The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-02-08

seems TO ~ u seusiuiiiSys
change id the lower orders Of creation
A,hish answersshem as instipcts, and
directly Owes them information which
man ONLY arrives At by the longer road
of reason. The. scent of the houndis an
instance of o delicate sense which we
cannot form an idea of, though It may
help us to conceive the possibility OF
sightseeing The wind,D or of horse and
cattle "snufing q distant Storm" A SOW
carrying straw in her mouth to make
her bed is as sure an indication Of COM
Ing foul weather as any the barometer
can give: aud when puss turns her tail
to the fire. and in that position COM
to wash her face, it is said the
same event is predicted. 1t is rs 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 of
the poultry yard, we have the old saying
that, 5 ia.
If the cock crows going to bed, ut.!
He'll surely rise with a watery head.
Robin Redbreast singing in the midst
of a rain on the top twig Of a tree is an
infalible index of q beneficial change to
fair for a few days at least; and the
schreech of the owl under similar cir
cumstances is said to have the same
meaning, though the peacoek's scream,
at all times, denotes ungenial weather.
Frogs also furnish their signs, becoming
brown at the approach Of rain, but re-
naming yellow so long as it Is absent
There is q curious weather-glass made
in Germany, the material entering into
the composition of which are TIVE frogs,
two small ladders and q cylindrical ves-
sci of water. Frogs and ladders being
duly put into the water, if the froggies
climb their ladders and look over the
vessels side, foul days are Mt hand; If
they remain below, the sky will con-
tinue fine. Leeches in water furnish
similar indications; but spiders aud
snails are the most remarkable of all
the weather prophets; when the former
make their webs at night the morning
is sure to be fine; if they make them in
the morning the coming day may be re-
lied on for a drive OF q walk. Hence
the saying:
when You see the goss amsr flying,
Be sure the dir is drying"
An instance is on record of q French
officer, confined in a prison at Utrecht
the wars Of the French %revolu-
ton, having so closely and accurately
observed the habits of some spiders
that were his companions that he was
able, by their movements, to f~oretell a
frost fourteen days before it came, and
thereby turn the certain defeat OF the
army into a glorious victory.
But snails are remarkable weather i'll
dicators. Like frogs, their color changes
the approach of rain, and some spe-
cies Indicate rain 10 much as ten days
before by tubercles, which appear on
their bodies, and seem intended for the
of imbibing the approaching
moisture. AS a general rule these crea-.
lures, according to their habits, two or
three days before rain, may be seen
the trunks of trees, or seeking
under leaves, or making their
to open places. We thus see that
by careful assortment OF spiders, snails,
and leeches, and a few domestic
animals, combined with a good barOln-
eter, and accurate observation of the
of the clouds, and the song
md cries of birds, any person may east
y become n weather prophet of no mean
practical wisdom. But how shall we
account for the more distant foresight
If weather which some animals haveS
What teaches the bees to Kill their
early if a wet SIMMER is coming,
the waterfowl to forslke their marsh
- If it is to be dry? By what vision
locs the swallow know the approach of
/ fine summer, and consequently set
nrth early on his migration TO north
,rn regionsl BY what foreknowledgc
s the worm led to burrow deep into the
earth if the winter is tobc coidf In all
these eases there is u distinct foresight,
for action is taken u month at least be-
fore the anticipated foul or fair can
come. Reason cannot fathom the mys.
tery; il has to confess itself bafiled and
by the light enjoyed by insect
md bird and hrute.-IOpdOn Rcrtc1r.