BOOK X\'III. Lxxvii. 339-Lxxviii. 342 



north Avind. If Volturnus begins to blow from a clear 

 part of the sky, it will not last till night, whereas 

 Subsolanus goes on for the greater part of the night. 

 Whatever the wind is, if it is felt to be hot it will last 

 for several days. The earth suddenly drying up 

 foretells a north-east wind, and if it beconies damp 

 from no visible fall of inoisture, a south wind. 



LXXVm. The theory of the winds having now in wmiher 

 fact been set out, in order to avoid repetition it ^^from^esu» 

 the best plan to pass on to the remaining means moimand 

 of forecasting the weather, since I see that this sub- 

 ject also appealed greatly to \'irgil, inasmuch as 

 he records that even in harvest time the winds often Georg. 1. 

 engage in battles that are ruinous to inexpert farmers. ""^' 

 It is recorded tliat Democritus above mentioned 

 when his brother Damasus was reaping his harvest, 

 in extremely hot weather besought him to leave the 

 rest of the crop and make haste to get what he had 

 already cut under cover, his prophecy being confirmed 

 a few hours later by a fierce storm of rain. More- 

 over it is also recommended only to plant reeds when 

 rain is impending and to sow corn when a shower 

 is about to foUow. We therefore briefly touch on 

 these subjects also, examining the inost relevant 

 facts, and we will take first wcather forecasts derived 

 from the sun. 



A clear sunrise without burning heat announces a Foreeasts 

 fine day, but a pale sunrise promises a wintry day ^^°!^* '^* 

 with hail. If there was also a fine sunset the day 

 before, the promise of fine weather is all the more 

 reHable. If the sun rises in a vault of clouds" it fore- 

 tells rain, and Hkewise when the clouds are red before 

 it rises it foretells wind, or if black clouds also mingle 

 with the red, rain as well ; when the rays of the rising 



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