he night and next day, visible in a
bank on the southern horizon.

Later or earlier in the spring and autumn, these brisk afternoon
southerly winds continuing after nightfall, indicate moderate rains from a
rainy belt extending in a similar manner, without the cumuli and thunder
which attend those of mid-summer. I shall recur to this class of showers
and storms when we come to their classification.

Light surface winds from south-west to west are not often storm-winds, and
are usually those which the trade near the earth draws after it. Sometimes
the trade seems to draw the surface wind from the S. W. and W. S. W. with
considerable rapidity, and some scud a little distance above the earth.
When this is so, it will be found that a storm has passed to the north of
us, or a belt of rains is passing north, which may or may not have
sufficient southern extension to reach us. When there have been heavy
storms at the south in the spring, especially if of snow, the S. W. wind
which the trade draws after it, and which comes from the snowy or chilled
surface, is exceedingly "raw"--that is, damp and chilly, although not
thermometrically very cold. Probably every one has noticed these "_raw_"
S. W. winds of spring.

Usually, when storms and showers, which have not a southern lateral
extension, pass off, the trade is very near the earth, and a light S. W.
wind or calm follows for a longer or shorter period. Not unfrequently,
however, our N. E. storms terminate with a S. W. wind, shifting suddenly,
perhaps, just at the close of the storm, during what is sometimes called a
"clearing-off-shower," or, more frequently, dying gradually away as a N.
E. wind, and coming out gently from the S. W., following the retreating
cloud of the storm. In such cases it is said to "clear off warm."

With us the wind rarely blows from the west, except while slowly hauling
from some southerly point to the N. W. It is probably otherwise east of
the lakes and in some other localities to the north-west.

Occasionally, and most frequently in March, a W. to W. N. W. wind follows
storms, and blows with considerable severity, with large irregular,
squally masses of scud, and sometimes a gale. Such was the character of
the dry gale which crossed the country, particularly Northern New York, in
March, 1854, doing great damage. These westerly winds are always
accompanied by a continued depression of the barometer, and peculiar,
foggy, scuddy, condensation, and s