34 The Meteorology of Shakspere. [January, 
The French peasant, on the contrary, says, more wisely 
as we think,— 
“ Arc en ciel du soir 
II faut voir.” 
Certainly in settled fair weather rainbows, either at 
morning or night, are not likely to make their appearance. 
The cry of the owl seems to have been held as character- 
istic of stormy weather : — 
“ The obscure bird 
Clamoured the live-long night.” 
Macbeth , Ad II., Sc. 5. 
It maybe doubted whether this circumstance is mentioned 
as characteristic of stormy weather, or as an omen that 
mischief of other kinds was about. We have never met 
with any popular saying which connected the voice of the 
owl with rain and storm, nor have we observed it to be a 
“ weather-wise ” bird. The notion that its hooting is a sign 
of death has been common for centuries. Some wise man 
attempted to explain this supposed faCt by the assumption 
that the owl smells the approach of death in a sick man, 
and flutters screaming round his house in an effort to get at 
the body. This is a curious collection of blunders. The 
owl prefers, like a true sportsman, to kill game for its own 
dinner, and does not care for a prey which has died a natural 
death. Secondly, the bird has by no means a very acute 
sense of smell, and would be utterly unable to deteCt the 
odour of a dead or dying man outside the house. She is 
very possibly attracted by a light in the sick chamber, and 
puzzled thereby, as are sea-fowl by a lighthouse, flutters 
around instead of attending to her lawful business. 
The notion of the unwholesomeness of the night air must 
have been already current in Shakspere’s time. We read— 
“ To dare the vile contagion of the night, 
And tempt the rheumy and unpurged air.” 
Julius Ccesar , A 6 t III., Sc. 3. 
It is indisputable that in malarious districts the night air 
is especially dangerous. But it may well be doubted if the 
extreme dread of the night air common in England is any- 
thing more than a superstition. There are many people 
who — whatever may be the temperature, and how dry and 
calm soever the weather — would be horrified at sleeping with 
their bed-room windows open. It has happened to us more 
than once, when on a visit at a friend’s house, to find that 
during dinner the servants had carefully shut the windows, 
