WEATHER. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY. THE earliest records of weather among every nation are to be found in those myths, or popular tales, which, while describing rain, cloud, wind, and other natural phenomena in highly figurative language, refer them to some supernatural or personal agency by way of explanation. The most interesting thing about these mythical stories is the remarkable fidelity with which they reflect the climate of the country that gave them birth. For example, from the mythologies of Greece and Scandinavia we can almost construct an account of the climate of those two countries by simply translating the figurative phraseology of their legends into the language of modern meteorology. Many survivals of mystic speech are still found among popular prognostics, and especially in cloud names. In England and Sweden "Noah's Ark" is still seen in the sky, while in Germany the "Sea-Ship" still turns its head to the wind before rain. In Scotland the "WindDog" and the "Boar's Head" are still the dread of the fisherman, while such names as "Goat's Hair" and "Mare's Tails" recall some of the shaggy monsters of antiquity. PROGNOSTICS. A At a rather later period of intellectual development, the premonitory signs of good or bad weather become formulated into short sayings, or popular prognostics. large number of these are still current in every part of the world, but their quality and value is very varied. Some represent the astrological attitude of mind, by referring weather changes to the influence of the stars or phases of the moon; others, on the contrary, are very valuable, and, in conjunction with other aids to weather forecasting, prognostics will never be entirely superseded, especially for use on board ship. Till within a very recent period, their science and explanation had hardly advanced since they were first recorded. In many cases the prognostics came true; when they failed, no explanation could be suggested why they did so; neither could any reason be given why the same weather was not always preceded by the same signs. A halo sometimes precedes a storm; why does it not always do so? Why is rain sometimes preceded by a soft sky, and sometimes by hard clouds? THE BAROMETER. About one hundred and fifty years ago the barometer was invented. Very soon after that discovery, observation |