Year: 1872

Amin ais as MeteoroIogIats.


Those who attentively read the newspa
pers and observe the curious events and in
cidents of life as they trauspire-the evel
varying phases of things animate and imam
imate-lnust have become familiar by this
time with "Old Probabilities" the embodi.
ment of weather wisdom. He is quite wealth.
er sharp, and seven times out of ten has
predicted the weather for this latitude with
pretty near accuracy. Chance works In ma
nv ways. Caesar would have avoided assas-
sination in the capitol" if, in going to the
Senate, he had read paper handed to him
on the way, warning him Of his fate. But
the probabilities" OF the weather for this
or that latitude are not founded upon any
known or unknown law of chance or guess
work. 1t was reserved for the telegraph
coupled with modern science in the shape
of a "sig1a service corps" to correct all
the traditions and superstitions and Other
nonsense, to tell people in Boston that
storm thousand miles away would either
be of no practical use to us or that 1t Is NOV.
ing In our direction, and that we had better
get our umbrella and gum shoes ready OF
postpone our intended trip.


We are not going to write cosmograph-
ical treatise of twenty volumes ectavo upon
the above subject. Changes Of weather may
often be foreseen at long intervals by other
aids far more efficacious than those OF the
moon or of weather cycles. weather pre-.
dictions have an antiquated existence. The
apparatus required may, with the exception
Of barometer and the clouds, be all found
in the animal kingdom.


There seems to be sensibility to atmos-
pheric change in the lower orders OF crea-
ton, which answers them as instinct and
directly gives them information which man
only arrives at by the longer road of reason.
The scent of the hound is an instance OF the
delicate sense which we cannot understand,
though it may help us to conceive the posi-
bility of "pigs seeing the wind," Or OF
horses and cattle ''sniffing a distant storm. u
A sow carrying straw in her mouth to make
her bed is as sure an indication OF COM
ing foul weather as any the barometer can
give; and when puss turns her tail to the
fire. and I'm that osition commences to wash
her face, it is said the same event Is pre-
dicted.


It is as true of the skies of domestic af-
fairs, that when the hen crows change fol-
the worse is at hand; and, as TO the lord Of
the poultry yard, we have the old saying
that


'.If cock crows going to bed.


He'll surely rise with 3 watery head'


Robin Red breast singing in the midst Of
the rain on the top twig OF a tree Is an intal'
lible index of beneficial change to fair, foi
few days, at least; and the screech OF the
owl under similar circumstances, Is said tC
have the same meaning. Frogs also furnish
their signs, becoming brown on the ap
proach of rain, but remaining yellow sc
long as it continues dry. There is q curious
weather glass made in Germany. the mate
rails entering into the composition OF which
are two frogs, small ladders and cyllndrlca
vessel of water. Frogs and ladders being
duly put into the water, If the iroSgie'
climb their ladders and look over the YES
seI,s side. foul days are at hand If they re
main below, the sky will continue fine
| Leeches in water furnish similar indications
| but spiders and snails are the most remark
| able of all the weather prophets. When tn
| former make their webs at night, the morn
| ing Is sure to be fine II they make them ii
! the morning, the coming day may be relic
on for a drive or walk. Hence the saying
Hwhen you see the gossaDer flying,


Be sure the air is drying


An instance is on record of French Otfi
Ger. confined in q prison in Utrecht durin
the wars of the French revolution, havin
so closely and accurately observed the hat
its OF spiders, that were his sole com
panions, that he was able, by their move
ments to ioretell frost formation days be
fore it came, thus beating ''Old Probab!l
ties' with his single service corps clear Oh
of sight. This observation enabled tn
French army to turn defeat into victory
We thus see that by careful assortment
spiders, snails, frogs and teaches, and fey
domestic animals, combined with goo
barometer, and accurate observation Of tn
language of the clouds, and the songs an
cries of the birds, any person may easily be
come weather prophet Of no mean pract
cal wisdom. Pursuing this thought furthe
there is mystery unfathomed, hence HOY
shall we account for the more distant fore
sight which some animals have? Ther
is something that teaches the bees to XII
their drOnes early if a wet summer is coming
or the waterfowl tC fors Ike their marshe
If it is to be dry. By what vision does tn
swallow know the approach of fine sun
mer, and consequently sets forth early o
his migration to the Northern regions! w
know that the worm burrows deep in tn
earth If the winter is to be cold. In all thes
cases there is distant foresight, for action
taken month at least before the anticipate
foul or fair weather can come. Reasen col
fesses itself baifled and excelled by tn
knowledge enjoyed by insect, and bird, an
brute.