The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-25

Few Dersiumofls, and tEaf hornets nests
had beer built In the tops Of trees Il i
plain that the condition OF the plant nd
animal gives absolutely no indication OF
the coming season. but h due rather 20
good nourtshmenfs or lack OF H.
There are also found the following IN
England ard Germany . early as the
sixteenth eent1rx:-,.lf Christmas day be
on Sunday. that year shall have warm
winter. n on Monday. there shall be a
cold winter and moist" and so on
through ali the days OF the week. There
Is often a good deal u rhyme about such
things. but there Is absolutely no reason
In them.
n there was a single spring or source
from uhich the stream Of weather lore
had started, and II into this stream other
small rtvusets have flowed from time 70
time. on following back the main stream
We would naturally expect to ind Il grad
uslly narrowing to its source. This. how
ever. ls net the case, and II ~ not DIFF
hcuif 10 see that II there IL any re alton
between the appearance Of clouds. the
behavior Of animals and plants. and the
ensuing weather. such relsti,nsh y could
be discovered Independently by observ-
crs In all parts 81 the world and all
along the passing centuries. The origin
OF a good deal OF our weather lore Is de-
pendent upon the climate OF the country
In which Il began. and in many cases the
weather of the country will be a valu-
able criterion by which to trace such
sayfrgs.
There Is kind Of weather lore that has
been greatly misinterpreted In many
eases. from failure 10 recognize its
origin Before the establishment II the
calendar and the setting In order OF the
months and seasons OF the solar year. n
was very necessary TO determine the APP
proach Of each season in order to faciii-
tate farming operations At the first this
could only be done BY watching the ris-
ing and setting Of the consultations.
Thus Hes.od says that when the Pleiades
rise. The harvest begins. Such sayings
have becn interpreted as Indicating an
actual berent or malevolent influences
from the stars but seem, In the FIRST in
stance to have depended simply on tho
necessities OF the observer. So the piece
Of weather lore contained in Job. refer
ring 10 the sweet influence of the Plei-
AIDES. depends on nothing more than the
Indication Of the coming season as shown
by the appearance OF these stars.
Hesind In his Works and Days" tries
10 encourage the laggard farmer by say
Ing. But II you shall have piowed late.
this would be your remedy. when the
cuckoo sings first on the oak foliage. and
delights mor;aIs over the boundi sss rth.
then let Zeus rain three days and not
cease. neither overlapping your ox's hoof
nor falling short OF It; then would late
plower be equal with an early one"
There would seem 10 be q grim humor In
this advice. for such rain would help
the forward farmer even more than the
iagward The reference to the cuckoo ID
interesting. fnnsmuch as * has come
down through the centuries as the best
known animal sign OF rain. We have
tho cuckoo pluvialis, and. In our own
country. II Ia called the rain crow. II
has . mournfui. monotonous cry once
heard never 10 be forgotten. II Is rare
bird. though noticed by myself IN New
England and again after reaching Wa h
inrtop Hesoid also points out that the
fret call Of the crow as II migrates
nosthward Il an indication that spring Is
nigh.
The earliest large COLLECTION Of weather
signs 10 owe 10 Theephrastus. belonging
20 the fourth century a. G.. Hs says.
after speaking Of signs derived from do
mestsc and other animals hut Tor tho
most part signs derived from Tire sun and
moon are the mos, lmportsnt.~ In this he
refers In rart NJ hast. 10 the waxing nd
waning moon, but mostly a. to the APP
pesrsnce of the sun and moon. when
clouds are towering near. He says:
The ends and beginnings ~ lunar
months are apt TO be- stormy. because
light fsiis from the fourth day before 20
the fourth dav after new moon. The oh
scuration OF the moon occurs In a similar
way TO an eclipse OF the sun" He gives
the call Of the tree toad ~ a precursor OF
rain, and this has come down 10 us a.
another valuable prcsnostsc. He also
says IAN mss shaking his ears II q sign
" storm A modern version ~ this
sign Is given as follows; An English
philosopher. whiic driving out with a
friend. stopped 10 ask shepherd boy the
way. As he was about 10 drive on. tho
boy warned him that II was going to rain,
but the philosopher not seeing cloud
In the sky. drove on. Sure enough. tn an
hour and a half the rain came IN tor
rents The next dsy the philosoph n d.
s~rmined on learning thc boys secret
On seeing him the boy refused TO divuixe
but on elatchinx the proyered guinea In
his hand he said. DO YOU see that old
black wethsr over therrs Well when ha
stands facing the wind shakes hts head
stamps his feet and snuns up tbs wind.
u u sure sign that u witt rain In an
hour or two" OF eonrse. n we are TO
give cresisnce to such sign. there sheu a
he more than one sheep in a large ficck
having the same or IKE impulses
There are mahy shs believe that art
r1ais have a finer sense IN distinguishing
tatRtDA NFatPft tNHN4FA tNaN man can
have. even with the aii cf shs finest In
stfum~nts. for example. a hunting dog
has wonderfully Developed sense II
smslls the insects with their extremely
delicate organisms would BE- susceptible
10 the slightest variations ~ weather.
plants with their chlcraphYi and living
prfncinle may change very readily wifh
weather changes. ava on. Not suax
aso a statement wa@ puh.issed IN the
American Metv4rnlogie Journal That. Ger
tain shafts in Georgia changed csler on
the approach - ya'a 4 lgt 81 Was isnme.
dtaisiy dispatched. mak ng Ga Ter IN
Quirtc3 bat ne renpente MAS ever ~
cstve Il fanEat - shawn shsf q storm
ever make ~ presence fslt by csan0os
N uesis3vrr rtFseuF~ or temperature
Which &rimAis uti @rtsee before eur
nsege &tsitsse htstfensats In the rass
% moisture i l. gaits certAir tAat she
chAnce cefara simultaneous with The
stetm ard gpt bsseFe u Thu ~ senec
seems strpns Tar there NAV - an lnaae
esce smsuat'rx frpn starn aisrr thsn
that wldth fsa ~ Esef,teA 60 usngstut
pressure. tsrnrTfafufN ~ ans athsf eans.