The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1875-04-03
THE PACIFIC
SATURDAY. P r 8.
A Living Barometer.

Gus arrangement, that will unerriEgly predict the
atmospheric changes and conditions for twenty
four or even thirty-eix hours IN advance, at any
rate.
When we consider how often anxiety is ex-
pressed as to the state of the weather, it would
seem probable that an infalllble barometer, which
could be obtained at triAing cost, would be looked
upon as invaluable, and find a place in every
house.
Such, however, is not the case; those who pat
roniZe this living barometer are " few and far be-
tween" and it Is with the desire Of making others
better acquainted with what has been proved to
be a most useful aid to weather-wisdom that the
following notes are put together.
This barometer is none other than the common
leech, which we are. perhaps, accustomed to look
upon with more or less disgust, in spite of the
undOubted benefits which It's operations bring
to US.
The poet Cowper was well acquainted with this
property of the leech. In a letter to Lady Hes
keith, he says:
Yesterday it thundered, last night it light
ened, and at three this morning / saw the sky as
red as a city in flames could have made it. have
a leech IN a bottle that ~foretells all these ~prodigies
and commissions Of nature. No-not, as you will
naturally conjecture, by articulate utterance of
oracular notices, but by a variety of gesticula-
tions, which here 1 have not room to give an ac-
count of. Suffice 1t to say, that no change Of the
weather surprises him, and that in point Of the
earliest and most accurate intelligence, he is worth
al the DirOIueCeFe IN tue HOTlQ. NODe Oh IDeul,
indeed, can make the least pretense to foretell
thunder--a species of capacity of which be has
given the most unequiyocal evidence"
10 Homes Everyday Book" there is a letter
dated March, 1926, in which the following obser-
%yations, made by a gentleman who kept a leech
several years for the purpose of a weather-glass,"
are given: The leech was kept in an ordinary
e~ight-ounce bottle, about three parts filled with
water, and covered at the mouth with a piece of
linen rag; it was kept in a window, and the water
was changed once a week in Summer, and every
fortnight In Winter.
His observations coincide 80 nearly with those
which we have ourselves made, that we shall ex-
tract them for the benefit of those who may make
a similar experiment, SO that they may know in
advance (what observation would soon teach them)
the meaning of the different movements of the
prisoner.
"If the weather proves serene and beautiful,
the leech lies motion1ess at the bottom of the glass,
and rolled together in a spiral form.
elf it rains either before or after noon, it is
found crept up to the top of is lodging, and there
it remains till the weather is settled.
"If we are to have wind, the poor prisoner
galIops through its limpid habitation with amaz-
ing swiftness, and seldom rests till it begins to
blow hard.
"If a storm of thunder and rain is to succeed,
for some days previously it lodges almost contin-
ually out OF the water, and discovers very great
uneasiness In violent throes and commissions.
"In the frost, as in clear Summer weather, it
lies constantly at the bottom, and in snow, as in
rainy weather, 1t pitches it's dwelling upon the
mouth of the phial."
Our personal experience of these 90 clerks of the
weather {" is but limited; so far as it goes, it gen.
orally tends to confirm the foregoing remarks.
The following observations, however, of a lady
naturalist, to whom we are indebted or our intro
duction to leeches In their barometrical capacity,
and who has herself kept a daily record Of their
movements for more than twelve years, admirably
supplement what has been already quoted:
"As a rule, during fine and wet weather, the
leeches remain at the bottom of the vessel.
"When a change is slowly approaching, they
move upward, twenty-four hours, or at times
thirty-six hours, in advance of it.
"When a storm is rapidly approaching, the
leeches become very restless, and rise quickly
while before q thunderstorm they pass entirely
out of the water. a tight-ftting wire-work cover
must be placed over the top, as the leeches soon
escape, especially in stormy weather.
"When the change occurs, they become still at
the bottom Of the vessel; but if under such cir
cumstances they rise again or keep above water,
length or violence of storm is indicated. If the
leeches rise during a continuance of east wind,
wind rather than rain is to be expected then.
"When a storm comes direct from a distance,
we shall observe the rapid rising and restlessness
alluded to above, but much shorter notice-from
an hour to six hours-willb be given.
"Wben heavy rain or high wind is TO be ex-
pected, the leeches are also restless, and keep out
Of the water, but their movements are much less
rapid.
"It is advisable to keep the vessel in a temper
AZURE as even as possible.
"When the temperature falls below forty eight
degrees, the leeches cease 10 indicate any change;
they become quite torpid, or, in other words, by
bernate pro. tenn. In a small jar at a temperature
above seventy-fve degrees, the excessive heat may
cause them to rise; otherwise they would be
quiet"
From this description-the more trustworthy as
haino kha roaulf nF tho ohaarvatiana Of mems
years-our readers will be able to gather what
the various motions of the leeches indicate, should
they be induced by this short notice to Get up a
living barometer.
In more than one instance, when In apparently
cloudless and settled weather a sudden storm has
been indicated by the leeches and prophesied by
their owner, the amazement of those net in the
secret has been very amusing. @ xs.
We do not hesitate to say that many disap-
pointments at picnics or excursions would be pre-
vented were these weatherwise creatures more
generally known and more frequently consulted.