Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-09-06
FEATHERY WEATHER PROPHETS.
Birds that nre Snid to Foretell Gil
matte Changes.

1 AsAa' thah UfC Fhio w EoACtCth VII
matte Changes.
In Hampshire swans are believed to
be Matched in thunder-st storms. and il is
said according to The Londo1 Times,
that those on the Thames have an in
stinctive prescience of floods. Before
heavy rains they raise their nests. This
is the characteristic of many birds.
which add piles of mater al to their
nests to prevent swapping. When
rocks fly high and seem to initiate
birds of prey by soaring. swooping,
and falling. il is almost certain sign
of coming storm. Shaving in the vicinity
of the rookery, returning at midday.
or coming TO roost in groups. are also
said to be omens to the like effect. Vari-
Gus proverbs would seem to indicate
that the cry of the owl. if heard in
bad weather. foretells change.
The constant iteration of the green
woodpecker's cry before storm has
given it the names of rain-bird, rain
pie. and rain-fowl. Stormcock is a
provincial name shared by this bird
and the m ssel-thrush. the latter often
singing through gales OF wind and
ran. Storm-b bird also is applied to the
fieldfare. The adherence In which
mariners hold the swallow.like storm
petrol is well-known; its appearance is
believed to denote wild weather. This
little bird is the Mother Carey's chick
en- of sailors, and is also called storm
finch and water witch. Herons, says
an old author, flying up and down in
the evening as if doubtful where to
rest, "presage some evil approaching
weather." n legend as old as Virgil,
though probably devoid of foundation.
Concerning gulls in general. children
who live by the sea say: ''Seagulf.
seagull, sit on the sand, its never good
weather while you're on the land;"
and fisherfolk know that when the
seamews fly out early and far to sea-
ward fair weather may DO expected.
To Scotch shepherds the drumming of
The snipe indicates dry weather and
frost at night. and Gilbert White
remarks that woodcocks have been
observed to be remarkably listless
against snow in foul weather; while.
according to another author, their
early arrival and continued abode
"foretells liberal harvest. In Wilt
shire the coming of the dotterel indi-
Gates frost and snow. and there is n
proverb that the boom ng of the bittern
indicates rain or worse. In Moray
shire. when the wild geese go out to
sea. they say the weather will DO fine,
but, If toward the hill, stormy.
The saw-llke note of the great tit
mouse is said 10 foretell rain; that of
the blue-tit cold. In the south of
France so much store is set b. the
wisdom of the magpie that if it builds
its nest on the summit of tree the
country folk expect season of calm;
but if lower down winds and tempests
are sure to follow. When jackdaw
lS seeu W otduu Ol OIO VI luO wants. vi
the cathedral tower at Wells, it is said
that ran is sure to follow within
twent, -four hours. Wells must be
very wet place. In Germany, jewellers
in the country lack faith in the SIX =
lark song as announcing fine wheath-
err; but when the lark and the cuckoo
sing together they know that summer
has come. The robin. buzzard, lap
wing. startling, and number of other
birds are said TO foretell weather
changes; we have noticed that in near
ly all the species named the various
cries and calls are closely connected
with the birds food supply.