WEATHER LORE. 
35 
In conclusion, I may say that the lithographed figures of the reptiles — which 
are the same that were used for the first edition — are very good, except that the 
green lizard {LaceHa viridis) is badly coloured in my copy — it should be a bright 
grass-green, as in my copy of the first issue ; and that the slow-worm depicted is 
from a dead specimen, and therefore lacks the vigour of the others. It would 
have been useful to have depicted each sex of a species, when the difference 
between male and female is marked ; as in the common lizard, the slow-worm, 
and the great newt. In the first of these, the belly of the male is bright red with 
black spots, while that of the female is light olive without spots. The male is 
also much thicker than the female, and his tail shorter. In the slow worm the 
tail of the male is much blunter than that of his mate, and not more than half the 
length. The male warty newt {Triton cristatus) is black on the back, while the 
female is greenish. None of these differences in the appearance of the sexes are 
noted by Dr. Cooke. 
W. R. Tate. 
WEATHER LORE.- 
This handsome and attractive volume is the second edition of a book by the 
same author which appeared in 1869 — a fact which docs not appear on the title- 
page. We may say of it at once that it is a storehouse of information of all kinds, 
scientific, popular, fanciful and legendary, connected with the weather — a subject 
which is certainly not wanting in variety ; moreover it is excellently indexed and 
well arranged, and must be considered as the standard book on the subject. At 
the same time, as the author contemplates a future edition, we venture to call his 
attention to one or tw'o points. 
So much care has been expended on the book that it is to be regretted that so 
many references are wanting or insufficient. For instance, on the very first page 
we read : “In the reign of Henry VIII., a proclamation was made against the 
almanacks which transmitted the belief in saints ruling the weather.” Very 
likely it was, but could not some reference have been added which would save 
the necessity of hunting through the proclamations of the whole reign in case we 
want to verify the reference ? Again, in the same page we have : — 
“Whether the weather be fine or wet, 
Always water when you set — ” 
but Mr. Inwards gives us no means of tracing this distich. Instances of this 
incompleteness, often numerous, are to be found on nearly every page. Other 
references are incomplete ; many, indeed, may be verified by a reference to the 
bibliography at the end of the book, but to refer to “ Folk-Lore Journal,” without 
adding volume or date, reminds one of the airy way in which “ Augustine ” and 
other ecclesiastical writers are quoted by popular theologians. 
We are not quite clear whether the flowering of plants and the arrival of birds 
are in place in a volume of Weather Lore, but if so, they should certainly be given 
on better authority than Hone’s Every Day Boolt and Forster’s Perennial 
Calendar. The naturalist will demur to the placing of spiders among “ insects,” 
and he will want to know the authority for other statements — that “roses are 
said to begin to fade ” on St. Mary Magdalene’s Day (July 22nd), or that “ if 
robins are seen near houses it is a sign of rain.” 
Mr. Inwards will find weather-lore not included in his book in Aubrey’s 
Remaines of Judaisme and Genlilisme, published by the Folk-I.ore Society. 
There is probably even yet a good deal to be collected regarding the traditional 
times for planting certain seeds, Henry VIII.’s proclamation against almanacks 
notwithstanding. Here is a North Bucks rhyme (Newport Pagnell) which we 
have not met with in print : — 
* Weather Lore : a Collection of Proverbs, Sayings and Rules concerning the 
Weather, compiled and arranged by Richard Inwards, P’.R.S.I. London : Elliot 
Stock. 8vo, pp. xii., 190. Price 7s. 6d. 
