Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 13, MAT-MIC

Chap.
Weather
103
Of wind
•eafing.
VI.
METEOR
104
Signs of
kail.
105
Signs of
thunder.
106
Signs of
cold and
frofly wea
ther.
107
Signs of
thaw.
N. B. Tliefe long rains fcldom hold above 24 hours,
or happen above once a year.
A hafty fhower after raging winds is a fure fign of
the ftorm being near an end. If the water ruckles and
frequent bubbles arife, or if the halcyon or kingVfifher
attempts the fea while the ftorm lafts, or moles come
out of their holes, or fparrows chirp merrily, thefe are
all certain figns of the ftorm ceafing.
Both fea and frefti-water fifties by their frequent ri¬
ling and fluttering on the furface of the water, foretel
the ftorm nigh over, but efpecially dolphins fpouting up
water in a ftorm foretel a calm.
N. B. Let the wind be in what quarter it will, upon
the new moon, it prefently changes.
Clouds white, inclining to yellow, and moving
heavily though the wind be high, is a lure fign of hail ^
if the eaftern Iky before funnfe be pale, and refracted
rays appear in thick clouds, then expeft great ftoims of
hail : white clouds in fummer are a fign of hail, but. in
winter they denote fnow, efpecially when we perceive
the air to be a little warm } in fpring or winter, when
clouds appear of blueilh white, and expand much, ex-
pea final 1 hail or drizzling, which properly is no other
than frozen milts.
Meteors Ihooting in the fummer’s evening, or chops
and clefts in the earth, when the weather is fultry,
always foretel thunder is nigh } in fummer or haiveft,
when the wind has been fouth two or three days, and
the thermometer high, and clouds rife with great white
tops like towers, as if one were upon the top of another,
and joined with black on the nether fide, expeft rain
and thunder fuddenly j if two fuch clouds aiife, one on
either hand, it is then time to look for ihelter, as the
thunder is very nigh.
iV. B. It is obferved that it thunders moll with a
fouth wind and leaft with an eaft.
Sea-pyes, ftarlings, fieldfares, with other migratory
birds, appearing early, denote a cold fealon to enfue ;
' the early appearance of fmall birds in flocks, and. of
robin-redbreafts near houfes 5 fun in harveft fetting
in a mill or broader than ufual } moon bright, with
iharp horns, after change ; wind Ihifting to the eaft or
north after change 5 Iky full of twinkling fta.rs j fmall
clouds hovering low in the north ; fnow falling fmall,
while clouds appear on heaps like rocks.
N. B. Frofts in autumn are always fucceeded with
rain.
Snow falling in large flakes while the wind is at
fouth ; cracks appearing in the ice 5 fun looking water-
ifh • the moon’s horns blunted 5 ftars looking dull *,
wind turning to the fouth j wind extremely ftiifting. It
is alfo obferved, that, if Oftober and November be
froft and fnow, January and February are like to be
open and mild.
O L O G Y. 733
Fair weather for a week together, while the wind is Weather. ^
all that time in the fouth, is, for the moft part, follow-
ed by a great drought 5 if February be for molt rainy, Sigrs of
fpring and fummer quarters are like to be fo too •, but if drought,
it happen to be altogether fair, then exped a drought
to follow ; if lightning follow after 24 hours of dry and
fair weather, drought will follow, but it within 24 hours,
expect great rains. _ 109
A moift and cold fummer, and mild autumn, are Signs of a
fure figns of a hard and fevere winter: ftore of hips win-
and haws denote the fame ; the hazel-tree flowering is er-
ever obferved to foretel the fame ; acorns found
without any infeft is a fure prognoftic of a hard win¬
ter. , 110
A dry and cold winter with a foutherly wind ; a Signs of
very rainy fpring, ficknefs in fummer j if fummer be g^tial
dry with the wind northerly, great ficknefs is like to
follow 5 great heats in fpring time without winds; roots
having a lufcious tafte, while the wind has been.long
foutherly without rain 5 and, laftly, great quantities of
ftinking atoms, infefts or animals, as flies, frogs, brakes,
locufts, &c. # II.1
Inclofe the leech worm in an eight ounce phial glafs, Expen-
three-fourths filled with water, covered with a bit of"^*1
linen ; let the water be changed once a week in fum¬
mer, and once a fortnight in winter.
If the leech lies motionlefs at the bottom in a fpiral
form, fair weather 5 if crept to the top, rain j if reft-
lefs, wind ; if very reftlefs, and without the water,
thunder; if in winter at bottom, froft 5 but if in the
winter it pitches its dwelling on the mouth of the phial,
fnoW\ See HELMINTHOLOGY (f). . IT2
In calm weather, when the air is inclined to rain, Signs of the
the mercury is low j but when tending to fair, it will weather
rife: in very hot weather when falling, it forefhews ®
thunder 5 if rifing in winter, froft 5 but if falling inb
froft, thaw ; if rifing in a continued froft, fnow if foul
weather quickly on its falling, foon over ; if fair wea¬
ther quickly on its rifing, foon over 5 alfo if rifing high
in foul weather, and fo continuing for two or three
days, before the foul weather is over, then expeft a
continuance of fair weather 5 but, if in fair weather the
mercury fall low, and fo continue for two or three
days, then expeft much rain, and probably high
winds. /
N. B. In an eaft wind, the mercury always rifes and
falls loweft before great winds*. fon'“jour¬
nal, Feb.
It was intended to infert in this article a fummary 1804,
view of the opinions of Toaldo, Cotte, and Lamarck, p. i49‘
refpe&ing the influence of the moon in producing
changes in our atmofphere ; but peculiar circumftances
render it neeeffary to poftpone this .view till we come to
the article Moon.
we
fF) In compliance with the writer of this paper, we have retained this paflage on the leech ; though as ...
ftated, when treating of the Hirudo medicinalis, in Helminthology, we are very fceptical relpecting the wea
ther-judging faculties of that wTorm.
INDEX.