WEATHER PROGNOSTICATIONS. 79 
leaves, branches, rocks, or whatever shelter may present. Here they will 
remain until the storm is over. I always know, after such a sudden change 
in the summer or autumn, that it will be useless to go into the fields for 
the purpose of studying spider webs until after an interval of a day or 
more, and until the weather has moderated. But I am constrained to say . 
that this prognostication is after the facts instead of before them. Let us 
proceed to apply the test of scientific observation to the belief. Perhaps I 
may better enable the reader to decide upon the matter by quoting from 
my journal records of notes made during several years, which, as will be 
seen, concern summer showers and ordinary rains of the season. 
Wt 
“Annisquam, Massachusetts, August 14th, 1888.—Severe rains yesterday. 
The Zillas have spun this morning and the day is bright, but a strong 
wind is blowing. . . . August 17th.—Orbwebs were freely 
spun this morning, but a shower with thunder came on about 
cc heaee 11.30, and the rest of the day was overcast and showery. 
Arehs. “Philadelphia, September 8th, 1888.—A warm, moist morning, 
soft showers falling freely, yet in spite of this a number of my 
colonized Argiopes have spun webs or parts of webs as though confident 
that the day would be clear. There were heavy rains all day, which the 
spiders did not appear to mind, hanging upon their webs during the showers, 
which seemed to be no inconvenience to them. They would stop spinning 
their snares while the rain fell, but take up the unfinished work during 
the intervals. . . . September 9th.—Rains this morning. At eight 
o’clock the sky was overcast, drizzling rains following a shower. The 
showers are soft like those of late spring. Many spiders are out upon 
their webs, and have so continued during the day. 3.20 P. M.—Epeira 
vertebrata spinning an orb; the former one evidently destroyed. : 
5.30 P. M.—A large Domicile spider is making a new orb. No rain this 
evening, but the sky much overcast now and threatening. 
“September 10th.—All the ‘spiders appear this morning in beautiful 
new webs. There has been no rain since yesterday afternoon. ‘The sky 
is overcast this morning. The Government weather predictions for the 
twenty-four hours between 8 P. M. September 9th and 8 P. M. September 
10th indicate cloudy weather, with rains and cooler temperature. Some of 
the spiders have moved their positions. The day kept clear though over- 
cast, and a few drops of rain. 
“September 11th.—This morning I found no activity among the spiders 
in the way of web making, but most of them were upon orbs which 
appeared to be new, and probably were made during the early morning. 
The Argiopes and Vertebratas were out in special force. Rain began about 
10.30 A. M. and continued an almost steady downpour until eight or nine 
Notes of 
