Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-05-01
Weather Wisdom.

Changes OF weather may De lofeseen,
often by long intervals of other aids far
more cfficacious than those of the moon
or of weather cycles; a moons changes
rivalry even may be established with the
metcorologists of Whitehall. The ap'
paratus required may, with the exception
of barometer and the clouds, be all
found in the animal kingdom, careful
observation of the habits of some OF the
denizens Of which is the sure road to
successful weather wisdom. There seems
to be q sensibility to atmospheric change
in the lower orders of creation which
answers them as instincts, and directly
pivcs them information which man only
arrives at by the longer road of reason;
The scent of the hohnd is an instance OF
\ delicate sense which we cannot form an
idea Of though it may help us to con-
ceive the possibility of "pigs seeing the
wind" or of horses and cattle shifting a
distant Storm" A SOW carrying straw
in her mouth to make her bed is as sure
an indication of coming foul weather .as
any the barometer can give: and when
puss turns her tail to the fire, and in that
nositiou commences to wash her face, ii
| is said the same event is predicted. 1t is
as true of the skies as of domestic affairs
that when the hen crows a change for the
worse is at hand, and, as to. the lord o.
the poultry yard, we have the old laying
| that
"If the cock crows gong'to bed,
He'll surely rise with = watery head
Robin Redbrcast singing in the midst o
rain on the top of a twig of tree is
an infallible index of a beneficial change
| to fair foE few days at least and the
screech of the owl under similar circum
stances is said to have the same meaning
though the peacock's screcch at all time:
denotes genial weather. Frogs also fur
ni>h their signs, becoming brown on the
approach of rain, but remaining yellow
50 long as it is absent. There is curious
weather glass made in Germany, the ma
terials entering into the composition o
which are two frogs, two small ladder:
and q cylindrical vessel of water. Frog;
and ladders being duly put into the water
f the frogges climb their ladders ane
look over the vessels side. foul days ART
at hand. if they remain below, the sky
will continue fine. Leeches in water fur
nish similar indications; but spiders anC
snails are the most remarkable of all thu
weather prophets, when the. former make
their webs at night, the morning is sure
to be fine; if they make them in th'
morning the coming day may be rellet
on for a drive or q walk. Hence tn,
saying:
"whcn you sec the gossamer flying,
Be sure the air is drying"
An instance is on record of French off
GER, confined in @ prison in Utrecht durin:
the wars Of the French Revolution, hav
ing so closely and accurately observc'
the habits of some spiders that were hi
sole companions, that he was able, b,
their movements, to toretell frost foul
teen days before it came, and thcreb.
turn the certain defeat of the French ar
my into a glorious victory. But snail
are remarkable weather indicators. Lik
frogs, their colors change on the approac
of rain, and some species Indicate raj
so much as ten days before Ivy turbcrcle:
which appear on their bodies, and seer
intended for the purpose of imbibing tn
approaching moisture. Asa general rul
these creatures, according to their habits
two or three days before rain, may b
seen climbing the trunks of trees, or seel
ing shelter under leaves, or making thei
way to open places. We thus see tha
by careful assortment Of spiders, snail'
| frogs and leeches, and a few domesti
animals, combined with a few domesti
ter, and accurate observation of the lar
guage of the clouds, and the song an
cries of birds, any person may easily be
come a weather prophet OF no mean pra'
tical wisdom. But how shall we accour
for the more distant foresight of weathc
which some animals have? What teache
the bees to kill their drones early if
wet summer is coming, or the waterfov
to forsake their marshes if it is to be dry
By what vision does the swallow kno,
the approach of fine summer, and COZ
sequently set forth early on his migratio
to Northern regions BY what fore
knowledge is the worm led to burro'
deep into the earth if the winter is TO b
cold? In all these cases there is distar
foresight, for action is taken month ;
least before the anticipated foul or fai
can come. Reason cannot fathom tn
mystery it mas to confess itself battle
and excelled by the light enjoyed by ii
sect, and bird, and brute.-London RI
view.
At five years of age horse has fort
teeth-twenty-four molar or jaw teetl
twelve incisor or front teeth, and fou