alterations every day. After a cloudless night in summer you may occasionally see spread over the lawn innumerable small, and nearly circular, spiders' webs, laden with dew. This is an almost infallible sign of approaching fine weather. When, after a long drought, you observe in hedges some very densely woven webs, funnel shaped, there will be a change of weather within three days.

Leech. The leech possesses remarkable meteoric properties, which are very interesting to observe. The best method is to place an ordinary medicinal leech in an upright half pint bottle, with the mouth covered over with fine linen. If the weather is likely to remain calm and fine the creature will lie motionless and rolled up in a somewhat spiral form at the bottom of the bottle. If it rains either before or after noon it will creep up to the top of the bottle and there remain till the weather is settled. If we are to have wind the leech gallops through the water with amazing swiftness, and does not rest till it blows hard. It is very remarkable that however fine the weather may be, and to our senses there is no particular indication of a change, yet if a storm of rain and thunder is approaching, its body is almost continually without the water, and discovers great uneasiness in violent throes and convulsions. In frost as in fine summer weather it lies constantly at the bottom, and in snow as in rainy weather, it ascends to the very mouth of the bottle.

Worms. When the common garden worm forms many "casts" rain or frost will follow according to the season of the year. When they appear in the day time expect rain, but when early in the evening it indicates a mild night, with heavy dew and two days' fine weather. There is a small, reddish worm, which, when it becomes luminous at night, indicates the near approach of a thunderstorm. It sometimes leaves a phosphorescent trail upon the ground.

Glow-worms, when they shine more brightly than usual, indicate rain within 48 hours, more especially when they remain luminous a short time after midnight.

Snails. When they crawl up evergreens and remain there during the whole day, expect rain.

Toads and Frogs.—When the former croak much in the water

and the latter under stones, expect rain; also when they become more brown coloured than usual.

Moles.—When, during summer, they forsake their trenches and creep above ground, expect hot weather; and when, in spring or autumn, they forsake the low grounds and work in the upper ground, expect heavy rains.

Bats.-When they appear very early in the evening expect fair weather, but when they utter plaintive cries rain may be expected.

PROGNOSTICS FROM PLANTS.

The meteorological indications afforded by some of our indigenous plants will be found to repay us for the study which we may be disposed to bestow upon them. Moreover, the vegetation of the earth is a calendar worthy of the observation of every one. Linnæus attached great importance to such observations, and advised his countrymen carefully to consider at what time each tree expanded its leaves and blossoms, for it would teach them when annual plants should be sown. Of the several plants which possess meteorological properties, the common chickweed (Stellaria media) is an excellent out-door barometer. When the flower expands fully no rain will happen within four hours or more, and should it continue in that state no rain will disturb the summer's day. When it partly conceals its flowers the day will be showery; but if it entirely shuts up rain will surely and soon follow. The purple sandwort (Arenaria rubra) expands its beautiful pink flowers only when the sun shines, but closes them before the coming shower. The germander speedwell (Veronica chamædrys) closes its blue petals before rain, and opens them again when it has ceased. The pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) closes its flowers some hours before rain; at noon, however, it always closes its flowers till about seven the next morning, hence it has been termed the poor man's weather glass.

"Of humble growth, though brighter dies,
But not by rural swains less prized,

The trailing stems allure,

Of Pimpernel, whose brilliant flower
Closes against the approaching shower,
Warning the swain to sheltering bower,
From humid air secure."

If the flower of the Siberian sow thistle keeps open all night it will certainly rain on the next day. The goat's beard (Trajopogon pratensis) keeps its flowers closed in cloudy damp weather. The common dandelion (Leontodon traxicum) contracts its down before rain. It is also a correct sun-dial, as it closes its flowers about five in the afternoon, and opens them again at seven in the morning.

Several varieties of trefoil contract their leaves, and their stems become somewhat rough before rain. The wood sorrel (oxalis acetosella) folds up its leaves at the approach of night, or a shower, while the blossom droops its head towards the ground. "Flowers shrinking from the chilly night

Droop and shut up; but with fair morning's touch

Rise on their stems all open and upright.”—MONTAGUE.

The convolvulus folds up its leaves on the approach of rain. The great white oxeye (chrysanthemum leucanthemum) closes its flowers before a storm.

"There gay chrysanthemums repose,

And when stern tempests lower,

Their silken fringes softly close
Against the shower."-A. S.

If the African marigold does not open its flowers in the morning, about seven o'clock, expect rain that day.

The gentian (gentiana pneumonanthe), which grows so beautifully on Ashdown Forest, closes up both flowers and leaves before rain.

"Oh! would my head were like to thine,

Thou dark and lovely flower,

Open whene'er the sun doth shine,

But closed against the shower;

Gladly receiving all that's bright,

Refusing all that's ill,

Conscious of tempest and of blight,

But pure and shielded still.

The tempest broods-how keen thy sense

Each leaf is folded fast,

And thou hast made thy self-defence

Against the sweeping blast.

Harmless the winds have passed thee by,

The rain drops find no rest,

Lightly they fall as tear or sigh
Upon thy guarded breast."

Besides foretelling changes in the weather many plants close and open their petals at certain hours of the day. Linnæus has enumerated forty-six plants which possess this kind of sensibility; he divides them into three classes. Ist-Meteoric flowers, which less accurately observe the hour of folding, but are expanded sooner or later, according to the cloudiness, moisture, and pressure of the atmosphere. 2nd-Tropical flowers, which open in the morning and close before evening every day; but the hour of expanding becomes earlier or later as the length of the day increases or decreases. 3rd-Equinoctial flowers, which open at a certain and exact time of the day, and for the most part close at another determinate hour. Several of these, which are indigenous to our country, have been prettily enumerated by Mrs. C. Smith.

"In every copse and sheltered dell,
Unveiled to the observant eye,
Are faithful monitors who tell
How pass the hours and seasons by.
The green-robed children of the spring
Will mark the periods as they pass,
Mingle with leaves Time's feathered
wing,

And bind with flowers his silent glass.
Mark where transparent waters glide,
Soft flowing o'er their tranquil bed;
There, cradled on the dimpling tide,
Nymphea rests her lovely head.
But conscious of the earliest beam
She rises from her humid nest,
And sees reflected in the stream
The virgin whiteness of her breast.
Till the bright day-star to the west
Declines, in ocean's surge to lave,
Then, folded in her modest vest,
She slumbers on the rocking wave.
See Hieracium's various tribe
Of plumy seed and radiate flowers,
The course of time their blooms

describe,

And wake or sleep appointed hours.
Broad o'er its imbricated cup
The Goatsbeard spreads its golden
rays,

But shuts its cautious petals up,

Retiring from the noontide blaze.
Pale as a pensive cloistered nun
The Bethlehem star her face unveils,
When o'er the mountain peers the sun,
And shades it from the vesper gales.
Among the loose and arid sands
The humble Arenaria creeps;
Slowly the purple star expands,
But soon within its calyx sleeps.
And those small bells so lightly rayed
With young Aurora's rosy hue,
Are to the noontide sun displayed,
But shut their plaits against the dew.
On upland slopes the shepherds mark
The hour, when, as the dial true
Cichorium to the towering lark
Lifts her soft eyes serenely blue.
And thou, 'wee crimson-tipped flower,'
Gatherest thy fringed mantle round
Thy bosom at the closing hour,
When night-drops bathe the turfy ground;
Unlike Silene, who declines

The garish moontide's blazing light;
But when the evening crescent shines,
Gives all her sweetness to the night.
Thus in each flower and simple bell
That in our path unbroken lie,
Are sweet remembrancers who tell
How fast their winged moments fly."

CHAPTER VI.

THE POPULATION,

NUMBER OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS, AND

CAUSES OF DEATH, IN THE PARISHES of uckfield, isfield,

AND LITTLE HORSTED, FROM THE YEAR 1838 TO 1867,

BOTH INCLUSIVE.

HAVING in preceding pages entered somewhat fully into the general character of the climate of Uckfield, I shall now proceed to give some vital statistics respecting the parishes of Uckfield, Isfield, and Little Horsted. The first point for consideration will be the amount of population, and as it may be interesting to trace its progress during the present century, I have stated in the following tables the ascertained amount for every tenth year; the yearly number of births and deaths in the three parishes respectively, during a period of thirty years, ending with 1867; the yearly number of deaths, at different ages, and a classified arrangement of the causes of death, with some remarks in reference thereto.