Ii6 MR BAIRD ON THE SEA-TREE. 



distance in tlie cerulean sky, and wMch gives us some faint idea of the 

 i m mensity of space, since our familiar friends the clouds are at such a 

 distance, — a cloud which is well known to seamen as a prelude to a 

 stiff breeze, and called the mackerel back * — these or some other of 

 its varieties are known to almost every one. The way in which this 

 cloud perhaps most generally makes its appearance, is a milkiness, 

 or turbid whiteness diffusing itself over some part of the heaven. This 

 gradually either descends in the atmosphere, or becomes more con- 

 densed, and takes on some more decided appearance, such as one of 

 those I have already mentioned, or without taking on any of those 

 decided forms, stretches itself in long lines over the sky, and passes 

 gradually into one of the compound forms, " cirro-cumulus " or " cirro- 

 stratus." The "cirro-cumulus" has been finely described by the 

 poet Bloomfield, "the beauteous semblance of a flock at rest," and 

 may be considered the cloud of fine weather. The " cirro-stratus," 

 however, figures in many a sad change, and it is frequently in combi- 

 nation with this compound form, that the " cirrus " is seen a mark of 

 bad weather. In variable and showery weather, when the shower has 

 passed away, and all appearance of rain is gone, when a few rocky 

 "cumuli," or some detached portions of "cirro-stratus" are only to 

 be seen lingering in the sky, we often perceive, shooting up between 

 two or three of these clouds I have mentioned, a light fleecy almost 

 transparent cloud, branching out at one side into fine radiations, like 

 the down upon a feather, and hence called "plumose cirri ;" when 

 such are seen, we may almost certainly conclude that the weather will 

 continue changeable, and showers will again prevail. This modifica- 

 tion or variety is generally met with in showery weather ; but there is 

 another somewhat resembling this one which is very frequently only 

 to be met with during a continuance of fine settled weather, and which 

 may be understood when I describe it as two of these " plumose cirri " 

 united, rendering it plumose on each side, or giving somewhat the 

 appearance of a tree, and called, I believe, by the natives of Norfolk, 

 the " Sea-Tree." It is this variety that I have selected as the subject 

 of this paper, and which, with few exceptions, I have generally found 

 as a sure sign of approaching rain. The weather has been fine and 

 settled-looking for some time, the sun rises clear and unclouded, his 

 mid-day ardour is moderated perhaps somewhat by those elegant 

 shaped parasols of heaven, — the beautiful fine weather cumuli ; whilst 

 he sinks in the evening to his western pillow in a fiood of glory. Day 

 after day the same succession of weather takes place, and a long con- 

 tinuance of such is predicted, till at last, on some warm or sultry day, 

 we perceive the " sea-tree " make its appearance, perhaps isolated and 

 waving its branches at an immense distance in the heavens, perhaps 



* " Mackerel backs and mares' tails, 

 Make lofty ships carry low sails," 

 ia an adage well known at sea. 



