Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1857-01-16
WHOLE NUMBER 50.

he had imbibed for natural history, b,
began to seek employment, and event
ually found amusement in watching th,
habits and movements Of his tiny fellow
prisoners. He soon remarked that GER
! tain actions Of the spiders were imme.
diately connected with approaching chan.
ges in the weather. A violent pain OF
one side Of his head to which he wa.
subject az such times, had first drawn hi:
attention 10 the connexion between sucI
changes, and corresponding movement.
among the spiders. For instance, he re.
marked that those spiders which spun a
large web in wheel-foTm, invariably
withdrew from his cell when he had his
bad headache; and thatjthese two signs
namely, the pain in his head and the dis
appearance of the spiders, were invaria-
bly, followed by very severe weather.
So often as his headaches attacked him.
so regularly did the spiders disappear,
and then rain and northeast winds pre-
vailed for several days. As the spiders
began TO show themselves again in their
webs, and display their usual activity, so
did his pains gradually leave him until
he got well, and the fine weather re-
turned.
Further observation confirmed him in
believing these spiders to be in the high
est degree sensitive of approaching chan
ges in the atmosphere, and that their re-
tirement and reappearance, their weav-
ing, and general habits were so Intimately
connected with changes in the weather,
that he concluded they were of all
things best fitted to give accurate intima-
ton when severe weather might be ex-
pected. in short, Disionval pursued
these inquiries and observations with so
much industry and intelligence, that by
remarking the habits Of his spiders, he
was at length enabled to prognosticate
the approach of severe weather, from
ten to fourteen days before itset in, which
is proved by the following fact, which led
to his release.
When the troops ofthe French republic
overran Holland in the winter of 1894,
and kept pushing forward over the ice, a
sudden and unexpected thaw in the early
part of December threatened tile destruc-
ton of the whole army unless it was in
stantly Withdrawn. The French gene
rails were thinking seriously of accepting
sum offered by the Dutch, and with
drawing their troops, when Disionval,
who hoped that the success of the repub-
lican army might lead to his release, used
every exertion and at length succeeded
IN getting letter conveyed TO the French
general, in January, 1895, in which he
pledged himself, from the peculiar actions
Of the spiders, Of whose movements he
was now enabled to Judge with perfect
accuracy, that within fourteen days there
would commence a most severe frost.
which would make the French masters
of all the rivers, and afford them sufici-
ent time TO complete and make sure Of
the conquest they had commenced before
il should be followed by thaw,
The commander Of the French forces
believed his prognostication and perse-
Yered. The cold weather, which Disjon-
val had announced, made its appearance
in twelve days, and with such intensity
that the ice over the rivers and canals
became capable Of bearing the heaviest
artillery. On the 28th of January, 795.
the French army entered Utrecht in
triumph and Quatremer Disjonyal, who
had watched the habits Of his spiders with
50 much intelligence and success, was, as
a reward for lis ingenuity, released from
prison.