76 pliky's natural HISTOET. [Book II. 



tins is connected with the rising of the Yergiliae, in the 25th 

 degree of Taurus, six days before the Ides of May\ which is 

 the time when south winds prevail: these are opposite to 

 Septemtrio. The dog-star rises in the hottest time of the 

 summer, when the sun is entering the first degree of Leo^ ; 

 this is fifteen days before the Calends of August. The north 

 winds, which are called Prodromi^, precede its rising by about 

 eight days. But in two days after its rising, the same north 

 winds, which are named Etesise"*, blow more constantly during 

 this period ; the vapour from the sun, being increased twofold 

 by the heat of this star, is supposed to render these winds 

 more mild ; nor are there any which are more regular. After 

 these the south winds become more frequent, until the appear- 

 ance of Arcturus^, which rises eleven days before the autumnal 

 equinox. At this time Corns sets in ; Corns is an autumnal 

 ■wind, and is in the opposite direction to Yulturnus. After 

 this, and generally for forty-four days after the equinox, at 

 the setting ot the Yergilise, the winter commences, which 

 usually happens on the third of the Ides of November^. This 

 is the period of the winter north wind, which is very unlike 

 the summer north wind, and which is in the opposite direc- 

 tion to Africus. For seven days before the winter solstice, 

 and for the same length of time after it, the sea becomes 

 calm, in order that the king-fishers may rear their young ; 

 from this circumstance they have obtained the name of the 

 halcyon days^ ; the rest of the season is winterly^. Tet the 



1 Corresponding to the lOth of May. 



2 According to the Roman calendar, this corresponds to the 20th July, 

 but, according to the text, to the l7th. Columella says, that the sun en- 

 ters Leo on the 13th of the Calends of August ; xi. 2. 



3 " quasi prsecursores ;" Hardouin, in Lemaire, i. 335. Cicero refers 

 to these winds in one of his letters to Atticus j xiv. 6. 



* eTTjaiat, ab eros, annus. 



5 This will be on the 13th of September, as, according to our author, 

 xviii. 24, the equinox is on the 24th. 



^ This corresponds to the 11th of November ; forty-four days before 

 this will be the 29th of September. 



7 Or Halcyonides. This topic is considered more at length in a sub- 

 sequent part of the work ; x. 47. 



** The author, as it appears, portions out the whole of the year into 

 fourteen periods, during most of which certain winds are said to blow, 

 or, at least, to be decidedly prevalent. Although the winds of Italy are 



