The Philosophy of the Weather Part 24

All these cla.s.ses of storms are variant in intensity. Sometimes the general or local cloud-formation is weak, and does not produce precipitation at all; so of that which extends southerly. Probably the tropical storm are always sufficiently dense and active to precipitate.

Their action is often violent over particular localities, and hence the more frequent occurrence of the tornado over the more intense area of Ohio, and other portions of the west. All violent local storms are doubtless owing to local magneto-electric activity.

CHAPTER XI.

The reader who has attentively perused and considered the facts stated, and the principles deduced, in the preceding pages, and is ready to make a practical application of them by careful observation, will have little difficulty in understanding the varied atmospheric conditions; and will soon be able to form a correct judgment of the immediate future of the weather, so far as his limited horizon will permit.

But there are other facts and considerations, not specifically alluded to, which will materially aid him in his observations; and there is a degree of philosophical truth in the proverbs and signs, which ancient popular observation acc.u.mulated, and poetry and tradition have preserved, that meteorologists have been slow to discover or admit, but which will be obvious upon examination, and commend them to his attention.

The cla.s.sical reader is doubtless familiar with that part of the first Georgic of Virgil, which contains a description of the signs indicative of atmospheric changes. Much of it is beautifully poetic, and, if read in the light of a correct philosophy, is equally truthful.

I copy from a creditable translation, found in the first volume of Howard's "Climate of London":

"All that the genial year successive brings, Showers, and the reign of heat, and freezing gales, Appointed signs foreshow; the Sire of all Decreed what signs the southern blast should bring, Decreed the omens of the varying moon: That hinds, observant of the approaching storm, Might tend their herds more near the sheltering stall."

PROGNOSTICS.--_1st. Of Wind._

"When storms are brooding--in the leeward gulf Dash the swell'd waves; the mighty mountains pour A harsh, dull murmur; far along the beach Rolls the deep rushing roar; the whispering grove Betrays the gathering elemental strife.

Scarce will the billows spare the curved keel; For swift from open sea the cormorants sweep, With clamorous croak; the ocean-dwelling coot Sports on the sand; the hern her marshy haunts Deserting, soars the lofty clouds above; And oft, when gales impend, the gliding star Nightly descends athwart the spangled gloom, And leaves its fire-wake glowing white behind.

Light chaff and leaflets flitting fill the air, And sportive feathers circle on the lake."

_2d. Of Rain._

"But when grim Boreas thunders; when the East And black-winged West, roll out the sonorous peal, The teeming dikes o'erflow the wide champaign, And seamen furl their dripping sails. The shower, Forsooth, ne'er took the traveler unawares!

The soaring cranes descried it in the vale, And shunn'd its coming; heifers gazed aloft, With nostrils wide, drinking the fragrant gale; Skimm'd the sagacious swallow round the lake, And croaking frogs renew'd their old complaint.

Oft, too, the ant, from secret chambers, bears Her eggs--a cherished treasure--o'er the sand, Along the narrow track her steps have worn.

High vaults the thirsty bow; in wide array The clamorous rooks from every pasture rise With serried wings. The varied sea-fowl tribes, And those that in Cayster's meadows seek, Amid the marshy pools, their skulking prey, Fling the cool plenteous shower upon their wings, Crouch to the coming wave, sail on its crest, And idly wash their purity of plume.

The audacious crow, with loud voice, hails the rain A lonesome wanderer on the thirsty sand.

Maidens that nightly toil the tangled fleece, Divine the coming tempest; in the lamp Crackles the oil; the gathering wick grows dim."

_3d. Of Fair Weather._

"Nor less, by sure prognostics, mayest thou learn (When rain prevails), in prospect to behold Warm suns, and cloudless heavens, around thee smile.

Brightly the stars shine forth; Cynthia no more Glimmers obnoxious to her brother's rays; Nor fleecy clouds float lightly through the sky.

The chosen birds of Thetis, halcyons, now Spread not their pinions on the sun-bright sh.o.r.e; Nor swine the bands unloose, and toss the straw.

The clouds, descending, settle on the plain; While owls forget to chant their evening song, But watch the sunset from the topmost ridge.

The merlin swims the liquid sky, sublime, While for the purple lock the lark atones: Where she, with light wing, cleaves the yielding air, Her shrieking fell pursuer follows fierce-- The dreaded merlin; where the merlin soars, _Her_ fugitive swift pinion cleaves the air.

And now, from throat compressed, the rook emits, Treble or fourfold, his clear, piercing cry; While oft amid their high and leafy roosts, Bursts the responsive note from all the clan, Thrill'd with unwonted rapture--oh! 'tis sweet, When bright'ning hours allow, to seek again Their tiny offspring, and their dulcet homes.

Yet deem I not, that heaven on them bestows Foresight, or mind above their lowly fate; But rather when the changeful climate veers, Obsequious to the humor of the sky; When the damp South condenses what was rare, The dense relaxing--or the stringent North Rolls back the genial showers, and rules in turn, The varying impulse fluctuates in their breast: Hence the full concert in the sprightly mead-- The bounding flock--the rook's exulting cry."

_4th. The Moon's Aspects, etc._

"Mark with attentive eye, the rapid sun-- The varying moon that rolls its monthly round; So shalt thou count, not vainly, on the morn; So the bland aspect of the tranquil night Will ne'er beguile thee with insidious calm.

When Luna first her scatter'd fires recalls, If with blunt horns she holds the dusky air, Seamen and swains predict th' abundant shower.

If rosy blushes tinge her maiden cheek, Wind will arise: the golden Phoebe still Glows with the wind. If (mark the ominous hour!) The clear fourth night her lucid disk define, That day, and all that thence successive spring, E'en to the finished month, are calm and dry; And grateful mariners redeem their vows To Glaucus, Inous, or the Nereid nymph."

_5th. The Sun's Aspects, etc._

"The sun, too, rising, and at that still hour, When sinks his tranquil beauty in the main, Will give thee tokens; certain tokens all, Both those that morning brings, and balmy eve.

When cloudy storms deform the rising orb, Or streaks of vapor in the midst bisect, Beware of showers, for then the blasting South (Foe to the groves, to harvests, and the flock), Urges, with turbid pressure, from above.

But when, beneath the dawn, red-fingered rays Through the dense band of clouds diverging, break, When springs Aurora, pale, from saffron couch, Ill does the leaf defend the mellowing grape; Leaps on the noisy roof the plenteous hail, Fearfully crackling. Nor forget to note, When Sol departs, his mighty day-task done, How varied hues oft wander on his brow; Azure betokens rain: the fiery tint Is Eurus's herald; if the ruddy blaze Be dimm'd with spots, then all will wildly rage With squalls and driving showers: on that fell night, None shall persuade me on the deep to urge My perilous course, or quit the sheltering pier.

But if, when day returns, or when retires, Bright is the orb, then fear no coming rain: Clear northern airs will fan the quiv'ring grove.

Lastly, the sun will teach th' observant eye What vesper's hour shall bring; what clearing wind Shall waft the clouds slow floating--what the South Broods in his humid breast. Who dare belie The constant sun?"

I copy also the following from Howard:

"Dr. Jenner's signs of rain--an excuse for not accepting the invitation of a friend to make a _country_ excursion.

"The hollow winds begin to blow, The clouds look black, the gla.s.s is low, The soot falls down, the spaniels sleep, And spiders from their cobwebs creep.

Last night the sun went pale to bed, The moon in halos hid her head, The boding shepherd heaves a sigh, For see! a rainbow spans the sky.

The walls are damp, the ditches smell; Closed is the pink-eyed pimpernel.

Hark! how the chairs and tables crack; Old Betty's joints are on the rack.

Loud quack the ducks, the peac.o.c.ks cry; The distant hills are looking nigh.

How restless are the snorting swine!-- The busy flies disturb the kine.

Low o'er the gra.s.s the swallow wings; The cricket, too, how loud it sings!

Puss, on the hearth, with velvet paws, Sits smoothing o'er her whisker'd jaws.

Through the clear stream the fishes rise And nimbly catch the incautious flies; The sheep were seen, at early light, Cropping the meads with eager bite.

Though _June_, the air is cold and chill; The mellow blackbird's voice is still; The glow-worms, numerous and bright, Illumed the dewy dell last night; At dusk the squalid toad was seen, Hopping, crawling, o'er the green.

The frog has lost his yellow vest, And in a dingy suit is dress'd.

The leech, disturbed, is newly risen Quite to the summit of his prison.

The whirling wind the dust obey And in the rapid eddy plays.

My dog, so altered in his taste, Quits mutton-bones, on gra.s.s to feast; And see yon rooks, how odd their flight!

They imitate the gliding kite: Or seem precipitate to fall, As if they felt the piercing ball.

'Twill surely rain; I see, with sorrow, Our jaunt must be put off to-morrow."

Howard attributes the foregoing to Jenner; but Hone, in his "Every-Day Book," attributes it to Darwin, and gives it, with several couplets, not found in that attributed to Jenner. These I add from Hone, as follows:

"Her corns with shooting pains torment her-- And to her bed untimely send her."

That couplet is included by Hone with what is said of Aunt Betty.

"The smoke from chimneys right ascends, Then spreading back to earth it bends.

The wind unsteady veers around; Or, settling in the south is found."

Those are as philosophically accurate and valuable as any.

"The tender colts on back do lie; Nor heed the traveler pa.s.sing by.

In fiery red the sun doth rise, Then wades through clouds to mount the skies."

The first of those couplets is untrue. It is doubtless alluded to as one of the acts of the animal creation, indicating sleepiness and inaction, which precede storms; but colts do not lie on the back. The other couplet is both true and important. This collection entire, whether written by Darwin or Jenner, contains most of the signs which have been preserved, and which are of much practical importance in our climate.