Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-12-29
ANIMALS AS BAROMETERS.


A writer in the Cincinnati E,,ouir-
er says he does not know of any sur
er way of predicting the changes In
weather than by observing the habits
of the snail. They do not drink, but
imbibe moisture during rain and
exude it afterwards. This animal is
never seen abroad except before rain,
when you will see it climbing the
bark of trees and getting on the
leaves. The tree snail, as it is call
ed, two days before rain will climb
up the stems of plants, aud if the
rain is going to be hard and long
one, then they get on the sheltered
side of the leaf, but if a short rain
on the outside. Then there are 9TH
er species that before rain are vel
low; after it, blue. Others indicate
rain by holes and protuberances,
which before rain rise as large tu-
bercles. These will begin to show
themselves ten days before rain.
At the end of each tubercle is q
pore, which opens when the rain
comes, to absorb and draw in the
moisture. In other snails deep in
dentations, beginning at the head
between the horns, and ending with
the jointure of the tail. appear few
days before storm. Every farmer
knows when swallows. fly low that
rain is coming sailors, when the
sea gulls fly toward the land-when
the stormy petrol appears, or Mother
Carey's chickens, as they are called,
predict foul weather. Take the
ants; have you never noticed the ac-
tivity they display before a storm
hurry, scurry, running hither and
yon, as if they were letter carriers
making six trips day, or express
men behind time? Dogs grow sleepy
and dull, and like to lie before fire
as rain approaches; chickens pick
up pebbles, fowls roll in the dust,
flies sting and bite more vi
ciously, frogs croak more clamof-
ously, gnats assemble under trees,
and horses display restlessness.
When you see a swan flying against
the wind, spiders crowdiug on wall,
toads coming out of their holes in
unusual numbers of an evening,
worms, slugs, and snails appearing,
robin redbreasts pecklng at our win
dows, pigeons coming to the dove
cote earlier than usual, peacocks
squailing at night, mice squeaking,
or geese washing, you can put them
down at rain signs. Nearly all the
animals have some way of telling the
weather in advance. 1t may be that
the altered condition of the atmos-
phere with regard to electricity, which
generally accompanies changes of
weather, makes them feel disagree
able or pleasant. The fact that the
cat licks herself before a storm is
urged by some naturalists as proof
of the special influence of electricity.
Man is not so sensitive. Yet many
people feel listless before a storm, to
say nothing of aggravated headaches,
toothaches, rheumatism, and last, but
not least, corns.
We are apt to think that our solar
system consists of mighty collec-
ton of worlds but Professor Proctor,
in commenting upon the star Sirius,
goes On to prove that our sun is a
very small affair compared with some
stars whose light is very faint to our
eyes. Judging from the time it takes
light to reach our world, Sirius would
shine two hundred times more bright
ly than our sun if set beside the lat
ter. Hence it is argued that it must
have surface 400 times greater.
diameter IA times larger, and a
mass 3 200 times greater than our
sun. These figures give bulk so
great that the human Imagination
fails to grasp the vastness of the diff
ference between the two suns. Yet
this great sun is supposed to be infe-
rior to other suns in size and splen-
dor. There is suspicion that all
the suns in our visible universe re-
volye around great central sun To-
Gated somewhere in the constellation
Hercules. Vast as seems the uni
verse, we now know that the prima-
ry materials of which it is composed
are the same in all the planets and
suns. The spectroscope has settled
the question that chemically all plan
cts, suns, and stars are composed of
identical materials.
The female book agent is one of
tha nuisancas from which .the good