INSECTS FORETELL THE WEATHER.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2951, 5 January 1912, Page 2

INSECTS FORETELL THE WEATHER.

A close observer might with safety foretell the conditions, of the weather several days in advance by watching carefully the conduct of animals as they are very sensitive to barometrical variations. M. Fa >re, a French entomologist gives several illustrations, one being a certain caterpillar. Jt li\es in colonies in pine trees, enveloping the branches with a web in the shelter of which it may devour the leaves. These caterpillars never go out of their own nests except at night. When they do not thus leave their te: ts there is certainly a barometrical depression. Many instances are given in which they have foretold storms. Another interesting barometric animal is the geotrop, one of the largest insect - .. M. Fabre has studied the geotrop by raising some of them in an aviary. These insects also do not leave their burrows until after the sun sets, when and only if the weather is suitable.

When the conditions of the b!ij seem to predict a fine to-morrow the geotrops are sometimes of another opinion, and it is proved that the insect by the subtlety of its impressions has foreseen—scented the .shower—for the rain surely comes during the night. Again, at times, when there is every appearance of rain, the insects come out, and their forecast is correct. The sun rises radiantly next morning. " M. Fabre gives many other analogous observations concerning signals of storms given by animals.