On the Popular Weather Prognostics of Scotland. 215 
storm itself, but whose coming is thus predicted. Even the 
landward flight of the sea-gull may have the same origin. 
Before the storm has come the swell may have disturbed 
his feeding-ground, and thus made his flight inland for food 
a presage of stormy weather. 
After some of the prognostics I have inserted remarks, 
suggestive or explanatory, and bearing either on a special 
phenomenon or on a class. When clouds, for instance, on 
the summits of particular mountains, are thought to foretell 
coming rain, I have indicated, as accurately as I could, the 
position of the mountain in relation to the locality in which 
the prognostic holds. The intention is obvious, being sug- 
gestive of one aspect in which phenomena of this class may 
be studied. 
While making this collection, I embraced every oppor- 
tunity which offered of conversing with those who were re- 
putedly good weather-prophets, and I found two points of 
practical importance on which all appear to agree. 
1. No sign is considered infallible. ‘It is not the less 
a sign, however,’ said a cautious and intelligent observer, 
who added, ‘‘ We all trust the barometer, yet even it some- 
times fails, and the clouds, well understood, are only a little 
less certain.” 
2. A prediction is seldom founded on a single sign. Never, 
indeed, have I seen the system of ‘ putting that and that 
together” in more extensive operation. I have been told, 
again and again, that only by so doing can the coming 
weather with any certainty be predicted. 
I now beg to offer a few remarks on the different classes 
of prognostics, indicating those on which I think the least 
reliance can be placed, pointing out the desirability of 
‘minute and full descriptions, and giving several reasons 
why some prognostics, which at first sight may seem value- 
less, deserve to be fairly considered before rejection. 
_ It appears to me that the accusation of fanciful can with 
most fairness be brought against those prognostics which are 
associated with the aurora, halos, mock-suns, thunder, &c. 
