CHAP. 4. 3. OP PROGNOSTICKS. 147 



fairness of the weather. Long cirrostrati and 

 other elevated clouds often alight on the summit 

 of real mountains, as they do on mountainlike 

 cumulostrati, and are equally indicative of wet 

 weather. Descending Mount Jura, in Swiz- 

 zerland, on Monday the 29th of July, 1822, I 

 noticed the tops of the Alps of the Savoy 

 across the Lake to be cloudcapped, particularly 

 Mount Blanc: in twenty minutes afterwards 

 there fell a violent Storm. 



When the rapid formation and disappearance 

 again of clouds take place in fine days, as is 

 often the case, we may suspect the serenity we 

 enjoy, and look forward to a change. I have 

 seen little Stackenclouds form and disappear in 

 the space of a few minutes ; while Curlclouds 

 form, change their figure to spots of Sonder- 

 cloud and disappear, at the same time at a more 

 elevated station. 



Luminous phaenomena about the sun by 

 day, or the moon by night, being generally 

 produced by the intervention of the Wane- 

 cloud, indicate the fall of Rain, Snow, or Hail, 

 according to circumstances; indeed, many of 

 the signs of Rain are likewise, under other 

 circumstances of time of year, &c. prognosticks 

 of Snow. The Halo is one of the most certain 



L 2 



