120 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY. [Book XVIII. 



horns are obtuse, they are portentous of a frightful tempest. 

 If, when the west wind prevails, the moon does not make her 

 appearance before her fourth day, there will be a prevalence 

 of stormy weather throughout the month. If on the sixteenth 

 day the moon has a bright, flaming appearance, it is a presage 

 of violent tempests." 



There are eight different epochs of the moon, or periods at 

 which she makes certain angles of incidence with the sun, and 

 most persons only notice the prognostics derived from the 

 moon, according to the places which they occupy between these 

 angles. The periods of these angles are the third day, the 

 seventh, the eleventh, the fifteenth, the nineteenth, the twenty- 

 third, the twenty-seventh, and that of the conjunction. 



CHAP. 80. PROGNOSTICS DERIVED FROM THE STAPtS. 



In the third rank must be placed the prognostics derived 

 from the stars. These bodies are sometimes to be seen shooting 

 to and fro ; 89 when this happens, winds immediately ensue, 

 in that part of the heavens in which the presage has been 

 afforded. When the heavens are equally bright throughout 

 their whole expanse, at the periods previously mentioned, 90 the 

 ensuing autumn will be fine and cool. If the spring and sum- 

 mer have passed not without some rain, the autumn will be 

 fine and settled, 91 and there will be but little wind : when the 

 autumn is fine, it makes a windy winter. When the bright- 

 ness of the stars is suddenly obscured, though without 92 clouds 

 or fog, violent tempests may be expected. If numerous stars 

 are seen to shoot, 93 leaving a white track behind them, they 

 presage wind from that quarter. 9 ** If they follow in quick suc- 

 cession from the same quarter, the wind will blow steadily, 

 but if from various quarters of the heavens, the wind will shift 

 in sudden gusts and squalls. If circles are seen to surround 

 any of the planets, there will be rain. 94 In the constellation 



89 See B. ii. c. 6 and c. 36. w In c. 59 of this Book 



91 " Densum." Fee says that this is in general confirmed by experience. 



92 This results, Fee says, from the presence of thin, aqueous vapours, 

 which portend a change in the atmosphere. 



93 Fee attributes this phaenomenon to hydrosulphuric gas, ignited in the 

 air by an electric spark. The notion that these meteors are stars, was 

 prevalent to a very recent period. 



93 * To which they proceed. 



9i This, Fee says, is confirmed by experience. 



