292 Po a ch e rs a n d Po a ch ing. 



says an old author, flying up and down in the 

 evening, as if doubtful where to rest, " presage 

 some evill approaching weather " a legend as 

 old as Virgil, though probably devoid of founda- 

 tion. Concerning gulls in general, children who 

 live by the sea say " Seagull, seagull, sit on the 

 sand ; It's never good weather while you're on 

 the land ; " and fisherfolk know that when the 

 seamews fly out early and far to seaward fair 

 weather may be expected. To Scotch shep- 

 herds the drumming of snipe indicates dry 

 weather and frost at night ; and Gilbert White 

 remarks that woodcocks have been observed to 

 be remarkably listless against snowy foul weather ; 

 while, according to another author, their early 

 arrival and continuance " foretells a liberal har- 

 vest." In Wiltshire the coming of the dotterel 

 betokens frost and snow, and there is a proverb 

 that the booming of the bittern will be followed 

 by rain or worse. In Morayshire, when the 

 wild geese go out to sea they say the weather 

 will be fine ; but if towards the hill, stormy. 

 The saw-like note of the great titmouse is said 

 to foretell rain ; that of the blue-tit, cold. In 

 the south of France so much store is set by the 

 wisdom of the magpie, that if it builds its nest on 

 the summit of a tree the country-folk expect a 

 season of calm ; but if lower down, winds and 

 tempests are sure to follow. When a jackdaw 

 is seen to stand on one of the vanes of the 



