WEATHER. 



dry fummer. But that when Oftober and the following 

 month are fnowy and frofty, the two beginning months of 

 the new year may be likely to be open and mild. 



Something may be drawn from the habits, cries, and courfe 

 of animals, in refpeft to the weather. It is remarked, that 

 in fummer, when (heep rife early in the morning, it is a fure 

 fign of either rain, or a very hot day ; and that, in all 

 feafons, when they jump and play much about, it is an in- 

 dication of rain or wind, but generally of both, in the fum- 

 mer, and of very ftormy weather in the winter. That in 

 winter, when the (heep he under a hedge, and feem loath to 

 go off to pafture, and bleat much, it is confidered a fign of 

 a ftorm. And that, when Iheep are fed with hay in the 

 winter, and in frofty and fnowy weather they leave the hay, 

 it is a certain fign of the frofts breaking up. 



That when rabbits get out to feed early in the morning, 

 it is a figu of rain in the night in fummer, and of either rain 

 or fnow in winter ; and that when it is likely to be a bad 

 night, they will be apt to get home before it is dark. 



That pigs appear very uneafy before high winds, and run 

 about fqueaking as if they were in great pain. 



That when owls fcrcech, it is a certain fign of rain, and 

 moftly in a very (hort time. Alfo, that when wood-peckers 

 cry, it is a fign of rain. For this reafon, they arc called, in 

 fome places, rain-fowl. That likevvife, when peacocks cry 

 much, it is a fign of rain. That when the cocks begin to 

 crow while it rains, it is a fign of fair weather. 



That before a wet fummer, the fwans build their nefts 

 very high ; but that before a dry fummer they build very 

 low. That the bittern or bitter bump does the fame. 

 But that when the raven is obferved early in the morning 

 fparing round and round at a great height in the air, it is a 

 fure fign the day will be fine, and that the weather is likely 

 to fet in for fair. And that in fummer when the bat is feen 

 flying and flitting about very late in \.\.c evening, the next 

 day is likely to be fair. That likewife when the fwallow is 

 obferved to fly high, the weather will moft likely be warm 

 and fair. But that when it is noticed to fly low, and dip 

 the tips of its wings in the water as it Slums over the furface, 

 the weather is hkely to be rainy. And that the continued 

 f qualUng of the guinea-fowl, and the quacking of ducks and 

 geefe, are certain Cgns of rain. 



That before great ftorms the miflel thrufh fings parti- 

 cularly loud, and continues to do fo until the rain begins. 

 On this account, in fome places, it is called the ftorm-fowl. 

 Alfo, that in autumn, when flocks of wild geefe are feen 

 flying over in a weilerly direftion, it is a fign there foon 

 will be hard weather. That the early appearance of the 

 wood-cock and field-fare likewife indicate cold hard winters. 



That when in the time of hay-making the black fnails 

 are to be feen ftretched along on the fwath of grafs, it is a 

 fign of rain. That when frogs look black inftead of a 

 golden yellow colour, it is a fign of rain. And the loud 

 hoarfe croakings of frogs are fure figns of rain. 



That in autumn, when the dor beetle is feen flying about 

 in the evening, the next day is likely to be fine. Alfo, that 

 when bees do not go out as ufual, but keep in their hives, it 

 is a fign of rain. Much information of this nature may be 

 found in Marfliall's " Minutes of the Southern Counties," 

 which may be confulted by the cautious farmer with great 

 utihty and advantage, in regard to the weather he may have 

 for fecuring his produce in different cafes. 



There are other conclufions, too, in refpeft to the wea- 

 ther, that may be drawn from plants of different kinds, as 

 moft vegetables expand their flowers and down in fun-ftiiny 

 weatlier ; and towards the evening and againft rain clofe 

 them up, cfpecially at the beginning of their flowering, 



when the feeds are fenfible and tender. This is vifible and 

 evident enough in the down of dandelion, and many other 

 downs, and eminently fo in the flowers of pimpernel ; the 

 opening and fliutting of which make what is termed the 

 countryman's ■weather-'wifer, by which he foretels the wea- 

 ther of the following day. The rule is, when the flowers 

 are clofe ftiut up, it betokens rain and foul weather; but 

 when they are open and abroad fair weather. And lord 

 Bacon obferves, that the flialks of trefoil fwell againft rain, 

 and grow more upright ; and that the hke may be noticed, 

 though lefs fenfibly, in the ftalks of moft other plants. It 

 is added, too, that in the ftubble fields there is found a fmall 

 red flower, called by the country people pimpernel, which 

 opening in a morning is a fure indication of a fine day. 



" Eft & aha (arbor in Tyhs) fimihs, fohofior tamen, 

 rofeique floris; quern noftu comprimens, aperire incipit 

 fohs exortu, meridie expandit. Incolse dormire eum dicunt. 

 Phn. Nat. Hift. lib. xii. c. li. See Sleep of Flasts, and 

 ViGlLliE Florum. 



It is readily conceivable that vegetables fliould be aff'edled 

 by the fame caufes as the weather, as they may be confi- 

 dered as fo many hygrometers and thermometers, confifting 

 of an infinite number of trachece or air-vefl'els, by which they 

 have an immediate communication with the air or atmo- 

 fphere, and partake of its moifture, heat, and other changes. 

 And hence, too, it is, that all wood, even the hardeli: and 

 moft loHd, fwells in moift weather, the humid vapours eafily 

 infinuating themfelves into the pores of it, efpecially of the 

 lighter and drier kinds, from wliich they become applicable 

 to many purpofes of art, and may tend to fliew the cliange 

 of the weather in fome inftances. 



Hence we derive a very extraordinary ufe of wood, w'z. 

 for breaking rocks for mill-ftones. 



The method at the quarries is this : — Having cut a rock 

 into a cylinder, they divide that into feveral lefs cylinders, 

 by making holes at proper diftances round the great one ; 

 the holes they fill with fo many pieces of fallow wood, 

 dried in an oven, which, in moift weather, becoming im- 

 pregnated with the humid corpufcules of the air, fwell ; 

 and, like wedges, break or cleave the rock into feveral 

 ftones. 



The attentive farmer (hould ftore up in his mind as many 

 of the ufeful rules relating to the weather as poflible, as they 

 may ferve him very eff^edtually, on many occafions, in the 

 performance of his various bufinefs. See Atmosphere, 

 Meteorology, Heat, Rain, Wind, &c. 



The members of our Royal Society, the French Aca- 

 demy of Sciences, and many authors of note, have made 

 confiderable eflays this way ; and the pratlice of keeping 

 meteorological journals has, of late years, become very 

 general. For inftruftions and examples pertaining to this 

 fubjeCl, fee Phil. Tranf. vol. Ixv. part il. art. 16. 



Eraf. Bartholin has obfervations of the weather for every 

 day throughout the year 167 1. Mr. W. Merle made the 

 like at Oxford, for feven years, with a very remarkable care 

 and accuracy. Dr. Plott did the fame at the fame place, 

 for the year 1684. Mr. Hillier, at Cape Corfe, for the 

 years 1686, 1687. Mr. Hunt, &:c. at Grefliam college, 

 for the years 1695, 1696. Dr. Derham, at Upminfter in 

 EfTex, for the years 1691, 1692, 1697, 1698, 1699, 1703, 

 1704, 1705. Mr. Townley, in Lancaftiire, in 1697, 1698. 

 Mr. Cunningham, at Emin in China, for the years 1698, 

 1699, 1700, 1701. Mr. Locke, at Oats in Eflex, 1692, 

 Dr. Scheuchzer, at Zurich, in 1708 ; and Dr. Tilly, at 

 Pifa, the fame year. See the Phil. Tranfaftions. 



The form of Dr. Derham's obfervations we give as a 



fpccimen of a journal of this kind ; obferving that he notes 



D d 2 the 



