288 THE LURE OF THE LAND 



clouds indicate hail. " If the sun is spotted on rising 

 or especially if half his disc be hidden by a cloud, a 

 showery day may be expected." 



" An azure color of the sky at sunset threatens rain." 

 " A spotted sunset warns of storms." " If the sun 

 both rise and set clear you need not be frightened by 

 clouds during the day." Such are some of the indi- 

 cations which Virgil tells us were derived from the 

 sun. 



Respecting the moon, we learn from the same author 

 that a red color of the moon indicates wind. 



If the new moon rose and set clear on the fourth day 

 all that month would be pleasant and free from rain. 



It is easy to see that many of the signs of the weather 

 which were relied on two thousand years ago are still 

 considered valid at the present day. We are still able 

 to judge by the sun, the wind, the cloud, and the rain- 

 bow, while all of you have heard the weather-wise pre- 

 dict the weather for the month from the appearance of 

 the new moon about the fourth day, just as was done 

 so long ago. We must remember, however, that it is 

 still now, as it was then, somewhat uncertain to prophesy 

 from these phenomena, either singly or collectively ; and 

 especially is it likely that " all signs will fail in dry 

 weather." 



Quite in contrast with the interest exhibited by the 

 Romans in this matter was the apathy which prevailed 

 no more than forty years ago. Speaking of this topic 

 and that time, Liebig says : " No attention was paid 

 to the latitude of the place, its height above the sea, 

 the yearly mean of rain-fall, the rain-fall of different 

 seasons of the year, the respective number of fair and 

 cloudy days, the mean temperature of the year and of 

 the different seasons, the extremes of temperature; no 



