The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-08-12
INSECTS AS WEATHER PROPHETS
ices, Wasps, Ants, Spiders, ana
Other Creepers and CrawIers Fore
tell the weather.

Other Creepers and CrawIers Fore
tell the Weather.
From the London News.
A great deal of our most popular wealth
er lore is wholly superstitious, ascribng
prophetic virtues to the weather of par
ticular days of the week. saints days.
and even to the movable feast days. AL
though 1t is interesting enough in it's
way, that kind of weather lore can hard
Iy be taken as a reliable guide. 1t is
from the habits and instincts of animals.
properly observed. that we can learn more
weather wisdom of the scientific sort than
from almost any other source, and, of all
animals, insects are among the most in
teresting to study in this connection.
Bees are excellent weather prophets.
There is common country saying that
"a bee was never caught in a shower"
When rain is impending, bees do not go
far atield, but ply their labor in the imme-
date neighborhood of their hives. This
well authenticated fact is set forth In
the rhyme which tells us that
When bees to distance wing their flight,
Days are warm and skies are bright;
But when their flight ends near their
home,
Stormy weather Is sure to come.
Virgil was evidently aware OF this bee
instinct for coming rain. and describes
Tin Georges IV) the insects as Search
ing the skies to find out breeding storms"
Just before rain the homing bees may be
observed entering the hive in large num-
bers, while none comes out again. When
| that is observed, the observer may CONT
IDENTITY follow the good example and seek
shelter. And, again, when bees are seen
vigorously at work very early in the morn
ing, unsettled weather may be expected
| later in the day; the weather instincts OF
the little creatures apparently leading
| them TO make up time in advance.
Wasps and hornets are said TO have the
weather instinct over stll longer range.
| The banks of streams are favorite nesting
| places for these insects. If the nests in
| any season are generally placed high up
in the bank, 1t is always taken by country
| people as a sign of a wet season, the po-
sition of the nests being taken in order
10 avoid floods, When the nests are near
| down 20 the level of the water, they fore
| tell dry and warm season
Ants, too, are credited with an instinct
| for the weather of a whole season. When
| they are observed at midsummer enlarg-
ing and building up their dwellings, it Is
said to be a sign of an early and cold
| winter. The daily habits of the ant, how
| ever yield number of more reliable OBJ
| For instance, when ants fhat have been
located in low ground are observed mi
| grating TO higher. II is a sign of heavy
rains. The entrances to their underground
| dwellings are always worth noticing; for
| an open ant hole means clear weather.
| and a closed one means that storm is
| approaching. IL is also said that the di-
| rection from which the prevailing rains
| of the season will come may be told from
/ hn IN Of Ia afra 81
nests. the opening being made with the
| aspect that will be driest. This is also
| said of wasps' nests; and, since the south
west is our wettest quarter. IL follows
| that when many nests are found with a
| southwest aspect, the season Is likely 10
| be a dry one.
There is a wealth of weather wisdom to
be got from observation of spiders. These
insects cannot spin properly in high
wind. Before gale they may be observ-
ed strengthening their webs. The shape OF
the web is also valuable indication.
When the frame fines are short and stout
the insects's instinct has told IL that wind
and rain are coming: while long and sen-
der frame lines are a very reliable sign of
calm and fine weather. The duration of
a storm can often be foretold by observa-
tion of spiders If they remain active
during rain, you may be certain II is only
a shower and will very soon be over.
When, at the beginning of the rain they
retire into complete incidence the unset
tied weather will almost certainly last for
some time. The time of day at which
spiders mend their nets Is also a good
weather sign. II the mending is observed
going during a summer evening there
Will be no rain that night. A curious OBJ
servation, but well authenticated, is that
when spiders are seen In large numbers
crawling on walls instead Of attending to
their nets. wet weather is impending The
same expectation follows when they are
seen falling, without apparent reason.
from their webs. In time of drought
spiders are often the first creatures TO
give us hint of a change coming, for in
a long dry period. II closely woven and
funnel-shaped webs begin 90 be seen in
sheltered positions about the hedges, the
drought is about TO break up
Nest people have observed gnats with
view 10 fore telling the weather, and are
aware that as the cd "Husbandman's
Practice" puts IL, IL gnats be seen 20
hover together about the beams OF he
sun before it set. and fly toge her max
ing. as 1t were the form OF q pillar IL
is sure token OF fair weather" II the
columns of gnats sport up and down as
cending and descending in the evening
sunshine. II foretells heat. The higher the
swarms are observed. the more settled is
the weather likely to be. When, however,
shade, ard under trees. you may expect
rain; and IL they sting viciously you may
be quite sure of IL. The excessive chirp-
ing Ct crickets IL ano her insect sign 81
rain. Glow-worms too, are rain-bringing
The more numerously and brilliantly they
shine, the more likely is wet woather;and
Il Is said that roin Is a certainty within
twenty-four hours IL they are seen shin
ing after midnight instead OF shutting off
their light as usual, an hour or two be-
fore twelve.
One OF the most curious beliefs about