PROGNOSTICS CONTINUED.

1o. "A dark, thick sky, lasting for some time without either sun or rain, always become first fair, then foul, i. e." Changes to a fair, clear sky, before it turns to rain. This the Rev. Mr. Clarke, who kept a register of the weather for thirty years, since put into Mr. Derham's hands, by his grandson, the learned Dr. Samuel Clarke: this, he says, he scarce ever knew to fail; at least when the wind was in any of the casterly points: but Mr. Derham has observed the rule to hold good, be the wind where it will. And the cause is obvious: the atmosphere is replete with vapours, which, though sufficient to reflect and intercept the sun's rays from us, yet want density to descend; and while the vapours continue in the same state, the weather will do so to.

Accordingly, such weather is generally attended with moderate warmth, and with little or no wind to disturb the vapours, and an heavy atmosphere to sustain them, the barometer being commonly high. But when the cold approaches, and by condensing, drives the vapours into clouds or drops, then way is made for the sunbeams; till the same vapours being, by further condensation, formed into rain, fall down into drops.

2o. "A change in the warmth of the weather, is geneally followed by a change in the wind." Thus, the northerly and southerly winds, commonly esteemed the causes of cold and warm weather, are really the effects of the cold or warmth of the atmosphere: of which Mr. Derham assures us he has had so many confirma

tions, that he makes no doubt of it. Thus it is common to see a warm southerly wind suddenly changed to the north, by a fall of snow or hail; or to see the wind, in a cold frosty morning, north, when the sun has well warmed the earth and air, wheel towards the south; and again turn northerly and easterly in a cold evening.

3°." Most vegetables expand their flowers and down in sun-shiny weather, and towards the evening; and against rain close them again;" especially at the beginning of their flowering, when their seedsare tender and sensible. This is visible enough in the down of the dandelion, and other downs; and eminently in the flowers of pimpernel, the opening and shutting of which, Gerard observes, are the countryman's weatherwiser, whereby he tells the weather of the following day. The rule is, if the flowers are close shut up, it betokens rain and foul weather; if they are spread abroad, fair weather. Ger. Herb. Lib 2.

Est et alia (arbor in Tylis) similis, foliosis tamen, roseique floris; quem noctu comprimen. aperire incipit solus exhortu, meridie expandit. Incola dormire cum dicunt. Plin. Nat. Hist. Lib. 12. c. 2.

The stalk of trefoil, my Lord Bacon observes, swells again strains, and grows more upright; and the like may be observed, though not so sensibly in the stalks of most other plants. He adds, that in the stubble-fields there is found a small red flower, called by the country people wincopipe; which opening in the morning, is a sure indication of a fine day.

That vegetables should be affected by the same causes that affect the weather, is very conceiv

able; if we consider them as so many hydroineters and thermometers, consisting of an infinite number of tracheæ or air vessels, by which they have an immediate communication with the air, and partake of its moisture and heat,&c. These trachea are very visible in the leaf of the scabiose, vine, &c.

Hence it is, that all wood, even the hardest and most solid, swells in moist weather; the vapours easily insinuating themselves into the pores thereof, especially of that which is lightest and driest. And hence we derive a very extraordinary use of wood, viz. for breaking rocks and mill-stones. The method at the quarries is this: Having cut a rock into a cylinder, they divide that into several lesser cylinders, by making holes at the proper distances round the great one: these holes they fill with so many pieces of sallow wood, dried in an oven; which, in moist weather, becoming impregnated with the humid corpuscles of the air, swell; and, like wedges, break or cleave the rocks into several stones.

The speedy drying of the surface of the earth, is a sign of a northerly wind and fair weather; and its becoming moist, of southerly wind and rain. Hence the farmer may be instructed, never to trust a sun-shiny day, while the surface of the earth continues wet; and to rely on a change to dry weather, as soon as he observes the moisture dried up, even though the appearance of the clouds should not be favourable; for the air sucks up all the moisture on the surface of the earth, even though the sky be overcast, and that is a sure sign of fair weather; but if the earth continues moist, and water stands in shallow places, no trust should be put in the clearest sky, for in this case it is deceitful.

ADDENDA.

MORE SIGNS FROM ANIMALS.

AGAINST rain fleas bite more than common, spiders crawl abroad, bees stir not far from their hives. On the contrary, spiders' webs in the air, or on the grass or trees, foretel very fair and hot weather; so do bees when they fly far from their hives, and come late home; and likewise a more than usual appearance of glow-worms by night. If gnats play up and down in the open air near sun-set, they presage heat, if in the shade, warm and mild showers; but if they join in stinging those that pass by them, cold weather and much rain may be expected. Larks rising very high, and continuing to sing for a long time, and kites flying aloft, are signs of fair and dry weather. In men, frequently aches, wounds, and corns, are more troublesome, either towards rain or towards frost.

Virgil's beautiful description of this sense in animals, is thus rendered by Mr. Dryden:

Wet weather seldom hurts the most unwise;
So plain the signs, such prophets are the skies;
The wary crane foresees it first, and sails
Above the storm, and leaves the hollow vales:

The cow looks up, and from afar can find

The change of heav'n, and snuffs it in the wind.
The swallow skims the river's watry face,

The frogs renew the croaks of their loquacious race,
The careful ant her secret cell forsakes,

And draws her eggs along the narrow tracks.

Huge flocks of rising rooks forsake their food,
And crying, seek the shelter of the wood;
Besides, the several sorts of wat❜ry fowls,

That swim the seas or haunt the standing pools,
Then lave their backs with sprinkling dews in vain,
And stem the stream to meet the promis'd rain.
Then, after showers, 'tis easy to descry,

Returning suns, and a serener sky.

And owls, that mark the setting sun, declare
A star-light ev'ning, and a morning fair.

*

Then thrice the ravens rend the liquid air,
And croaking notes proclaim the settled fair:
Then round their airy palaces they fly
To greet the sun, and seiz'd with secret joy
When storms are overblown, with food repair
To their forsaken nests and callow care.

The crow has been particularly remarked by the ancients to presage rain, when she caws, and walks alone on the sea-shore, or on the banks of rivers and pools. Thus Virgil, in the first Georgic.

Tum cornix raucà pluviam vocat improba voce,
Et sola in siccà secum spatiatur arenâ.

The crow with clamourous cries the shower demands,
And single stalks along the desert sands.

DRYDEN.

Pliny makes the same observation, in the 35th chap. of his 18th book: Et cum terrestes volucres contra aquasclangores fundentes sese sed maxime cornix: "It is a sign of rain, when land fowl, and especially crows, are clamourous near waters, and wash themselves."