644 
Climate  of  the  British  Islands 
western  winds  so  the  extent  of  the  rain  is  greater,  only  decreasing 
in  quantity  from  west  to  east,  whereas  the  eastern  winds  rarely 
bring  rain  to  the  western  parts ; hence  the  rains  spreading  over 
a large  tract  of  country  are  most  generally  brought  by  winds 
coming  from  a westerly  direction.  This  will  be  illustrated  by  the 
fact  ascertained  by  the  Royal  Society,  that  no  winds  coming  from 
between  the  west  and  north  ever  brought  a day’s  rain  at  London 
in  the  course  of  the  year,  and  that  when  it  did  rain  for  a short 
time  the  rain  partook  of  the  nature  of  haze,  evidently  coming  from 
clouds  very  low,  the  air  having  previously  lost  great  part  of  its 
moisture.  They  found  that,  near  London,  no  rain  of  importance 
fell  with  the  wind  in  any  quarter  from  east  to  west  in  a northerly 
direction,  but  that  when  the  wind  changed  from  these  quarters 
rain  nearly  always  followed  so  soon  as  it  arrived  at  any  point  from 
south  east  to  south-west.  In  the  west  and  north  of  Scotland 
again  the  west  winds  often  bring  rain,  which  in  Sutherland, 
Ross,  and  Argyleshire  frequently  continues  for  weeks  together, 
but  ceases  when  the  wind  changes  to  the  south  or  south-east, 
and  this  change  is  generally  succeeded  by  fair  weather,  espe- 
cially in  Sutherlandshire  and  Caithness.  Some  places,  as  high 
districts,  which  condense  moisture  from  clouds  which  are  too 
high  to  be  affected  by  lower  ground,  and  places  nearly  sur- 
rounded by  sea,  have  rain  with  all  kinds  of  winds;  thus  at  Ply- 
mouth they  have  a rhyme  somewhat  of  the  following  kind  (I 
quote  from  memory)  : — 
“ The  south  wind  blows  and  brings  wet  weather, 
The  north  brings  wet  and  cold  together; 
The  west  wind  comes  and  brings  us  rain, 
The  east  wind  drives  it  back  again.” 
The  preceding  remarks  may  make  better  understood  the  fol- 
lowing signs  of  rain,  which  I have  rarely  know'n  to  fail: — 
1st.  If  the  wind  change  its  direction  from  a district  colder  to  one 
warmer  than  any  particular  place,  at  that  place  it  will  bring  rain. 
2nd.  To  places  on  the  west  of  Britain,  or  in  Ireland,  if  the 
wind  change  from  the  east  or  north  to  the  south  or  west,  rain  is 
sure  to  follow  in  twenty-four  hours 
3rd.  At  places  situated  on  the  south  of  England  or  Ireland,  if 
the  wind  change  from  a northerly  to  a southerly  point,  ram  will 
certainly  follow. 
4th.  To  any  place  near  the  sea-coast,  if  during  autumn  the 
wind  change  from  a land  to  a sea  breeze,  it  will  bring  rain. 
5th.  Variable  winds  certainly  bring  rain  ; but  generally  only  of 
short  duration. 
6th.  If  the  hygrometer  show  the  air  to  be  nearly  saturated  with 
moisture,  all  the  preceding  results  will  follow  more  certainly,  and 
with  a greater  amount  of  rain  than  would  otherwise  fall. 
