refpeft'ing Changes of Weather. 1^3 



New moon coinciding with the perigeum - 33 : * 



jy ut0 with the apogeum - 7 '• l 



Fall moon . . • with the perigeum ,- io : t 



■£) Mo with the apogeum - 8 : I 



The combination of thefe fituations generally occafions 

 florms and tempefts ; and this perturbing power will always 

 have the o-reater enec\, the nearer thefe combined fituations 

 are to the moon's paffage over the equator, particularly ,n 

 the months of March and September. At the new and full 

 moons, in the months of March and September, and even 

 at the fohlices, efpecially the winter folftice, the atmofphere 

 affumcs a certain charter, by which it is diftmguifhed for 

 three, and, fometimcs, fix months. The new moons which 

 produce no change in the weather, are thofe that happen at 

 a diftance from the apfides. 



As it is perfectly true that each fituation of the moon al- 

 ters that ftate of the atmofphere which has been produced 

 by another, it is however obfervcd that many fituations of 

 the moon are favourable to good and others to bad weather. 

 Thofe belonging to the latter clafs are: the perigeum, new 

 and full moon, paffage of the equator, and the northern lu- 

 niftice Thofe belonging to the former are : the apogeum, 

 quadratures, and the fouthern luniftice. Changes of the 

 weather feldom take place on the very days of the moon's 

 fituations, but cither precede or follow them. It has been 

 found by obfcrvation, that the changes cffcfted by the lunar 

 fituations in the fix winter months precede, and m the fix 

 fummer months follow them. 



Befides the lunar fituations to which the above obferva- 

 tions refer, attention mud be paid alfo to the fourth day be- 

 fore new and full moon, which are called the o6tants. At 

 thefe times the weather is inclined to changes ; and it may 

 be cafily fcen, that thefe will follow at the next lunar fitua- 

 tion. Virgil calls this fourth day a very fare prophet. It on 

 that day the horns of the moon arc clear and well defined, 

 ' good 



