CONCERNING WEATHER SIGNS, 26-29 



to the south, while the orb itself is 1 clearly seen 

 between, it is a sign of rain and wind. 



Also black spots on the sun or moon indicate rain, 

 red spots wind. Again, if, while a north wind blows, 

 the horns 2 of the crescent moon stand out straight, 

 westerly winds will generally succeed, and the rest 

 of the month will be stormy. When the upper horn 

 of the crescent moon is bent, northerly winds 3 will 

 prevail for that part of the month : when the lower 

 horn is bent, southerly winds will prevail. 4 If 

 however the horns up to the fourth day point 

 straight and have not a graceful bend inwards but 

 round to a circle, it will generally be stormy till the 

 middle of the month. If the moon is dusky, it 

 indicates rain, if fiery, it indicates wind. 



It is a sign of rain when gulls and ducks, 

 whether wild or tame, plunge under water, a sign of 

 wind when they flap their wings. Wherever the 

 bird called kepphos flies during a calm, it is a sign of 

 coming wind. If sparrows in winter begin to be 

 clamorous at evening, it is a sign of a coming change 

 or of a fall of rain. A heron flying from the sea and 

 screaming is a sign that a breeze is coming : so is it 

 in general a sign of wind when he screams loudly. 



A dog rolling on the ground is a sign of violent 

 wind. A number of cobwebs 5 in motion portends 

 wind or storm. The ebb-tide indicates a north 

 wind, the flowing tide a wind from the south. For, 

 if the flowing tide sets from the north, there is a 

 change to the south, and if an ebb-tide comes from 

 the south, there is a change to the north. It is 



* cf. 38 ; Plin. 18. 347 ; Verg. Georg. i. 428 ; the English 

 sign, ' the young moon with the old moon in her arm.' 

 6 Plin. 11. 84 ; Arist. Probl. 26. 61. 



409 



