The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1883-11-29
WISE AND OTHERWISE.
General Hazen's New Book of Proverbs
for Guessing at Wind and Rain.

\
A very interesting volume has been
| issued. according to the title page. by
the Omitted States of America War
Department, entitled Signal Service
Notes. No. 9. Weather Proverbs, pre-
pared under the directions of General
Hazen. Chief Signal Officer" The
volume contains 144 pages, and con-
| sists of weather proverbs relating to
foretelling weather by the actions of
| birds, fish, frogs, insects, aud reptiles,
the condition or appearance of fogs,
| dews, rainbows, storms, thunder and
| lightning, trees, and wind.
The, reason for the publication seems
| to be the lament that 1.-The ablest mete-
| orologists of to-day, aided by the most
| perfect meteorological instruments, and
| the results of years of accurate instru-
mental observations, are still unable to
| give reliable forecasts of the weather
| for longer period than two or three
| days, and frequently not longer than
| twenty-four hours. y 1t is, therefore,
thought to be possible that more
accurate observation of the condition of
| plants or the condition and action of
animals" might help the Signal Office
out.
The following about the movements
| of animals are fair specimens of this
official book of weather proverbs:
When cats sneeze it is sign of rain.
The cardinal point to which q cat
| turns and washes her face, after rain,
| shows the direction from which the
wind will blow.
When cats are snoring foul weather
| follows
Cats with their tails up, and hair ap-
parently electrified, indicate approach
ing wind.
1t is a sign Of rain if the cat washes
her head behind her ear-Old lady on
| Cape Cod.
When a cat scratches itself, or
scratches on a log or tree, it indicates
approaching rain.
When cat washes her face with her
back to the fire, expect thaw, in win
ter.
When eats lie on their head, and
mouth turned up, expect "A storm.
Cats have the reputation of being
weather-wise, an old notion which has
| given rise to most extensive folklore.
1t is almost universally believed that
good weather may be expected when
| the cat washes herself, but bad when
she licks her coat against the grain, or
washes her face over her ears, or sits
with her tan to the fire. AS, too, the
cat is supposed not only to have o
knowledge of the state of the weather,
but certain share in the arrangement
of it. it is considered by sailors to be
most unwise to provoke cat
When COW stops and shakes her
foot it indicates that there is bad
weather behind her.
When cattle collect near the ban
long before night, and remain near II
barn till late in the morning, expect
severe winter.
| Cattle are also said to foreshow RAJ
when they lick their forefeet, or lie o,
| the right side, or scratch themselve
more than they usually do against posts
or other objects.
Hares take to the open country be-
| fore a snowstorm.
Hogs rubbing themselves in winter
indicates an approaching thaw
In cold, long winters rabbits are fat
| in October and November; in mild and
! pleasant winters they are poor in those
months.
Rabbits seek the woods before Sc
we're storm.
When the spaniel sleeps it indicates
| rain
Owls hooting indicates rain.
If owls hoot at night expect fair
weather.
When an owl boots or screecbes sit
ting on the top of house or bv the
side Qf a Nyinlnpv II 10 e,;J f,-o%.1I
death.
When the roosters go Growing to bed
they will rise with watery head
If a rooster crows on the ground, it
| is q sign of rain; if he crows on the
fence, it is sign of fair weather.
| The following proverbs relate to thun-
der and lightning:
If the birds be silent, expect thun-
| der.
| If cattle run around and collect to-
| gether in the meadows, expect thunder.
| If the first thunder is in the East.
| aha! the bear has stretched his right
arm, and comes forth, and the winter
is over.-Zuni Indians.
| If the first thunder is in the North,
| aha! the bear has stretched his left leg
in his winter bed.
If the first thunder is in the South,
aha! the bear has stretched his right
| LEG in his winter bed.-Zuni Indians.
If the first thunder is in the West,
| aha, the bear has stretched his left arm
in his winter bed.-Zuni Indians
Thunder and lightning on the North
ern lakes in November. is an indica-
ton that the lakes will remain open
until the middle of December, or until
| Christmas. Said to be reliable
An easy splitting log indicates rim.
All in all, it is one of the most re.
markable books which the Government
has issued. In the matter of interest
it is much more entertaining than the
handbook published last year. Thus
lar 1T is the champion annual of the inn
portant service.
General HI.zen deems it necessary to
announce in the preface that the
weather forecasts Of this office are not
based upon the proverbs here given"