| Show ANfflAIS AS BAROMETERS An Old German Doctor Gives tile Results of His Observations I do not know of any rarer way of predicting the changes in the weather tban by observing the habits of the snail They do not drink but imbibe moisture during a rain and exude it afterward This animal is never seen abroad except before a rain when you will see it climbing the bark of trees and getting on the leaves The tree snail as U is called two days before a rain will climb up the sterna ot plants and if the raiu is going to be a hard and long one then they get on the sheltered side of the leaf but if a short rain on the outside Then there are other species that before a rdin are yellow after it blue Others indicate rain by holes and protuberances protuber-ances which before a rain rise ae largo tuberoles These will begin to show themselves ten days before a rain At tbe end of each tubercle is a pore which opens when the rain omen to absorb and draw in the moisture In other snails dep in dentations beginning at the head between the boras and ending with the jointure at the tail appear a few days before a storm Every farmer knows when swallows fly low that rain is coming sailors ben the seagulls fly toward the land when tbe stormy petrel appears or Mother Careys chickens as they are called predict foul weather Take the ants Have you never noticed the activity they display before a storm hurry scurry rush ing hither and yon as if they were letter carriers making six trips a day or epre men behind time Dogs grow sleepy and dull and like tohe before a fire SB rain approaches chickens pick up pebbles fowls roll in the dust flies sting and bite more viciously frogs croak more clamorously clamor-ously gnats assemble under trees and bores display restlessness When you see a swan fly against the wind spiders crowding a wall toads coming out of their holes in unusual numbers of an evening worms slugs and snails appearing robin redbreasts pecking at our win dowe pigeons coming to the dovecote dove-cote earlier than usual psaoocks squalling at night mice squeaking or geese washing you can put them all down ai rain signs Nearly all animals have some way of telling the weather in advance It may ba that toe faltered condition of tbe atmosphere atmos-phere with regard to electricity which generally accompanies changes ol weather makesthem feel disaorse able or pleasant The fact that the cat licks herself before n storm is urged by some uaturaliftth ai proof of the special influence of electricity Man it not sa sensitive Yet many people feel listless before a storm to say nothing of aggravated headAChes toctbaehpp rheumatic pains and last but not trait corns L |
