Animals -as Barometers. 71 



whatever grade in the zoological scale, weather- 

 prophets ? Do they realize the coming of a storm 

 so far in advance of its actual appearance that, if 

 man could correctly interpret the animal's acts, the 

 creature would be to him a reliable barometer ? 

 Certainly, for a long time man has proceeded upon 

 this assumption, and not until the rationality of 

 so doing has been questioned, in the light of bio- 

 logical science, has it occurred to any one that these 

 same animals were a poor dependence. I have 

 in times past maintained that no animal could 

 be held of barometric value. Possibly this was 

 going too far, but my later studies have not led 

 me to a change of base. 



An aside here, not to be spoken in a stage- 

 whisper. I have touched upon this subject more 

 than once before, but it bears repeating. It needs 

 a deal of hammering to beat the truth into half 

 the heads you meet. One class, I hold, merit 

 ignoring : those apes that ask a question of a 

 naturalist, and then, assuming an air of wisdom, 

 toss their heads and remark, " Oh, I cannot think 

 so." Of course they cannot. Born without 

 thinking power, and yet refuse to be led ; perhaps 



