ice, are called Cirrus clouds or Cin-i ; while the extended sheets are 

 named Cirrostratus clouds. It is in the former clouds that the beautiful halos of the 

 sun and moon are formed. When these lofty Cin-i present the appearance of feathers 

 shooting out from their sides, they show that the direction of the upper wind is not 

 quite constant. 



5. Hence the long arched Cirri are a sure indication of wet 

 weather ; while the feathery form is a less certain sign of rain. 



6. We frequently see these lofty thin clouds break ujj into small 

 round lumps of clouds called Cirro-cumuli. In some countries they are 

 called Lambs and Sheep ; we call them fleecy clouds. In the south of 

 Europe they are a sign of rain. This breaking up of the Cirri is caused 

 by a warm cm-rent of air ascending from below. 



7. When E. and N. winds have lasted a long time in summer, with 

 dry weather, and a moist wind sets in, its vapour is condensed on the 

 particles of dust in the air, and the air thus becoming heavy sinks to the 

 surface. Now air under such circumstances is always very clear ; the 

 distant hills appear quite close, distant waterfalls are heard distinctly and 

 we have ' a good hearing day.' These are infallible signs of rain ; and 

 the rain comes from the W. side. Hence also, a clear sunset is a proof 

 that there is no rain coming from that quarter for some time and a sign 

 that fine weather is probable, 



.8 In the evening the air ceases to ascend, the clouds fall to a lower 

 level and are dissolved in the warm air below. Nothing, however, can 

 be predicted for the following day, from this phenomenon above. The 

 French have a proverb which may be they expressed in jingle : — 

 Weather that clears up at night, 

 Will not bring a morning bright.* 



9. If the S. wind sets in suddenly in the upper strata in winter, 

 rain begins to fall at that level and is frozen as it falls. The ground is 

 then covered with glazed frost. This is usually followed by a storm fi-om 

 the S.W., and a rapid fall of the barometer. 



10. In winter, if rain come in the W Avind and the barometer rise 

 the rail! will turn to snow. If snow fall with an E. wind and a falling 

 barometer, it will turn to rain. 



11. Should the wind shift to N. going by the W., in spring, expect 



• Temps, qui se fait beau la nuit 

 Dure peu quand le our luit. 



