Gnats playing up and down in the open air near sunset is a sign of heat.
If in the shade, warm and mild showers, but if they join in stinging those who pass them it presages cold weather and rain.
Children, even now, when they find a Ladybird or cow lady say:—
Click, Clock, Clay. What time o'day.
One o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock, Click, clock, clay.
Another custom is to get a ladybird and put it on the back of the hand and say:—
Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home,
Your horse is on foot, your children are gone;
All but one, and that's little John,
And he lies under the grindle stone.
If it does not fly away then it is thrown up into the air.
In some places the insect is called cow lady, and then the rhyme begins cow lady, cow lady, etc.
Plants.
When the Dandelion clocks are blowing children carefully pluck them and with as perfect a head as possible hold it upright in front of them and say:—