_Moon Superstitions_ (Vol. viii., p. 79.).--In this age of fact and
science, it is remarkable that even with the well-informed the old faith
in the "change of the moon" as a prognostic of fair and foul weather
still keeps its hold. W. W. asks "have we any proof of" the "correctness"
of this faith? To suppose that the weather varies with the amount of
{146} illuminated surface on the moon would make the change in the
weather vary with the amount of moonshine, which of course is absurd,
as in that case the clouds would have much more to do with the question
than the moon's shadow. But still it may be said the moon may influence
the weather as it is supposed to cause the tides. In answer to this I
beg to state the opinion of Dr. Ick, who was for upwards of ten years
the curator of the Birmingham Philosophical Institute, an excellent
meteorologist, geologist, and botanist. He assured me that after the
closest and most accurate observation of the moon and the weather, he had
arrived at the conclusion that _there is not the slightest observable
dependence between them_.