a 
a 
642 
ment during the evening, they indicate the 
approach of rain; and when they form in the 
morning and disappear at night, they indicate 
steadiness of weather. When a great’ bank or 
stratum of low cloud dissipates under the influ- 
ence of the morning sun, it foretells a fine day ; 
when it moves slowly up the mountains, and 
lingers on their acclivities and round their tops, 
it foretells rain in the after part of the day; and 
when it moves slowly down the mountains to- 
ward the valleys at their skirts, it affords a cer- 
tain indication of rain. 
When dew is heavy, it indicates fair weather ; 
when it vanishes early or suddenly, it foretells 
rain; when it abounds on the grass after a fine 
day, it foretells that the next day-also will be 
fine ; and when it is very scanty or totally awant- 
ing after a fine day, it indicates that rain is ap- 
proaching. Hither a strong dew or a fog is 
common between a red evening and a grey 
morning; and a total or almost total absence of 
dew is common between a red evening and a 
red morning. A fog in the morning, in a de- 
scending direction, foretells a hot day; a fog in 
the morning in an ascending direction over a 
low or level or champaign country, foretells rain ; 
a fog in the morning, in an ascending direction 
from low lands toward hills and up to hill tops 
in their vicinity, does not indicate rain; a fog 
in the morning, resting upon hills and dragging 
along woods, and not overspreading the low 
grounds, foretells rain; a fog in the morning 
descending from hills, and settling in the adja- 
cent valleys, foretells fair weather. 
‘¢ When mist takes to the hill, 
Then gude weather it doth spill, 
When the mist takes to the sea, 
Then gude weather it will be.” 
When a fog is general before sunrise, near the 
full moon, it prognosticates fine weather. When 
a white fog, in the evening or at night, is spread 
over a meadow through which a river passes, it 
will be dissipated by the morning sun, and the 
day will be fine and bright. Vapours in the 
form of exhalations in hot weather, or possessing 
a medium character between fog and invisible 
air, when precipitated during the night, are 
followed by a clear morning sky, but when not 
precipitated, are forerunners of rain. 
When the air feels light and pleasant to a 
person walking, fine weather will continue ; when 
it feels oppressive to walk in, rain is not far 
_ distant; and when it is so very clear as to make 
_ distant objects appear unusually distinct and 
| near, it indicates rain. 
_ and pretty clear, foretells fair weather; a sky 
A sky of great height, 
of small elevation foretells rain; a sky of a 
| deep blue ground colour, foretells fair weather ; 
a sky of a pale blue colour, foretells rain; a 
morning sky of an orange colour, foretells rain; 
a sky of crystalline transparency after rain, fore- 
tells more rain; a sky which has for some time 
been thick and dark, without either rain or sun- 
WEATHER. 
shine, will change to a fair clear sky before rain 
come. When a lowering redness spreads far up- 
ward from the horizon, either in the evening or 
in the morning, it is succeeded by wind or rain 
or both; when a fiery redness, with ragged 
clouds, extends in the evening toward the 
zenith, it is followed by a high wind from the 
west or the southwest, accompanied with rain; 
when a sea-green colour tinges the sky near the 
horizon, instead of the blue which usually pre- 
vails there, it indicates a continuance and in- 
crease of rain; and when a dead blue or dark 
indigo colour prevails over this part, it shows 
the presence of loads of vapour, and foretells 
that the weather will be showery. An apo- 
thegm exists in most European languages, 
that “the evening red and the morning grey, 
are sure signs of a fair day.” When, in the 
morning, some parts of the sky appear green be- 
tween the clouds, while the canopy above is blue, 
stormy weather is quickly approaching, 
A rainbow in the morning indicates rain; a 
rainbow in the evening foretells fine weather; a 
rainbow of a predominantly green or blue colour 
foretells rain; a rainbow of a predominantly red 
colour foretells wind ; and a rainbow in the north 
in boisterous weather indicates the approach of 
fine weather. Lightning without thunder, after 
a clear day, indicates that the fair weather will 
continue ; but much lightning through the night, 
either with or without clouds, especially if it be 
of a pale colour, foretells unsettled weather. 
Falling stars and fiery meteors generally -indi- 
cate the approach of high winds, and always in- 
dicate a change to some kind of stormy weather; 
and when the falling stars are numerous, they 
foretell a storm at day-break. The aurora bo- 
realis appears most frequently at a change of | 
weather, either from good to bad or from bad to | 
good. When smoke rises vertically from chim- 
neys in calm weather, it indicates that the fine 
weather will probably continue; but when it 
descends and rolls along the ground, it foretells 
rain. When distant sounds, such as those of bells, | 
waterfalls, and the roaring of beasts, are distinctly 
heard through the air in a calm day,—or when | 
nearer sounds, such as those of the purling of | 
brooks and the talking of people, seem unusually 
loud,—they show that the air is loaded with va- 
pour, and indicate that rain may be expected. 
When the noise of the sea passes southward of | 
the mouth of a river or estuary, it indicates that 
rain is not far off; and when it passes to the 
north, it foretells fair weather. Extraordinary 
or disagreeable scents arising from fenny or 
meadowy grounds, indicate the approach of rain; 
and the long continuance of the smell of burnt 
tobacco, or of the smoke from a tobacco-pipe, or 
of any similar flavour, also indicates rain, The 
unusual sinking of rivers presages rain; anda 
white frost is generally followed by rain within 
three days. The speedy drying of the surface of 
the earth, indicates a northerly wind and fair 
Fin APSO FOE TERREN GTISLL SE OTT PTT ; 
a RT NER S E E EOCENE IR ELIE ET 
