THEORY CONFIRMED BY PHENOMENA. 73 



through it. Meanwhile the cap appears like a thin vapor 

 spread over a mass of snow. Sometimes when a columnar 

 cloud is very strong and rapid in its ascent, a second and 

 even a third cap is formed, with similar appearances. 

 When this happens, rain from the cloud is certain. First, 

 however, the top of the cloud is seen to change its dense 

 and well-defined appearance and become hazy. This is a 

 sign that the cloud is about to rain, and in a few minutes, 

 if the cloud is favorably situated, rain will be seen descend- 

 ing from its base. These appearances are all best seen 

 when the base of the cloud is a few degrees above the 

 horizon. The top of the cloud as it hazes is generally, in 

 this climate, carried off by the upper current towards the 

 N. E. and forms that feathery cloud which is so different in 

 appearance from all other clouds. It is the highest of all 

 the clouds except the tops of these columnar clouds, which 

 generally rise through it. 



In passing through it the columnar clouds generally form 

 a very dense cap, and are sure to haze and rain soon after 

 their passage. After they begin to rain they soon cease to 

 rise; but other columns spring up contiguous to them, 

 generally on the south west side of them, as far as I have 

 observed, and as theory seems to indicate, and go through 

 the same process of cap-forming, hazing and raining as the 

 parent cloud. 



These new columns, when they first make their appear- 

 ance, I have denominated sprouts. This name i$ not in- 

 appropriate, for these sprouts are evidently generated, or at 

 least assisted in their growth, by the parent column, in the 

 following manner. As the parent column rises into the up- 

 per current of air, which generally comes from the south west 

 or W. S. W. its top is made to lean towards the north east 

 or E. N. E., but by its inertia it causes the current there to 

 run a little slower, and so the column which may be about 

 to form behind it towards the south west finds less difficulty 

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