_The bigger the Ring, the nearer the Wet._--On Sunday evening, the 20th
Oct., the moon had a {435} very fine ring round it, which apparently was
based near the horizon, and spread over a considerable area of the heavens.
This was noticed by myself and others as we returned home from church; and
upon my mentioning it to my man-servant, who is a countryman, he said he
had been noticing it, and that it reminded him of the old saying, "the
bigger the ring, the nearer the wet." On the next day, however, it was fine
and windy, and my faith began to be shaken as to the truth of the saying;
but the almost incessant rain of the four or five subsequent days fully
proved its correctness.