LIVING BAROMETERS.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1914, 20 February 1875, Page 4

LIVING BAROMETERS.

That is a curious instinct which a large number of animals possess, of predicting the weather and signifying the approaching change by peculiar movements or sounds. Some of their actions in this respect appear to be more governed by reason than by mere instinct, others are cleaply due to the moisture in ths 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 the naturalist. The presence of the barometer in almost every farmhouse, together with the weather bulletin or the dictum of " Old probabilities," good for the next 24 hours, render such homely knowledge as that which governed the labours of the farmers and sailors of the last century almost superfluous in this advanced age; btit the subject, like all topics which relate to the sagacity of the lower animals, is of itself an interesting one. And, besides, it is not entirely impossible that some farmer to whom the barometer, if he have one, would be incomprehensible, and whose location prevents his obtaining the weather; reports, may, by some odd action of x his own cattle, of some insect, or of some bird, be forwarned of a coming storm in time, and save, perhaps, a crop during the harvest months. We have said that certain movements on the part of the animals, before a change of weather, appeared to indicate ; a reasoning faculty. Such, seems to be the case with the common garden spider, which, on the approach of rainy or windy weather, will be fourd to shorten and strengthen the supporting guys of his web, lengthening the same when the storm is over. There is a popular superstition in JB ngland that it is unlucky for an angler tp meet a single magpie, but two of the birds together are a good sign. The reason is that the birds foretell the coming of cold or stormy weather; and then, instead of their searching for fpod 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 earth worms, and larvee to the surface. This, however, is; merely a search for food, and is due to the same instinct which teaches the swallow to fly high in fine weather, and skim along the ground when fxJul weather is coming. They simply follow the flies and gnats which remain in the warm strata of the air. The different tribes of wading birds always migrate before rain, likewise to hunt for food. J-. , ■ • '-1 I

There is a large variety of actions of which it is hardly possible to give a satisfactory explanation. Coming rain is foretold by the peacock uttering frequent cries, by the woodpecker lamenting, by paroquets babbling, ]»y pintados perching, and by geese running around 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 skip about, hogs turned out in the woods will come home granting and squealing, colts will rub their backs against the ground, crows will gather in crowds,: crickets will sing more loudly, flies come into the house, frogs croak and change color to a dingier hue, dogs eat glass, and rooks soar like hawks. It is probable that many of these actions are due to actual uneasiness, similar to that which all who are" troubled with corns or rheumatism experience before a storm, and are caused both, by the variation in barometic pressure and the changes in the electrical condition of the atmosphere.—Scientific American.