Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-07-11
fGATHsRED WEATHER PROPHETS.
Reorganization Of Bird. More Aoourat.

Representations of Birds More Accurate I
Than Government Signal Bureaus.
Tat birds have long been guides to
sailors and agriculturists every one who |
knows anything about popular weather
prognostics is well aware. Not only have
the fight and general action of birds
been noted by all civilized nations, but
among barbarous tribes in this and other
lands the migratory habits of the feath-
cred tribe have discounted the prognos-
tics Of government signal bureaus Wind.
rain and other atmospheric changes are
predicted by those who narrowly watch
the migration Of birds and sailors in
particular, who are close observers Of the
heavens above. tine atmosphere around
them and the waters beneath them, base
their prognostics on all the peculiar
phases Of land water and sky and the
elements Of life which people them,
Among the birds which serve to guide
the sailors to look out for squalls, the
sailor expects wind when the cormorants
fly landward. If the gull scars to lofty
heights and, circling round, utters shrill
cries, storm is approaching. If the
parrots whistle on shipboard it will rain.
If they dress their feathers and are wake
full it will storm the next day. If the
petrels gather under the stern of a ship
bad weather Will follow The stormy
petrol surely betokens stormy weather
and no sooner do they gather in numbers
in the wake of ship than sailors pre-
pare to meet an impending tempest.
Hunters are close observers of the hab-
its Of birds, and many prognostics are
learned from the vocabulary of an ex-
perienced hunter, who will stay indoors
in the morning when an amateur hunter
will be tempted out by clear sky, to
come back in the rain, or who will find
that moderate temperature in the
morning is no sure precursor of a warm
day Among the prognostics the hunter
draws from the birds few will suffice:
If birds in the autumn grow tame
The winter will be too cold for game
Bats flying late in the evening indicate
fair weather, but if they speak flying it
will rain on the following day. soli-
tary buzzard at great altitude indicates
rain, but if buzzards fly high together
I it viii be fair weather. If chickens crow
before rundown it will rain next day
/ If they 60 out in The rain it will rain all
day. If they run to shelter it will not
rain long. If they come off the roost at
night rain will soon follow.
The Zuni Indian hunters say when
chimney swallows circle and call they
speak of rain, and Indians predict deer
fall of snow when grouse drum at night
Hunters and fishermen have a saying
that ''there will be no rain the day the
crane flies down the creek One crow
flying alone is sign of foul weather
but if crows fly in pairs the weather viii
be fine. If crows make much noise anC
fly in a circle rain is expected. Ii thu
cuckoo halloos in low land it will rain; i
on high land the weather will be fair
Domestic fowls lock toward the sky be
fore rain and go to roost in the day time
If they stand on one leg the weather vii
be cold. If birds are fat and sleek il
February it is a sign Of more cold wealth
er. If geese walk east and fly west
will be cold
An old proverb says: when the hel
crows, expect a storm within and with
out, and hunters say that the directio
the loon flies in the morning will be tn
direction of the wind the next day
Owls hooting in the day time indicat
rain, but if at night the weather will b
fair.
When the peacock loudly bawls
Soon wen have both rain and squalls
Pigeons return to their doyecotes III
usually early before rain The habi
of wild geese are watched, and f&rnis
many piognostics, The following is
popular verse;
wild geese, Wild geese going to the sea,
Good weather il will be;
Wild geese wild geese, going to the hill,
The weather it viii spill
In Kansas, when the wild geese fly
the southeast in the fall, the people e
pect a blizzard. Savannah News,