82 PLINY'S NATIHUL HISTORY. [Book XVIII. 



the mattock for seed plots ; trenches, too, should be opened out, 

 and the water drained from off the fields, and the presses 44 

 should be well washed and put away. Never put eggs beneath 

 the hen between the calends of November 45 and the winter 

 solstice : 46 during all the summer and up to the calends of No- 

 vember, you may put thirteen under the hen ; but the number 

 must be smaller in winter, not less than nine, however. 

 Democritus is of opinion, that the winter will turn out of the 

 same character 47 as the weather on the day of the winter sol- 

 stice and the three succeeding days ; the same too with the 

 summer and the weather at the summer solstice. About the 

 winter solstice, for about twice seven days mostly, while the 

 halcyon 48 is sitting, the winds are lulled, and the weather 

 serene; 49 but in this case, as in all others, the influence of the 

 stars must only be judged of b} r the result, and we must not 

 expect the changes of the weather, as if out upon their recog- 

 nizances, 50 to make their appearance exactly on certain prede- 

 termined days. 



CHAP. 63. WORK TO BE DONE AT THE WINTER SOLSTICE. 



Be careful never to touch the vine at the winter solstice. 

 Hyginus recommends us to strain and even rack-off w r ine at 

 the seventh day after the winter solstice, provided the moon is 

 seven days old. About this period, also, the cherry-tree, he 

 sa) r s, should be planted. Acorns, too, should now be put in 

 soak for the oxen, a modius for each pair. If given in larger 

 quantities, this food will prove injurious to their health; and 

 whenever it is given, if they are fed with it for less than thirty 

 days in succession, an attack of scab in the spring, it is said, 

 will be sure to make you repent. 



This, too, is the period that we have already assigned 51 for 

 .cutting timber other kinds of work, again, may be found for 

 the hours of the night, which are then so greatly prolonged. 

 There are baskets, hurdles, and panniers to be woven, and wood 



44 For the grape and the olive. 45 First of November. 



43 In the more northern climates this is never done till the spring. 

 17 This is merely imaginary. 



43 Or king- fisher. It was a general belief that this bird incubated on 

 the surface of the ocean. 



19 Hence the expression. "Halcyon days." 



50 Vadimonia. 51 In !>. xvi. c. 74. 



