CHAP. 2, 1. OF CLOUDS. 45 



fibres diverge and ramify into confused or 

 plumose branches.* 



The obliquely descending bands of cirrus, 

 before mentioned, which occur chiefly in fair 

 warm weather with light gales of wind, are not 

 always detached. I have seen them proceeding 

 from other clouds, and sometimes connecting 

 two distant masses of cloud, which in this case 

 have always been undergoing a change of ap- 

 pearance, reconcileable with the idea of a change 

 in their electric state. 



The detached comoid cirri, called Mares' 

 Tails, are seldom very much elevated, particu- 

 larly those which ramify vertically. Their 

 presence is well known to be an indication of 

 wind; and when their transmitting terminations 

 have a decided direction, the subsequent wind 

 has been often found to blow from the quarter 

 to which they have previously pointed. This 

 circumstance seems difficult of explanation. 

 For if we suppose a current of air, differently 

 electrified, to precede the more violent and 

 sensible wind that is to follow, with which the 

 cirrus communicates its electricity by means of 



* By plumose, is meant a figure which gives the idea of the 

 folded ends of a plume of feathers. The sea tree sometimes 

 looks like many of these plumes diverging from one stem. 



