Living Barometers.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 30, 4 February 1875, Page 7

Living Barometers.

That is a curious instinct which a large: number of animals possess, of pre*dieting the weather and signifying the approaching change by peculiar movements or sounds. Soirie of their actions in this, respect appear .to be. more governed by reason than by mere instinct, others are clearly due. to the moisture in the air or various atmospheric influences, while some, which occur under conditions which prevent their being referred to the latter cause offer an interesting field for the investigations, of thenaturalist. Thprpresence' ' of the barometer, in. almost' r every farmhouse; "together: i-.wi.th ; the '* weather bulletin or the dictum of" Old- Probabilities/ good for: the next twenty- . four hours, 1 render such' homely know:ledge as v : that Which governed- ith©'. labors of the farmers and sailors of: the '. ' 'a last century altiipsfc superfluous in this-, ...', advanced age •* bub'the- subject, like all . .-.. topics which 'relate to the sagacity of; the lower . a*niriials, ( is of "itself an. interesting one. A'nd'besides, it •if riot „. , entirely impossißle .that some farme'r'towhorn the barometer . if be had , one, would be inpomprehensible, arid whose location , preterits ..his hbtairiirig {heweather reports,- rhay, l by some odd actiotiof his own cattlerof some insect-, or of sorne birdj. as described id the fo!-.,. lowing lines, beJbrwarned of a coming- * , storm in time, anrl save perhaps a crop, 'during' the present hardest months. We .. .-- have said that certain- movements oritlte part of the animals/ before a change of" weather, appeared tVihdicate r a^ reasbh- ' ing faculty. { Such seems to be ! the. casewith the common garden spider, which, on the approach of rainy or iwindjr Weather, -will be found to shorten, and ..-.,.-. strengthen the supporting guys of his „ web, lengthening the same when 'the storm is oyer. There is a popularsuperstition ,in JEriglarid .that it ,i"s ijp4ucky for an' angler to rnett a single- ■ niagpie,; but two of. the birds . .together are a good 1 ' omen. The' reason ' is J that ; the birds foretell the coming bf cold or stormy .weather ; .and- then,' instead ot their searching for, food for their youpg iri pairs, one will always remairi on ; the. nest. Sea gulls predict storms by assembling on the land, as they know that the rain will bring earthworms and lar.vse to the surface. This,.hpweyer,.ismerely a search for food, arid is due to the same instinct . which teaches "the swallow to fly high in fine weather and skirii along the ground when foul is coming.,. They simply follow the flies „ and gnats which i-effiairi in the warm ; strata of the air. The different tribes, of wading birds always migrate before rain* Jlikewi^e to hunt. Tfo'r;. food. There is a large variety of actions Jof I which' it •■ is hardly possible to give a satisfactory explanation. Coming, rain is foretold by ' the _ peacock utterjrig frequent cries, by .the -, woodpecker - • lamenting, bj parroquets babbling, by pintados perching, and by geeffe ruiining round uneasily. So also it is said that, : when a. storm is at hand, swine will > ;'' carry_hay_and._straw_to._hiding._place8 > oxen will lick themselves th^wrpng way of the Ti air, sheep' will" bleat* and skip ; about, ;hogs turned .put in; the: woods will come home grunting and squealing, 1 colts will rub their backs against' the I groundy prows-, will gather in crowds,. • - crickets will sing more- loudly, flies • come- into -the house, frogs croak and , "change f color to a dingier hue, dogs eat ; giass,_and rojksso^rhke J^wksj, It r* \is .^probable tiudn *» an j ( ipf ;these actions 3i are due to actual uneasiness^ similar^lc* 1 ! that which ?.all ofrho' •are? troubled -;$& j cprnsjpr; rheumatism ■ | ; 3 storm, '^^'^^-iS^^^'^'^y i\ variation iri barometric pressure .anpV p, thY dhangeU^S > | tion of th& utmosphere.^?Scierilan^^ AmeracaiL^a:^ ly: l-x< -■ ; \' HA