214 POPULAR WEATHER PROGNOSTICS. 



furnished an abundant gush of water, suddenly stopped. 

 One day when the sky was covered with heavy storm- 

 clouds, there was heard a subterranean bubbling sound, 

 soon followed by an explosion, after which the Artesian 

 well again flowed as at first. 



About three miles from the spring of Bifoccio, there 

 is, in the courtyard of Signora Pigati of Vicenza, a deep 

 well, which, at the approach of a thunderstorm, seems 

 in a state of ebullition sounds issue from it so as to 

 spread alarm among the neighbouring inhabitants. In 

 like manner there is at the Mount d'Or, in Auvergne, a 

 stone basin, called Caesar's Basin, through which gushes 

 a spring, the increased noise of which is regarded as an 

 infallible indication of the approach of a thunderstorm. 

 Arago, in connection with these and similar phenomena, 

 seems disposed to admit that, when thunderstorms are 

 gathering, water has a tendency to rejoin the clouds, 

 manifesting itself by decided phenomena of intumes- 

 cence ; so that it is certain the meteorologist does well 

 when submitting to careful investigation underground 

 prognostics of the weather. 



Altogether, the diversified phenomena to which we 

 have been directing attention, though apparently un- 

 connected, will in all probability be found allied together 

 by some pervading law, the discovery of which will go 

 far in the solution of the mysteries which at present 

 beset the study of meteorology. If there be any who 

 think it derogatory to philosophers to invite them to 

 the humble task of gleaning the few grains of truth 

 scattered through the wide field of popular meteorology, 

 we pray them to remember that the objects on which 

 the illiterate found their prognostics of the weather 

 may be known and read of all men ; and that the learn- 

 ing of the wise is never better employed than when 

 investigating the reality of facts which Nature appears 

 to delight in revealing to the senses of the humblest of 

 her children. 



