WE A 



630 



WE A 



whether it continues to rise or decline. 

 2. If the mercury falls when the wind 

 blows nearly from due south, rain is 

 approaching. 3. If it falls in hot wea- 

 ther, there will be thunder. 4. If it 

 rises in winter, frost is nigh ; and if, the 

 frost continuing, it still rises, there will 

 be snow. 5. If it falls much during 

 frost, a thaw will set in. 6. A change 

 taking place immediately after the mer- 

 cury rises or falls, rarely endures. 7. 

 If the mercury continues to rise during 

 wet weather, or to fall during fine wea- 

 ther, a permanent change will come. 

 I am indebted to Mr. W. H. White, 



6. The barometer at all seasons of the 

 year will fall very low and very ra- 

 pidly on the approach of a storm of 

 wind without rain ; on the approach 

 of an earthquake too, though it be 

 four or five hundred miles off"! 



7. If the barometer fall with an easterly 

 or northeast wind, rain will follow. 



8. If the crown of the mercury in the 

 tube be convex, it indicates a rising 

 will take place ; if concave, it will 

 soon fall. 



These are a few of the changes pecu- 

 liar to England. The operating causes 

 of the oscillations involve one of the 



one of the intelligent Secretaries of the I most interesting inquiries belonging to 

 Meteorological Society, for the follow- | meteorology. Electricity is the grand 

 ing observations: — i mover of the barometric column. Many 



other rules might be gathered from the 



BAROMETRIC FLUCTUATIONS. restlessness of animals, the flights of 



1. The barometer in calm serene wea- birds, and the gambols of fishes; all 



ther generally ranges pretty high, ' indicating by their motions that there is 



rather above thirty inches ; if the a change taking place in the electrical 



fluctuations daily are very small, but 

 still rather getting higher, a fine se- 

 ries of days or weeks may be expect- 

 ed. 



2. When the barometer is below twen- 

 ty-nine inches, and the clouds dis- 

 perse with but little wind, it will be- 

 come stationary for a day or two, till 

 the electrical equilibrium of the air 

 be destroyed : if it then rise, expect 

 fair weather; if it fall, expect a storm 

 of wind accompanied with rain or 

 hail, according to the season. 



3. When the barometer ranges between 

 29 and 29. CO, if the clouds hang low 

 and float before a west or southwest 

 wind, almost every cloud will deposit 

 its contents, especially if passing over 

 an elevation, a wood, and sometimes 

 a river. In all cases the hygrometer 

 should be considered : if the air be 

 dry and the barometer fall, wind will 

 follow; if the air be saturated with 

 moisture, rain or sleet, according to 

 season. 



4. When the thermometer ranges in ! has been deduced from this, whereby 



condition of the atmosphere. 



NATURAL APPEARANCES. 



1. In winter, a red sky at sunrise indi- 

 cates the speedy approach of rain. 



2. In summer, the same appearance de- 

 notes refreshing showers. 



3. Squalls of wind generally follow 

 these appearances: — " It will be foul 

 weather to-day, for the sky is red and 

 lowering." Matt. xvi. 3. 



4. Small patches of white clouds, like 

 flocks of sheep at rest, indicate con- 

 tinued fine weather. 



5. Large mountainous (or Jupiterian) 

 clouds, called cumulo stratus, pro- 

 duce sudden showers in spring and 

 autumn, and hail-storms in summer 

 and winter. 



6. When large clouds diminish in size, 

 fine weather will follow ; if they in- 

 crease, rain or snow. 



7. Rainbows denote frequent showers. 

 Spiders generally alter their webs 



once in twenty-four hours; and a rule 



summer between 70" and 80°, and 

 the barometer falls rapidly and exten- 

 sively, thunder will follow with hail 

 or heavy rain. 

 5. In winter, when the thermometer 



to foretell the coming change. If they 

 thus alter their web between six and 

 seven in the evening, there will be a 

 fine night; if in the morning, a fine 

 day; if they work during rain, expect 

 ranges below freezing, and a low j fine weather; and the more active and 

 barometer begins to rise, expect j busy the spider is, the finer will be the 

 snow to follow; but if the thermo- j weather. If spiders' webs (gossamer) fly 

 meter rise and the barometer fall ' in the autumn, with a south wind, expect 

 during frosty weather, a thaw will | an east wind and fine weather. If gar- 

 quickly follow. i den spiders break ofi" and destroy their 



