216 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



Mr, Fuller received for ex vtri mental culture the fruit of the mistletoe 

 from the Club. 



The Club adjourned. 



H. MEIGS, Secretary. 



January 25, 1859. 



Present — Messrs. President Pell, Bruce, Prof. Mapes, Prof. Nash, Dr. 

 Holton, Benj. Pike, Dr. Crowell, Brower, Witt, Kavanach, Roberts, 

 Stacey, Geo. E. Waring, Fuller, Doughty, Leonard, Burgess, Lawton, 

 Steele, Dr. Shelton, of Long Island ; Chilson, Judge Scoville, and others, 41 

 members. 



President Pell in the chair. Henry Meigs, Secretary. 



The Secretary read the following translations, &c., made by him from 

 works received by the Institute from foreign countries and home, viz: 



MAISON RUSTIQUE 



Gives the following as means of anticipating changes of weather, besides 

 the barometer, thermometer, &c., &c. 



The Stars. — If the sun rises pale and remains reddish, and its disk 

 very large, the indication is of violent wind. Stars bright and sparkling, 

 clear, cool weather, &c. 



Vegetables. — When chick-weed, bird-weed, and some others, close their 

 flowers, look for rain. Chick-weed is called the poor man's barometer. 



Birds are, from their hollow bones, &c., more sensible of changes in the 

 atmosphere than other animals. They afford many indications. Aquatic 

 birds beat the water, especially in the morning ; ducks are much affected 

 by an approaching change ; crows are playful on the banks of streams, &c., 

 and fly high in air ; fishes leap out of water often before a storm ; the 

 king-fisher returns to the sea Avhile the gale still blows, moles coming out 

 of their holes. The little bird's song and the dolphin's play foretell calm. 



Signs of Raiii. — Birds come to land from the sea ; geese and ducks 

 take to the water, and are noisy ; crows and blackbirds assemble and sud- 

 denly separate ; magpies and jackdaws get together and are noisy ; herons 

 and buzzards fly low ; swallows sweep the suiface of the water ; pigeons 

 stay at home ; poultry and partridges roll in the sand and shake their wings ; 

 the rooster crows morning and evening, and claps his wings ; the lark and 

 the sprrrow sing earlier than usual in the morning ; the chaffinch is noisy 

 near dwelling houses ; peacocks and owls make more noise than usual ; 

 asses bray more than common ; cattle open their nostrils wider than usual, 

 lie down and lick themselves ; horses neigh violently and gambol ; goats 

 and sheep leap much and are quarrelsome ; cats clean their paws and ears ; 

 dogs paw up the earth, and noises proceed from their bellies ; rats and 

 mice make more noise than common ; frogs croak ; earth-worms come to 

 the surface more than usual; spiders move about little, keeping in their 

 holes ; flies are dull ; ants hasten to their holes ; so do the bees. 



Signs of weather from inanimate bodies are numberless ; such as swel- 

 ling of wood, sweat on iron and stones, strings of musical instruments 



