Prognostics of the Weather. 153 



living creatures are affected in such sort as to render them 

 some way sensible of its approach, and of the access of some- 

 thing new to the surface of the earth, and the atmosphere. 

 Moles work harder than ordinary, they throw up more 

 earth, and sometimes come forth ; the worms do so too. 

 Ants are observed to stir about, and bustle more than 

 usually for some time, and then retire to their burrows be- 

 fore the rain falls. All sorts of insects and flies are more 

 stirring and busy than ordinary. Bees are ever on this 

 occasion in fullest employ ; but betake themselves all to 

 their hives, if not too far for them to reach before the storm 

 arises. The common flesh-flies are more bold and greedy : 

 snails, frogs, and toads appear disturbed and uneasy. Fishes 

 are sullen, and made qualmish by the water, now more 

 turbid than before. Birds of all sorts are in action ; crows 

 are more earnest after their prey, as are also swallows and 

 other small birds, and therefore they fall lower, and fly 

 nearer to the earth in search of insects and other such 

 things as they feed upon. When the mountains of the 

 north begin to be capped with fogs, the moor-cocks and 

 other birds quit them, fly off in flocks, and betake them- 

 selves to the lower lands for the time. Swine discover 

 great uneasiness, as do likewise sheep, cows, and oxen, ap- 

 pearing more solicitous and eager in pasture than usual. 

 Even mankind themselves are not exempt from some sense 

 of a change in their bodies. 



Prognostics continued. 



1. " A DARK, thick sky, lasting for some time without 

 either sun or rain, always becomes first fair, then foul, /. e. 

 changes to a fair, clear sky, before it turns to rain." This 

 the Rev. Mr. Clark, who kept a register of the weather for 

 thirty years, (since put into Mr. Derham's hands by his 

 grandson, the learned Dr. Samuel Clark), says, he scarce 

 ever knew to fail ; at least when the wind was in any 

 of the easterly points : but Mr. Derham has observed the 

 rule to hold good, be the wind where it will. And the 



