Why do candles and lamps "spirt," when rain is at hand? - Because the air is filled with vapour, and the humidity penetrates the wick, where (being formed into steam) it expands suddenly, and produces a little explosion.

292. Why does a drop of water sometimes roll along a piece of hot iron without leaving the least trace? -Because (when the iron is very hot indeed) the bottom of the drop is turned into vapour, which buoys the drop up, without allowing it to touch the iron.

293. why does a laundress put a little saliva on a flat-iron, to know if it be hot enough? - Because, when the saliva sticks to the box, and is evaporated, she knows it is not sufficiently hot: but when it runs along the iron, it is.

294. Why is the flat-iron hotter, if the saliva runs along it, than if it adheres till it is evaporated? - Because, when the saliva runs along the iron. the heat is sufficient to convert the bottom of the drop into vapour; but if the saliva will not roll, the iron is not sufficiently hot to convert the bottom of the drop into vapour.

295. Why do wet feet or clothes give us "cold?" - Because, the evapo-ration absorbs the heat so abundantly from the surface of our body, that its temperature is lowered below its na tural standard; in consequence of which health is injured. [This also explains why it is dangerous to sleep in a damp bed.]

296. Why is the health injured when the temperature of the body is reduced below its natural standard? - Because, the balance of the circulation is destroyed, blood is driven away from the external surface by the chill, and thrown upon the internal organs, which are oppressed by this increased load of blood.

297 Why do not sailors get cold, who are frequently wet all day with sea-water; Because the salt of the sea retards evaporation; and (as the heat of their bodies is drawn off gradually) the sensation of cold is prevented. -Also, the salt of the sea acts as a stimu-lous, and keeps the blood circulating in the skin.

296. What is the cause of snow? -When the air is nearly saturated with vapour, and condensed by a current of air below freezing-point, some of the vapour is condensed, and frozen into snow. A few years ago, some fishermen (who wintered at Nova Zembla) after they had been shut up in a hut for several days, opened the window; and the cold external air rushing in, instantly condensed the air of the hut, and its vapour fell on the floor in a shower of snow.

299. What is the cause of sleet? -When flakes of snow (in their descent) pass through a bed of air above freezing-point, they partially melt, and fall to the earth as half-melted snow.

300. What is hail? - Rain which has passed in its descent through some cold bed of air, and has been frozen in to drops of ice.

301. What is rain? - The vapour of the clouds or air condensed, and precipitated to the earth.

308. Why are rain-drops sometimes much larger than at other times? -When the rain-cloud is floating near the earth, the drops are large, because such a cloud is much more dense than one more elevated. The size of the rain-drop is also increased according to thee rapidity with which the vapours are condensed.

303. Why does the Bible say that God "giveth snow like wool?" - Be-cause snow (being a very bad conductor of heat) protects vegetables and seeds from the frost and cold.

304. How does the non-conducting power of snow protect vegetables from the frost and cold? - It prevents the heat of the earth from being drawn off by the cold air which rests upon it.

305. Why are woollens and furs used for clothing in cold weather ? - Because they are very bad conductors of heat, and therefore prevent the warmth of the body from being drawn off by the cold air.

306. Do not woollens and furs actu ally impart heat to the body? - No; they merely prevent the heat of the body from escaping.

307. Where would the heat escape to, if the body were not wrapped in wool or fur? - The heat of the body would fly off into the air; for the cold air, coming in contact with our body, would gradually draw away its heat, till it was as cold as the air itself.

308. What then is the principal use of clothing in winter-time? - To prevent the animal heat from escaping too freely; and to protect the body from the external air (or wind), which would cany away its heat too rapidly.

309. Why are March winds dry? -Because they generally blow from the east or north-east, and therefore sweep over the continent of America.

310. - What is the use of March winds? - They dry the soil (which is saturated by the floods of February), break up the heavy clods, and fit the hand for the seeds which are committed to it.

311. Why is it said that "March comes in like a lion?" - Because it conies in with blustering east winds, so essential to dry the soil, which would otherwise rot the seed committed to it.

312. Why does "March go out like a lamb?" - Because the water, evapor ated by the high winds, falls again in showers to fertilize the earth, and breaks the violence of the winds.

313. Why is it said that "A bushel of March dust is worth a king's ransom?" - Because it indicates that there has been a continuance of dry weather* and unless March be dry, the seed wil rot in wet soil.

314. Why is it said that "A dry cold March never begs bread?" - Because the dry cold winds of March prepare the soil for seeds, which germinate and produce fruit in the autumn.

315. Why is it said that "A wet March makes a sad autumn?" - Be-cause, if March be wet, so much of the seed rots in the ground, that the autumn crops are spoiled.

316. Why is it said that "March flowers make no summer bowers?" -Because, if the spring be very mild, vegetation gets too forward, and is pinched by the nightly frosts, so as to produce neither fruits nor flowers.

317. Why is it said that "April showers bring May flowers?" - Because April showers supply the principal nourishment on which the seeds depend for their development.

318. Why is there more rain from September to March, than from March to September? - From September to March the temperature of the air is constantly decreasing; on which account, its capacity for holding vapour is on the decrease, and the vapour is precipitated as rain.