Kansas City daily journal., 1897-02-06
WEATHER SIGNS A DELuTIoN.
Scientific View of the Popular Notions
and FnIIacies.

From the St. James Gazette.
Those who believe in weather lore have
been busy with predictions OF a coming Sc
hips of the wild rose have been unusually
plentiful They point with triumph to the
fact that last winter the supply was cX-
tremely short and the winter was mild and
mugSy. Then the swallows departed unuS-
ually early. and the snow bUntings have
come in unusual numbers. The snow bunt-
ing. which is one of the great finch family,
is common in the Arctic regions in the
summer, and. migrating south in winter.
has always been found in more or less
large fiocks in the British Isles. especially
in Scotland and the north of England.
where it is regarded as the herald OF
snow and frost, Here again 1t Is remarked
that last winter. which passed with scarce
ly any frost or snow, brought US compdra-
lively few of these feathered visitors. The
winter before that. with its great frost,
brought them in large numbers. This year
they are arriving in greater numbers than
ever the marshlands OF the Eastern and
fen counties being full of their twittering.
What can this forecast but a severe Win
ter?
To the believer in weather-lore there is
no answer but one. But 10 the scientific
observer these are but popular fallacies. 1t
may not be generally known that there is
in connection with the Royal Meteorolog-
ical Society department of psychological
observation. Some hundred and twenty
observers are continually engaged in not
ing down facts connected with the fauna
and flora of tho country as regards the
seasons and the weather. In this way
complete record is being formed of the
weather. its effects on vegetation. on flow
ers. crops and trees. the arrival and de-
parture of birds. the prevalence or absence
of insects, and so on, throughout every de-
partment of nature. y copious report is
published every year. Al first sight the
last issue of this report would seem to
lend some Corroboration to the claims of
the weather lorists. Granted that hips and
haws Were plentiful at the beginning of the
lSgi-'95 winter. The succeeding winter
PARTICULARLY severe. Large numbers of
native birds perished of starvation through
their usual supplies having been cut off for
weeks together. Those most frequently
mentioned as found among the victims of
the frost are StarlinGS. thrusheS. black
birds, rocks and larks. During January
and February gullS ana Seabirds fiocked in
land. and became SO tame that they went
boldly TO houses i'm town TO be fed. Rab-
bits and hares suffered severely and the
deer IN the highlands We're driven from
their usual haunts. Birds seldom to be
seen at other times visited our shores
among them the little aux thousands of
which arrived on the northeast coast.
Then, as though lending still more confirm
alton, 1t Is recorded that at the beginning
of the mild winter of 1856 the hips on the
wild roses We're abundant but there were
scarcely any berries at all on the hawthorn
or holly.
The semitic observer admits the facss
but declares the popular deduction errou-
eous. At the head of the phenolosical de-
p;.rtment is Edward Mawlcy. +. r. H. s.,
who has made a life study of these miJ-
tCFS, ana VINO Is responsible for the annual
report from which we have quoted. He
has favored us with the views he has
formed and he declares the idea of winter
birds and hawthorn berries being indica-
uCnS OF severe winter to be popular
fallacies. First, with regard to the birds.
he says that they come to our shores from
the north during the winter months in
unusual numbers only when their supply
of food is cut off by heavy snow or in
tense cold. So that their arrival here is
simply an indication of severe weather IN
these regions from which they have been
driven. and by no means a certain sign
that similar severe weather will extend to
the British Hes. Secondly, with regard to
the hawthorn berries. he points out that
another for the same reason that the crop
of apples. or any other tree or bush fruit.
, is abundant or Scanty. Given favorable
autUmn for maturing the shoots of haw-
tECrn bush, followed by any but an eX-
ceptionally ShaRp winter and genial
ilcwerinE period in the spring, hawthorn
berries are certain to be singularly plenti-
full later in the year. 1t has been. he says,
these conditions which have produced the
remarkable crop of hawS this year. On
the other hand. to take recent instance.
in 1899 all kinds of wild fruits, with the
exception of holly berries. We're unusually
abundant. but the ensuing winter was by
no means cold. In fact. with the exception
of week or ten days in January. the
weather remained mild throughout. Again
last winter the scarcity of berries was
ar accounted for by the injuries
ceived by the plants during the previous
severe winter. 1t will thus be seen, con-
cludes Mr.. Mawley. that while there may
be some reasonable foundation for the be-
lief with regard to the birds. it must he
purely an accidental occurrence when the
forecast of the berries comes true.