The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1828-11-24

On POPULAR suPERsl HONS. ~
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'"ss""S, ! nave no doi' oft, Ton the red
has lint of purple.
Hahrnus Do you know ghy this tint NOR.
tends fine weather.
Phys. The AR when drvk believe ,etroc,,
more red, or hert.nsking Tvs and as~ a.,
our = no. perfecIly iranspatni, they are again
reflected in the horigan. have eenersllv
observed n copperv or yellav sunset To fohe.
tell ra'n but, ms an indicatkn Of vet weath.
or approaching, nothing is more certain than
= hal9 round The moon, " hih is produced by
me pffcnpitated water aud he lareer the cir.
Gle, the nearer the clouds. aid consequently
mors ready TO fail.
Hal have often observedthat the old nro.
verb is correct
! rainbow in the morning is the ~shehord's warning
arainhow at night is the shepherd Alsl ight.
Cen you explain this omeGa
Pyhs. A rainbow can only occur whom
thu o'oods containing or depositirg the raj.
are opposite the sun in the evening the
rainbow Is in the east, and in the mokniug in
the west and assall our heavy rains }, this
climate are usually brought by the wea,erly
wind, n rainbow in the west indicates sthsf
The bad weather Is on the road, by the Wind
10 us whereas The rainbow in the Gas,
proves that the rain in these clouds is PASSING
from us. .
Poiet. I have often observed, that when
the swallows by high, fine weather is TO be
expected or continued but when they Az
low aud close TO the ground, rain is almost
surely approaching. Can YOU account tor
this
Hal. Swallows follow the hies and gnats.
and flies and gnats usually delight in warm
strata of air. and as warm air is lighter and u
sually moister than Geld air, when the warm
strata of air are high. there is less chance of
moisture being thrown d wn from them BY
The mixture with cold air but when The
warm and moist air is close 10 The surface,
il is almost certain that, as the cold air Tow
down into it, a deposition of water will take
place.
Poiet. I have often seen sea gulls assem-.
Bile on the land, and have always almost oh.
served that very stormy and rainy weather
was approaching. concludelhcse animals,
sensible OF a current OF air approaching from
the ocean, retire 10 the land 10 shelter them
selves from the storm.
Oruiiher. No such thing. The storm is
their element and the little petrol enjoy.
the heaviest gale. b~ecanse, living on the small
est insects. he is sure 10 find his food in the
spray Of a heavy wave, and you mny see him
Fitting above the edge OF The highest surge.
believe that The reason of this migration OF
sea gulIs and other sea birds, to the land. is
their security of finding food and they ray
be observed, at this time, feeding ereedlly
on the earth-wCrms and larvae, driven out OF
the ground by severe floods and the fish,
on which they prey in fine weather in the
sea, leave the surface and 20 deeper in storms.
The search after food, as we agreed on a for
mer occasion, is the principal cause why au-
finals change their places. The different
tribes Of the wading birds always migrate
when rain is about 10 take place and | re-
member once. in Italy. having been long wal
ling, in the end OF March. for the arrival OF
the double snipe ia the Campaign of Rome a
great Eight appeared on the 81 OF April, and
the day after heavy rain set in. which greatly
interlefed with my sport. The %vulturs, upon
the same principle, follows armies and |
have no doubt that the augury of the uncienIs
was a good deal founded upon fhr observation
of the instincts Of birds. There are many SUI
persiitions OF the vulgar owing 10 the Same
source. For anglers, in spring, it is always
nnlucky 10 see single magp'cs bnt two may
be always regarded as n favorable omen and
The reason is, that in cold and stormy wealth
er, one maybe alone leaves the nest in search
Of food, he other remaining sitting upon the
eggs or the Young ones ; but when two
go out together, il is only when the wea-
Their is warm and mild, aud favorable for fish
ing.
P0iti The singular connexions OF cause
and effects, TO which you have just referred,
make superstition less 10 beIwondered at, par
%ticularly amongst the vulgar; and wnen two
facts. naturally unconnected, have been acci-
dpntally Goincident, il is not singular tina, this
coincidence should have been observed aud
registered, and that ompns of the most alb.
snrd kind should he trusted 10. In the west
nI FINLAND hnlf "a nnnf,H nna "a ,,aYfisnlap
hollow noise on the ses.csasl, YVES referred to
a spirit or goblin, called Bucca, and was sup
posed 10 foretell a ship wreck. The philosn-
pher knows that sound travels much faster
than currents in the air, and the sound al
ways foretoid the approach Of a very heavy
storm, which seldom takes place on thai wild
and rocky coast without a ship wreck onsome
part OF its extensive shores surrounded by the
Phys.-Ail these Instances of ornens you
have mentioned are founded on reason but
how can yov explain such absurditiesa As Friday
bring an unlrchy day, terror of splitting salt.
on meeting an old woman knew a man of
very high dignity, who was exceedingly moved
by these omens, and who never went out shoot i,
ing without a bittern's claw fastened 10 his
button-hole nv a ribband, which he thought en-
sored c5od luck.
poiet. These as well as the omens of death
watches. dreams, &c. ar e for the most pat
founded upon some accidental coincldencIeS
but spilline Of salt, on an uncommon occasion,
NAV. ~ I have known il, arise from a DISPOSE
ton to apoplezy, shown by an 'nclpient numb
ness in the head, and may be a fatal symptom
and persons, dispirited by bad omens. some
times prepare the way for evil fortune for con-
fdence is success is agreat means OF ensurIng
IT. The dream Of Brutus. before the FIELD Of
Pharsalia, probably produced a species ofirre-
solution and dependency, which was the prin-
cipal cause of his losing the battle and have
heard that the IIlustrious sportsman 10 whom
you referred jnst now, was always observed to
shont i'll. because he shot carelessiy, after one
OF his dispiriting omens.
Hal. have IN life met with a few things
which | found it impossible TO explain, either
nv chance. coincidenctes, or by natural conneI-
inns aud ! have known minds of very superior
class AFFECTED by them, persons 10 the habit OF
,easoning deeuly and nj oIOundly.