INDICATIONS OF WEATHER. 
271 
ence in producing changes in our atmosphere, is 
very probable. It is certain she causes the tides 
by her attraction; and it is equally certain, that 
she produces tides in the atmosphere, which must 
have some effect on the weather. But what that 
effect is precisely, who can tell ? Where is the 
manual that points out her influence with any cer¬ 
tainty ? and of the thousand and one moon-struck 
philosophers, who are constantly gazing on her 
placid face, which one of them all, has reduced 
his observations to certainty or method? We 
may safely let the moon attend to her own affairs, 
while we look for some more certain harbingers 
of change. These signs are in everybody’s mouth, 
though a majority of them are fallacious. We 
have room only to notice some of the most promi¬ 
nent and best authenticated. 
It may be stated as a philosophic fact, that any 
general change from extreme heat to cold, unless 
caused by a strong north wind, produces rain. 
This result is based on the soundest principles of 
science. For the warm air takes up a large 
amount of water in the shape of aerial vapor, and 
this quantity, when the heat is at 100 3 Fahr., 
nearly equals 1-20 the weight of the atmosphere. 
When the temperature falls to 50°, the air can 
hold but 1-75, so that nearly 3-4 of all the aqueous 
vapor before suspended must fall to the earth. 
This effect is briefly and unexpectedly foretold in 
the sublimely beautiful bursting of the thunder¬ 
cloud, as it rolls rapidly over our heads on a sultry 
summer’s day. Electricity is the disturbing cause 
here, which by suddenly lowering the high tem¬ 
perature of the air, compels it to let go of large 
portions of water it had abstracted from the sur¬ 
face below, which now comes pelting down, like 
molten bullets from the sky. In general an east 
wind will bring a storm, and especially one from 
the southeast and south. This is rendered more 
probable when the wind increases considerably, 
by this means condensing the atmosphere, and 
compelling it to part with a portion of its vapor. 
Variable winds produce rain ; it also follows a hoar 
frost. A rainbow in the morning foretells rain in 
the course of the day ; so too, does distant thunder 
heard at that time. When a storm clears off in 
the night, rain may soon be expected. There are 
many appearances of the winds and clouds, which 
to eagle-eyed observers, as mariners, fishermen, 
and shepherds, whose situations compel them to 
a elose observance of nature, for their own protec¬ 
tion, are so plain that they can hardly be mista¬ 
ken ; but these are in most eases local, and so de- 
endant on seasons and other circumstances, as 
ardly to justify recording. 
In general, when animals are careful in provi¬ 
ding themselves with good shelter and warm 
nests, a storm may be expected ; and when they 
are seen indifferent to their protection, fine weath¬ 
er may be anticipated. Sheep, gambolling in their 
pasture, foretell a change; and when they lie out 
openly on some exposed knoll, fair weather may 
be confidently predicted, In wild animals, these 
indications are much more distinct and unerring, 
£ls they are habituated to rely on their instincts, 
while the artificial, domesticated brute has been 
taught to depend almost solely on the reason of 
his master. Yet the hog, one of the most con¬ 
stant and ancient pets of man, is seen to go round, 
uneasy, and careful in gathering up whatever 
straw and waste grass and weeds he can find, and 
bestowing them in some safe place for a bed du¬ 
ring the coming storm. 
Birds, too, are remarkable indicators of approach¬ 
ing weather. How they scud to their sylvan re¬ 
treats when the tempest approaches, and how 
hushed are their warbling notes, as if afraid to 
provoke the coming war of the elements ! And 
when the rain is over and gone, with what bound¬ 
ing ecstacy do they again burst forth with their 
joyous songs, apparently joking familiarly with 
every passer-by ! Foul weather is sometimes be¬ 
tokened by cocks crowing in the evening, or at 
unusual hours; by ducks and geese flying back 
and forth, and plunging in the water; by the sea¬ 
birds hasting to their hiding-places on shore; and 
by the swallow and martin gliding over the sur¬ 
face of the ground, or lightly skimming the liquid 
plain, as they dart for the insects which the ex¬ 
cessive humidity of the air has driven to its low¬ 
est stratum. 
Insects are barometers also. When flies and 
gnats sting, and are unusually troublesome, cold 
and wet weather may be looked for; but when, 
they form a vertical column in the last rays of the 
setting sun, fine weather may be expected. 
Spiders are, however, probably the surest indi¬ 
cators of weather. When they are idle and list¬ 
less, neglecting their tattered web, rain or wind 
may be certainly anticipated; or if they tie up 
their nets by strong short filaments, firmly bracing 
it against the perils it will have to encounter. On 
the other hand, if they are seen busily weaving a 
slender web, even if it be then raining, permanent¬ 
ly clear weather may be relied on. 
The leech lies snugly coiled at the bottom of the 
water in dear, cold weather, but creeps up to the 
top on the approach of snow or rain ; darts about 
rapidly before a wind, and seems convulsed on an 
approaching thunder-storm. 
Many plants indicate rain and sunshine by the 
contraction or expansion of their petals. Among 
numberless ones these may be mentioned: the 
beautiful gentianella, the germander speed-well, 
the African marigold, and especially the “poor 
man’s weather-glass,” the pimpernal, (Anagallis 
arvensis ;) the purple sandwort, (Arenavia rubra;) 
and the chickweed or stichwort, (stellaria media.) 
Severe winters are indicated by excessive rains 
during the preceding summer, by the migration 
of squirrels, and the early flight of birds of passage. 
A mild, open winter is usually followed by a late 
spring, and a severe winter is preceded by an un¬ 
usually productive and abundant harvest. As a 
general rule, there is nearly an equal amount of 
rain and heat in the annual seasons, taking them 
together as constituting a year, and the years, ta¬ 
king 2 or 3 together, nearly correspond, as to the 
aggregate of wet and dry, cold and heat, produc¬ 
tive and barren. Indeed, so uniform is this rule, 
that we seldom have two successive years of sim¬ 
ilar extremes, and three such successive seasons 
would be a phenomenon. 
But Solomon says, “He that considereth the 
