NATURE'S WEATHER PROPHETS 281 



Before heavy rains they raise their nests. This is 

 characteristic of many birds, which add piles of 

 material to their nests to prevent swamping. When 

 rooks fly high, and seem to imitate birds of prey by 

 soaring, swooping and falling, it is an almost certain 

 sign of coming storms. Staying in the vicinity of 

 the rookery, returning at midday, or coming to 

 roost in groups, are also said to be omens to the like 

 effect. Various proverbs would seem to indicate 

 that the cry of the owl, heard in bad weather, fore- 

 tells a change. The constant iteration of the green 

 woodpecker's cry before a storm has given it the 

 name of rain-bird, rain-pie and rain-fowl. Storm- 

 cock is a provincial name shared by this bird and the 

 missel- thrush, the latter often singing through gales 

 of wind and rain. Storm-bird is also applied to the 

 fieldfare. The abhorrence in which the mariners 

 hold the swallow-like storm-petrel is well known; 

 its appearance is believed to denote wild weather. 

 This little bird is the Mother Carey's chicken of 

 sailors, and is also called storm-finch and water- 

 witch. Herons, 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 

 foundation. 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 



