The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1889-08-28
WEATHER u PRloveRes.
What the Li,tIe I,lra. Ten wbIle yOstln

wEATHER PROVERBS.
What tho Little Birds TeH while Nesting
and on tho wing.
That birds have long been guides TO sail
,rs and agriculturists every one who knows
any thing about popular weather prognos-
lies Is well aware. Not only have the flight
and general action OF birds been noted by
all civilized nations, says the Savannah
(Ga.) News, but among barbarous tribes in
This and other lands the migratory habits
,f the feathered tribe have discounted prog
nostics Of Government signal bureaus.
Wind, rain ana other atmospheric changes
are predicted by those who narrowly watch
the migration Of birds, and sailors In par
SECULAR, who are close observers Of the
heavens above, the atmosphere around them
and the waters beneath them, base their
prognostics on all the peculiar phases Of
land, water and sky and the elements life
which people them.
Among the birds which serve TO guidethe
sailors TO look out for squalls, the sailor ex-
poets wind when the cormorants fly land
ward. II the gull scars to lofty heights
and, circling round, utters shrill cries,
storm is approaching. II the parrots whis-
tie on shipboard 1t viii rain. II they dress
their feathers and are waleful II will
storm the next day. II the petrels gather
under the stern Of ship bad weather will
follow. The stormy petrol surely betolens
stormy weather, and no sooner do they
gather In numbers under the wake Of O ship
than sailors prepare 10 meet an impending
tempest. rtH
Hunters are close observers Of the habits
of birds, and many prognostics are learned
from the vocabulary Of an experienced
hunter, who win stay in doors in the morn
ing when an amateur hunter win be tempted
out by aclear sky, TO come back in the rain,
or will find that moderate tcmpcraturein In
the morning is no sure precursor Of warm
day. Among the proguostics the hunter
draws from birds few will suffice:
II birds in the autumn grow tame,
The win:er viii be too cold for game.
Bats flying late in the evening indicate
fair weather, but IL they squeak flying It will
rain on the following day. A solitary buzz
sard alta great altitude indicates rain, but
II buzz ards fly high together 1t will be fair
weather. II chickens crow before sundown
u will rain the next day. II they run 70
shelter IL will not rain long. II they come
on the roost at night rain will soon follow.
The Zuni Indian hunters say that when
chimney swallows circle and call they speak
Of rain, and Indians predict deep fall Of
snow when grouse drum ut night, Hunters
aid fishermen have Q saying that "there
will bc no rain the day the crane flies down
the creek" One crow flying along Is q
sign Of foul weather, but II crows fly in
pairs the weather viii be fine. II crows
make much noise and fly in circle rain is
expected. II the cuckoo halloos In low
land IL will rain, II on high land IL will be
fair. Domestic fowl look toward the sky
before ram and 60 TO roost In the daytime.
II they stand on one leg the weather will
be cold. II birds are fat and sleek In Feb
ruary 1t Is sign Of more cold weather II
geese walk east and fy west 1t will be cold.
An old proverb says: "When the hen
crows, expect q storm within and without"
and hunters say that the direction the loon
dies In the morning will be the direction Of
the wind the next day. Owls hooting in the
daytime indicates rain, but II at night the
weather will be fair.
When the peacock loudly bawis
oOoh w ~ hnfo uOtu E9iu .ua bQuhus'
Pigeons return 70 their dovecotes unusu-
ally early before rain. The habits OF wild
geese are watched, and furnish many prog
Dostics. The following 10 popular verse:
Wild geese, wlld geese. going 10 the sea
Good weather u will be; hfNf,
Wild geese, wild geese going TO the HILL
The weather II will spin. 1taft,
In Kansas, when wild geese fly 10 the
southeast in the fall, the people expect a
blizzard. siaa
There are many prognostics Of the season
which have their origin in the migrations Of
birds, aud in the peculiar formation and ap-
pearance Of the goose bone, which is today
looked upon by thousands OF people as q
sure prognostic OF what the coming winter
will be, and in Kentucky, II the issue should
be raised whether the Signal Service Bu-
reau or the goose bone should go, the Ken
tuckian would cling 10 the goose bone; In
fact Henry Watterson, II he had 10 choose
between the star eyed goddess Of reform
and the goose bone, would not dare 10 Of
fend Kentucklans by discarding the pro
phetic bone. The people Of Kentucky say
II the breast bone OF goose Is red, or has
many red spots, expect q cold and stormy
winter, but II only few spots are visible,
the winter will be mild, and they furnish
the following recipe SO that It may be read
intelligently, which instructions are as fol
lows: s
''To read the winter of any year take the
breast bone Of goose hatched during the
preceding spring. The bone Is translu-
cent, and II will be found TO be colored and
spotted. The dark color and heavy spots
Indicate cold. II the spots are Of light shade
and transparent, wet weather, rain or snow
may be looked for"
When wild geese and wild ducks move
south the weather will>be cold, II north
the weather will be warm, and the birds
migrate south much earlier II tho winter
viii be early. A severe winter follows Il
crows fly south, but II they fly north IL will
be an open winter. No killing frost comes
when the martins turn 10 their old haunts
and the first song Of the robin is the yoic,
Of spring. The swan II said To build its nesl
high during seasons when freshets visit thu
localities where the swan broods, and thoss
who cultivate low lands note how tn,
swans nest Is built. II II Is built low ther'
will be no unusual rains. There are man]
other prognostics derived from observing
the habits OF birds, Of interest tothe sea
man and land lubber, and in concluding TIL
popular prognostic Of the farmer, draw
from watching the nest Of the swallow,
given:
whes the swallows nest is high
The summer Is very dry; ast
When the swallow buildeth low