138 OF PROGNOSTICKS. CHAP. 4. 1. 



But we must distinguish between the voice of 

 the Raven before Rain, perched solitary on a 

 tree and uttering a harsh cry, from his deep 

 and peculiarly modulated voice when sailing 

 round and round high up in the air before and 

 during serene weather.* The Raven as well as 

 other birds often soars at an elevation much 

 beyond what we are apt to imagine. When at 

 the top of Cader Idris near Dolgelly, I observed 

 these birds flying considerably above the sum- 

 mit of that mountain on which I sat. 



The hooting and screeching of Owls often 

 indicates a change of weather. They hoot in 

 fact during variable weather: when fair is 

 about to be changed for wet, or wet for fair, 

 a similar disturbance of their feelings from 

 atmospherical causes probably takes place which 

 makes them hoot. Refer to Virgil's observation 

 in Georg. lib. 1. and Professor Heyne's note on 

 them. Authors have added, the snapping of 

 the flame of a candle or lamp, mentioned by 

 Aratus and Virgil, as a sign of wet. 



Hesiod mentions the singing of a bird, which 

 he calls Ky**y|, as foreboding three days' Rain ; 



* For numerous collateral passages about this and other 

 prognosticks I must refer to my edition of the Diosemeia of 

 Aratus, London, 1815. This work is reprinted in the 

 Classical Journal published by M. Valpy. 



