The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-07-11
fEAThEREp WEATHER PROPHETS.

fEAThERED WEATHER PROPHETS.
Representations Of Birds More Accurate
Than Government Signal Bureaus
That 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, 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 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 a moderate temperature in the
morning is no sure precursor of warm
day. Among the prognostics the hunter
draws from the birds a few will suffice:
II 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. A soil
tary buzzard at a great altitude indicates
rain, but if buzzards fly high together
it will be fair weather. Ifchickens crow
before rundown it will rain next day.
If they go 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 deep
fall of snow when grouse drum at night.
Hunters and fishermen have saying
that ''there will be no rain the day the
crane flies down the creek" One crow
flying alone is a sign of foul weather,
but if crows fly in pairs the weather will
be fine. If crows make much noise and
fly in a circle rain is expected. If the
cuckoo halloos in low land it will rain; if
on high land the weather will be fair.
Domestic fowls look toward the sky be-
fore rain and go to roost In the day time.
If they stand on one leg the weather will
be cold. If birds are fat and sleek in
February it is sign of more cold wealth
er. If geese walk east and fly west it
will be cold.
An old proverb says: "When the hen
crows, expect storm within and with
out, and hunters say that the direction
the loon flies in the morning will be the
direction Of the wind the next day.
Owls hooting in the day time indicate
rain, but if at night the weather will be
fair.
When the peacock loudly bawls
Soon we u have both rain and squalls.
Pigeons return to their dovecotes un-
usually early before rain. The HABITS
Of wild geese are watched, and furnish
many piognostics. The following is a
popular verse:
Wild geese wild geese going to the sea,
Good weather it will be;
Wild geese wild geese going to the hill.
The weather 1t will spill
In Kansas, when the wild geese fly to
the southeast in the fall, the people ex-
pect blizzard. -Savannah News.