BOOK XMII. L.xiv. 234-L-\v. 237 



the same day for Egypt ; likewise on January 8 the 

 Dolphin before mentioned sets in the evening and 

 there are some days of continuoiis wintry weather 

 for Italy ; and so also when the sun is seen to pass into 

 Aquarius, which happens about January 17. On 

 Januar}' 25 the star in the breast of the Lion called 

 according to Tubero the Royal Star sets in the morning 

 and the Lyre sets in the evening of Februai-y 4. In 

 the concluding days of this period, whenevcr the 

 weather conditions allow, the ground should be turncd 

 up with a double mattock for planting roses and vines 

 — seventy hands are enough for an acre — and ditches 

 should be cleaned or new ones made, and the time 

 before daybreak should be used for sharpening iron 

 tools, fitting handles, repairing broken vats, doing up 

 the shelters uscd for sheep and cleaning the shceps' 

 fleeces bv scraping them. 



LX\'. Between the period of west wind and the Lauwinter 

 spring equinox, February 16 for Caesar marks three Zn'tiMefarm 

 days of changeable weather, as also does February 'wr*. 

 22 by the appearance of the swallow and on the next 

 day the rising of Arcturus in the evening, and the 

 same on March 5 — Caesar noticcd that this bad 

 weather took place at the rising of the Crab, but the 

 niajority of the authorities put it at the setting of 

 the \ intager — on March 8 at the rising of the 

 northern part of the Fish, and on the next day 

 at the rising of Orion ; in Attica it is noticed that 

 the constellation Kite appears. Caesar also noted 

 March 15 — the day that was fatal to him — as 

 marked by the setting of the Scorpion, but stated 

 that on March 18 the Kite becomes visible in 

 Italy and on March 21 the Horse sets in the 

 morning. 



339 



