370 



THE POPULAR EDUCATOR. 



they can scarcely be identified. Sometimes, in addition to the 

 permanent scene, there appear in the foreground sheep and 

 cattle, or troops of men moving on in regular succession. The 

 appearance is only seen when the sun has attained an elevation 

 of about 45; the tide, too, must be fully up, and the water 

 pressed on by the current, so that its surface is elevated in mid- 

 channel. 



In mountainous regions enlarged shadows of objects are 

 sometimes thrown on the clouds at sunrise. In the Hartz 

 Mountains this phenomenon has frequently been seen, and the 

 peasantry in the neighbourhood were long terrified by rumours 

 of a gigantic spectre which was said to walk along the clouds in 

 the early morning. Scientific observers, however, soon dis- 

 covered that it was merely an enlarged shadow of the traveller 

 projected on the clouds, every motion of his being faithfully 

 copied. This affords another illustration of the readiness with 

 which ordinary appearances are set down to supernatural causes, 

 \vhen a little inquiry or thought would explain them. When the 

 Bun is very low in the horizon similar appearances may be seen 

 in other localities. 



The ignis fatuus sometimes called the Will-o' -the- Wisp is 

 another meteor which formerly excited much curiosity and 

 attention. It is a pale, flickering light, sometimes seen hovering 

 over low valleys and marshes, or over old burying-grounds. 

 When the observer attempts to follow and examine it, it eludes 

 his grasp, and sometimes disappears. It is but rarely seen in 

 this country now, probably owing to the fact that much of the 

 marshy ground has been drained and brought into cultivation. 

 If the places where it appears are examined by day, small 

 bubbles of gas may usually be seen issuing from the marsh, and 

 on being examined this is found to bo phosphuretted hydrogen 

 a gas which ignites spontaneously, and burns with a very 

 feeble flame. 



The slight wind caused by the approach of any person is 

 sufficient to drive the flame away ; but by remaining perfectly 

 still, and shielding off the breath, a piece of paper has been 

 lighted from it, clearly showing that it is not merely a phos- 

 phorescent light. The gas probably burns during the day as 

 well as by night, but owing to its pale flame it is quite over- 

 .powered by the daylight. 



It is produced from decomposing animal and vegetable sub- 

 stances ; hence the localities in which it is met with. Many 

 accounts have been given of the way in which travellers have 

 followed this light and been led into the depths of the marsh, 

 but most of these are probably exaggerated. 



The colours of the clouds are not unfrequently used as a 

 means of foretelling the weather. The sky itself, when free 

 from clouds, appears to be of a fine blue colour. Overhead the 

 tint is deepest ; towards the horizon it is considerably modified 

 by the light reflected from the mists and vapours which arise 

 from the earth. As we pass into regions where the air is clearer, 

 or ascend lofty mountains,, the sky appears of a deeper blue. 

 The colour is really produced by the action of the air on the 

 rays of light which pass through it. 



When the sun is near the horizon, its rays falling on the 

 clouds give rise to the grand and beautiful sunsets so frequently 

 observed. As the quantity and condition of the watery vapour 

 liave a great influence in producing these gorgeous hues, we can 

 often prognosticate the weather by observing them. Hence the 

 common proverb 



" Evening red, and morning grey, 

 Will set the traveller on bis way ; 

 But evening grey, and morning red, 

 "Will bring down rain upon his head." 



When light passes through a great thickness of air charged 

 with watery vapour, it is found that the blue rays are absorbed 

 first, and the yellow rays next ; the red rays having the greatest 

 penetrating power. This fact accounts for the prevalence of 

 red in the sky at sunrise and sunset, for then the rays fall 

 (almost horizontally, and thus pass through the stratum of air 

 resting on the earth's surface, which is that most charged with 

 vapour. 



If the air is dry the cumulus clouds that have formed during 

 the day slowly sink at evening, and dissolve in the lower and 

 warmer strata. This produces the brilliant red and golden hues 

 referred to in the proverb. The fact of the clouds being dis- 

 solved at a time when the temperature is falling, is a proof of 

 tlie dryness of the air. 



A high red dawn also indicates fine weather, since the colour 

 here is produced by the thickness of the vapoury layer through 

 which the rays pass, and not by its unusual quantity. When, 

 however, the sky is red and lowering, it indicates a super- 

 abundance of vapour in the act of condensation, and rain is at 

 hand. 



One of the surest indications of wet is afforded by a green 

 or greenish-yellow tint in the sky. If at evening the golden 

 hues of the clouds begin to merge into this, storms or rain may 

 be looked for ; but when they change to orange and red, the 

 weather will probably remain settled. 



There are many other indications of weather, but these for 

 the most part can only be acquired by long- continued obser- 

 vations. 



We have thus in a hasty way looked at the more important 

 meteorological phenomena and their explanations, and can only 

 hope that the student will be tempted to pursue the study of 

 the science yet further, and lend his aid to the elucidation of 

 some of the complicated questions still remaining unsettled. 



LESSONS 



IN GERMAN. LXXVII. 



159. INVERSION. 



(1.) In all the cases preceding, the natural order of the lead- 

 ing parts has been preserved ; that is, the subject first, the 

 copula next, and the predicate last. But for the sake of giving 

 special emphasis to particular words, this order is often in- 

 verted. Thus the real or logical subject is made emphatic by 

 being put after the copula, the pronoun eg taking its place as 

 a grammatical subject; as, e8 fyefct bie gvctfycit if)te Satyne auf, liberty 

 uplifts her standard. When, again, either the copula or the 

 predicate is to be rendered emphatic, they exchange places ; 

 thus (predicate emphatic), fierten muffcn 2Ulc, die must all. The 

 chief places in which the copula receives the stress, are 



(a.) In direct questions ; as, fd;rcibt bet SJlann? 



(b.) In imperatives ; as, fprcd;cn @ie mit U;m. 



(c.) In the case of ntoijen, when used to express a wish ; as, 

 moge eS bcr Jj?immcl gebcn ! 



(d.) In cases where surprise (generally with bO$) is to be ex- 

 pressed ; as, ift bocfy bte @tabt rme gcfetyrt ! 



(2.) When, on any one of those words which, in the natural 

 order, come between the copula and the predicate, we wish to 

 lay special emphasis, it must be put either before the other 

 words standing between the copula and the predicate, or else 

 before the subject. In this latter case, however, the subject 

 and the copula exchange places ; thus, nur son drblem farm (SttcS 

 fiammcn ; where the common order would be, 6ble8 fann nut on 

 Kent ftammen. These inversions, however, chiefly occur when 

 principal and subordinate sentences are connected by conjunc- 

 tions. 



160.-SENTENCES : PRINCIPAL AND SUBORDINATE. 



(1.) A principal sentence is one that expresses by itself an 

 independent proposition; thus, "It was reported;" "He de- 

 serves ; " " John toils." 



(2.) A subordinate sentence is one that serves as the comple- 

 ment to a principal sentence, and without which it conveys no 

 complete idea. Thus, in the expressions, " It was reported, 

 that the town was taken ; " " He deserves, that we should de- 

 fend him ; " " John toils, although he is rich ; " the first, in 

 each case, is the principal, and the second the subordinate sen- 

 tence. 



(3.) In the natural order, the principal precedes the subordi- 

 nate sentence. But this order is often reversed ; in which case 

 the order of the subject and the copula in the principal sentence 

 is also reversed. Thus, in the natural order we say, id) nxtfj, tag 

 cr tS nicf)t tl;un fann, I know that he cannot do it. Putting the 

 subordinate sentence first, it will stand : fcajj er e3 nifyt tfjun fann, 

 njcifi tcf>, that he cannot do it, Icnciv I. 



(4.) W T hen, however, the subordinate sentence comes in after 

 the copula (that is, before a part only) of the principal sentence, 

 the natural order of the latter remains unchanged ; as, id) fanb, 

 aU id) in Senbcn anfam, metncn Sreunb ittcJjt. 



(5.) In subordinate sentences, the common order of the lead- 

 ing parts differs from that of the principal sentences, in making 

 the' copula come last, that is, in making the copula and the pre- 

 dicate exchange places. For example : 



