CONCERNING WEATHER SIGNS, 31-34 



the sun is first seen, there will be wind from that 

 quarter. Light 1 clouds in summer-time indicate wind. 



If lightning comes from all sides, it indicates rain, 

 and from any quarter from which the flashes come 

 in quick succession there will be wind. In summer 2 

 from whatever quarter lightning and thunder come, 

 there will be violent winds : if the flashes are brilliant 

 and startling, the wind will come sooner and be more 

 violent ; if they are of gentler character and come at 

 longer intervals, the wind will get up gradually. In 

 winter and autumn however the reverse happens, for 

 the lightning causes the wind, to cease : and, the 

 more violent the lightning and thunder are, the 

 more will the wind be reduced. In spring I consider 

 that the indications would 3 not so invariably have 

 the same meaning, and this is also true of winter. 



If, while a south wind is blowing, there comes 

 lightning from the north, the wind ceases. If 

 there is lightning at dawn, the wind generally 

 ceases on the third day : other winds than a south 

 wind however do not cease till the fifth seventh or 

 ninth day, though a wind which got up in the after- 

 noon will cease sooner. A north 4 wind generally 

 ceases in an odd, a south wind in an even number of 

 days. Winds get up at sunrise or moonrise. If the 

 rising sun or moon have caused the wind to cease, 

 presently 5 it gets up again with more force, and 

 winds which begin to blow in the day-time last longer 

 and are stronger than those which begin at night. 



If periodic winds have been blowing for a long 

 time, and a windy autumn follows, the winter is wind- 

 less : if however the contrary happens, the character 



4 Plin. 2. 129. 



8 80 Furl, renders : W. inserts ^rj after <re\i]vi). 



413 



