Year: 1875

1naJ curious instinct which large
number of animals possess, Of predict
ing the weather and signifying the APP
preaching change by peculiar move
ments or sounds. Some of their ac-
tions in this respect appear to be more
governed by reason than by mere in
stinct, others are clearly due to tho
moisture in the air or various atmos.
pheric influences, while, some, which
occur under conditions which prevent
their being referred to the latter cause,
offer an interesting field for the in
vestigations of the naturalists. The
presence of the barometer in almost
every farmhouse, together with the
weather bulletin or the. dictum of
"Old Probabilities" good for the next
twenty -four hours, render such home
ly knowledge as that which governed
the labors of the farmers and sailors
of the last century almost superhuous
in this advanced age; but the subject,
like all topics which relate to the sa-
gacity Of the lower animals, is of itself
an interesting one. Aid besides, it ia
not entirely impossible that some far
mer to whom the barometer, if he had
one, would be incomprehensible, and
whose location prevents his obtaining
the true weather reports, may, by some
odd action of his own cattle, of some
insect, or of some bird, as described in
the following lines, be forewarned of a
coming storm in time, and save per,
haps crop during the present harvest
mouths.


We have said that certain move-
ments on the parts of the animals, be,
fore a change of weather, appeared to
indicate o reasoning faculty. Such
seems to be the case with the common
garden spider, which on the approach
of rainy or windy weather, will be
found to shorten and strengthen the
supporting guys of his web lengthen-
ing the same when the storm is over,
There is popular superstition in Eng
land that it is unlucky for an angler
to meet single magpie; but two of
the birds together are good omen.
The reason is the birds foretell the
coming of cold or stormy weather;
and then instead of their searching for
food for their young in pairs, one will
always remain on the nest. Sea gulls
predict storms by assembling on the
land, as they know that the rain will
bring earthworms to the surface. This,
however, is merely search for food,
and 10 due to the same instinct which
teaches the swallow to fly high in fine
weather, and skim along the ground
when foul is coming. They simply
follow the flies and gnats which re-
The different tribes of wading birds
always migrate before rain, likewise to
hunt for food.


There is large variety of actions of
which it is hardly possible to give a
satisfactory explanation. Coming rain
is foretold by the peacock uttering fro-
quent cries, by the woodpecker la
menting, by paroquets babbling, by
pintados perching, and by geese run
ming uneasily. So also it is said that,
when a storm is at hand, swine will
carry hay and straw to hiding places,
oxen will lick themselves the wrong
way of the hair, sheep will bleat and
and skip about, hogs turned out in the
woods will come home grunting and
squealing, colts will rub their backs
against the ground, COWS will gather
in crowds, crickets will sing more loud
ly, flies come into the house, frogs
croak and change color to a d:ngier
hue, dog9 eat grass and rocks soar like
hawks.


1t is probable that many of these
actions are due to actual uneasiness,
similar to that which all who are
troubled with corns or rheumatism ex-
perience before storm, and are caused
both by the variation in barometer
pressure and changes in the electrical
oondition of tho atmqonbera