BOOK XMII. Lxxvin. 346-Lxxix. 349 



night ; if mist, a more violent storm ; if the sun 

 when so surrounded is bright, wind ; if the ring is 

 \"ery dark, there will be a strong wind in the quarter 

 in which the ring breaks. 



LXXIX. The prognostics of the moon must right- Foreen.iu 

 fully come next. Egypt pays most attention to the moon."' 

 inoon's fourth day. It is beheved that if she rises 

 bright and shines with clear briUiance, she portends 

 line weather, if red, wind, if dark, i*ain, for the 

 next fortnight. The moon's homs being bhinted are 

 always a sign of raln, and w'hen they shoot up 

 threateningly, of wind, but particularly on the 

 fourth dav of the moon. If the upper horn points 

 stiffly north it presages a north wind, if the lower 

 horn a south wind ; if both horns are upright, a windy 

 night. If the moon on her fourth night is surrounchd 

 by a bright ring, this will be a warning of both w ind 

 and rain. \'arro writes as follows : ' If on the fourth 

 day of the moon her horns are upright, this w ill pre- 

 sage a great storm at sea, unless she has a circlet 

 round her, and that circlet unblemished, since that 

 is the way in w hich she shows that there will not be 

 stormv weather before full moon. If the moon at 

 full has half of her disk clear, this will be a sign of fine 

 weather, but if it is red, that will mean w ind, and if 

 darkish, rain. If the moon is enclosed in mist or in 

 a circle of clouds, it will signify wind in the quarter 

 in which the circle breaks ; if she is surrounded by 

 two rings, it will mean stormier weather, and tlie more 

 so if there are three rings or if the rings are dark, 

 broken and torn apart. If the new moon at her 

 hirth rises with her upper horn bUicked out, she will 

 l)ring rain when she wanes, but if it is the lower liorn, 

 before she is full, and if the bhickness is at her centre, 



407 



