1178 



METEOROLOGY. 



[fEB ELECTRICITY. 



observing power* ; and thus shepherd*, farm labourer*, 

 eamen, and others, often depend on the instinct of the 

 lower fi'"'l for what is, generally, indubitable evidence 

 of au approaching change in the weather. 



It would be beyond our limits to enumerate the 

 various methods by which bird* and animals indicate 

 a tense of atmospheric change. Sea-birds, such as gulls, 

 invariably fly inland in search of food on the approach 

 of stormy weather ; and some years ago, during a very 

 severe winter, they were seen flying between London 

 and Blackfriars bridges. Wild water-birds, of the geese 

 and duck kind, forsake their marsh haunts, aud approach 

 nearer to towns, under similar circumstances. Swallows 

 and rooks fly low, and keep near home, both preceding 

 and during bad weather ; and the petrel is always asso- 

 ciated with the idea of its predicting coming storms, 

 by its presence. Frogs are unusually noisy before 

 rain ; worms and leeches generally appear at the surface 

 of the ground ; moles throw up much earth ; and ants 

 close up their nests, to preserve their larva. The four- 

 footed animals all exhibit considerable restlessness before 

 rain ; sheep and cattle huddle together, near bushes 

 and trees ; whilst horses and asses frequently assume a 

 ludicrously thoughtful or meditative aspect. We need 

 not, however, further extend these illustrations, as the 

 experience of many of our readers will readily furnish 

 them with additional instances ; but the observance of 

 the habits of animals, under such circumstances, is well 

 worthy of the student's attention. 



Many indications of coming change for wet or stormy 

 weather have been already noticed ; but there is one 

 which we have repeatedly observed, and have long re- 

 garded as an infallible sign. It is that peculiar blue tint 

 which distant objects in the landscape gradually assume ; 

 perhaps more perceptible to some persons than others. 

 It is also remarkable, that better photographs can often 

 be taken, in such circumstances, than when the air is 

 clear possibly owing to the presence of this " blueness." 

 Wo have already noticed the vast variety of colours 

 observable in clouds ; and it may be safely presumed, that 

 some peculiarity of action of the invisible aqueous 

 vapour on the rays of light, may be the cause of the 

 predominance of this colour : possibly it may arise from 

 a species of opipolic dispersion.* At times, the gradual 

 approach of the blue tint may be distinctly noticed, 

 especially in a change from frosty weather to damp or 

 thaw ; and, on the contrary, as the weather improves, a 

 greyish colour, succeeded by a brownish tint in the 

 distance, is equally observable. As a last instance, 

 drawn from inanimate nature, we may mention, that still 

 water in ponds, <tc., generally becomes muddy as wet 

 weather approaches, owing to the diminished atmospheric 

 pressure permitting the escape of gas, which, in ascend- 

 ing, carries up a portion of the fine dirt with each bubble 

 from the bottom. 



ELECTRIC PHENOMENA. Before proceeding to examine 

 the interesting results which Mr. Glaisher has afforded 

 by the balloon ascents made in different parts of England, 

 for meteorological purposes, we may call attention to 

 IOIDO curious facts in reference to free electricity, occa- 

 sionally present in great excess, under certain circum- 

 stance*. It will have been noticed, that Admiral 

 Fitzroy has been extremely cautious about admitting 

 the electric action into any share in producing ordinary 

 atmospheric phenomena. There is much prudence in 

 snch a course, because we know so little on the subject ; 

 and what information we do possess has been almost 

 entirely derived from, and confined to, the extraordinary 

 ease of thunder-storm*. It has, however, been already 

 stated, that a northerly, or polar current, with cold and 

 dryness, i* generally associated with the presence of 

 free positive electricity. t This is by no means a matter 

 of surprise to the electrician, for he at once will re- 

 member that such circumstances are exactly those which 

 would favour the development of free electricity. Whilst 

 experimenting with the hydro-electric machine (described 

 at page 172, in the Section on Electricity), we have been 

 frequently put to extreme inconvenience by the largo 

 SM mttt, p. H. + Bee wife, p. 1174. 



amount of free force pervading the surrounding atmo- 

 sphere during a dry N.E. wind. Occasionally, the hair 

 and whiskers of our audience, seated at a distance of 

 thirty or forty foot from the machine, have been acted 

 on to an extraordinary extent by electric repulsion. 

 Under just such circumstances only on a much larger 

 scale the following curious effects of redundant free 

 electricity were noticed by several persons whilst visiting 

 the Jungfrau, in 1803. 



Mr. Watson, who headed the party, gives the following 

 relation : "On the 10th of July, I visited the Col 

 Jungfrau, from the y&ggisch-horn, in company with my 

 wife, and Messrs. John Sowerby and W. G. Adams, of 

 Marlborough College. We had with us, as guiil< 

 M. Claret, of Chamouni, and a young man from the 

 hotel. The early morning was bright, and gave promise 

 of a fine day; but, as we approached the Col, clmi.U 

 settled down upon it ; and, on reaching it, we encountered 

 so severe a storm of wind, snow, and hail, that wo were 

 unable to stay more than a few minutes. As we de- 

 scended, the snow continued to fall so densely that we 

 lost our way, and for some time wo were wandering up 

 the Lotsch Sattel. We had hardly discovered our 

 mistake, when a loud peal of thunder was heard ; ami 

 shortly after, I observed that a strange singing sound, 

 like that of a kettle" [the usual noise of a powerful 

 electric discharge from a point], "was issuing from our 

 alpen-stocks. We halted, and finding that all the axes 

 and stocks emitted the same sound, stuck them into the 

 snow. The guide from the hotel now pulled on" his cap, 

 shouting that his head burned ; and his hair was seen to 

 have a similar appearance to that which it would have 

 presented had he been on an insulated stool, in connection 

 with a powerful electrical machine. J We all of us 

 experienced the sensation of pricking or burning, in 

 some part of the body, more especially on the head and 

 face ; my hair, also, standing on au end, in an uncom- 

 fortable, but most amusing, manner. The sno,v gave out 

 a hissing, as though a heavy shower of hail wore falling ; 

 the veil on the ' wide-awake' of one of the party stood 

 upright in the air ; and, on waving our hands, the 

 singing sound issued loudly from the fingers. Whenever 

 a peal of thunder was heard, the phenomena, ceased, to , 

 be resumed before the echoes had died away. At those 

 times we felt shocks, more or less violent, in those 

 portions of the body which were most affected. By one 

 of these my right arm was paralysed so completely, that 

 I could neither use nor raise it for several minutes, nor, 

 indeed, until it had been severely rubbed by Clarot ; and 

 I suffered much pain in it, at the shoulder-joint, for 

 several hours. At half-past twelve the clouds began to 

 pass away, and the phenomena finally coasud, having 

 lasted twenty-five minutes. Wo saw no lightning; 

 and were puzzled, at first, as to whether we should be 

 afraid or amused. The young guide was very much 

 alarmed ; but Claret, who is devoid of fear, and who had 

 twice before heard the singing noise (though without 

 any of the other symptoms), laughed so heartily, that 

 we joined him. No evil effects were felt after,, 

 beyond the inconvenience arising from the burning of 

 our faces, which, though we had no sun, w. 

 livid in hue when we arrived at the -Eggisch-horn." 



The above narrative, whilst exceedingly interesting, 

 is of much importance in a meteorological point of view, 

 as showing an instance in which free electricity was 

 observed, in a surprising quantity, at a great elevation, 

 with all the usual characteristics of its presence. In no 

 balloon ascent, to a similar height (10,000 to 12,000 feet), 

 have such phenomena been noticed; but this may rea<Iily 

 be explained on account of the non-connection of the 

 machine with any conducting body. It, in fact, would 

 bo isolated in the midst of such a development ; whilst 

 the travellers on the mountain would act as comlurt MX, 

 by means of their bodies standing on the ground. Tin' 

 great shower of hail and snow is another very noticeable. 

 feature ; and should such observations bo repeated, 

 under similar circumstances, it is probable that some 

 confirmation would be given to the theory which ascribes 

 J See ante, p. 175. 



