I860.] REVIEWS. 279 



and fair weather, storms and calms, may not be superfluous. 

 Some of the ancients believed that certain signs of changes might 

 be inferred from the appearance of Apollo's sister. " Luna dabit 

 signa/' wrote Virgil twenty centuries ago. Some one wrote "Luna 

 regit menses" (the moon rules the months) . But many moderns 

 aflBrm that the moon rules the weather, — that changes of weather 

 are as consequent on the change of the moon as efifect is on cause. 

 Also it is confidently asserted that the moon at her rising brings 

 frost with her at certain periods of the year, and at particular 

 periods of her course. 



Facts, and facts alone, will rectify the popular belief. People 

 will not be reasoned out of their faith in the moon's influence 

 over the atmosphere. The meteorologist who publishes facts 

 can alone accomplish this feat. He tells us on experience, ob- 

 servation, and testimony, that the state of the atmosphere and its 

 changes, viz. the weather, depends on the winds, the proximity 

 of oceans, seas, currents, mountains, plains, disturbance of the 

 balance existing between the electricity of the atmosphere and 

 that of the earth. The believers in the moon's influence may 

 scorn his arguments, but they cannot gainsay his facts. The 

 science of meteorology rests on observation. The meteorolo- 

 gist can establish by the result of his own observations, or by the 

 published testimony of others, that on one given day in the year 

 there was continuous rain for many hours on the western side of 

 Helvellyn, while at the same time not a drop fell on the eastern 

 base of the mountain ; he may say it would surely be absurd to 

 admit that the moon caused fair weather on one side and foul on 

 the other. On the great desert of Sahara, where there is never 

 a drop of rain, the same moon shines, which enlightens the 

 gloomy regions of the Ebudse, the lands of Macullum More, 

 Argyle, etc., where the weather has the reputation of rain, rain, 

 incessant rain, except when it snows. 



Temperature has confessedly a very important influence on 

 vegetation. Nobody denies this. But few, we opine, besides 

 the meteorologist is aware of the range of temperature to which 

 both animal and vegetable life are subject, and which they can 

 endm^e and still retain their vitality. 



The larvcB and chry sales of many lepidopterous insects exist 

 during the severest cold. Some seeds of plants resist a greater 

 degree of cold than others can. Mr. Jenyns gives an example 



