Prognostics of the Weather. 151 



if red, it is a sign of wind ; and if white, and of her natural 

 colour, and the sky clear, it will be fair weather ; according 

 to the poetical adage : 



" Pallida luna pluit, rubicunda flat, alba serenat." 



If a new moon appears at twelve at night, rain is lately 

 observed to follow. 



If the moon is rainy throughout her course, it will clear 

 up at the ensuing change, and the rain will probably com- 

 mence again in a few days after, and continue ; if, on the 

 contrary, the moon has been fair throughout, and it rains 

 at the change, the fair weather will probably be restored 

 about the fourth or fifth day of the moon and continue as 

 before. ' 



" Sin ortu in quarto (namque is certissimus auctor) 



Pura, neque obtusis per ccelum cornibus ibit ; 



Totus et ille dies, et qui nascentur ab illo 



Exactum ad mensem, pluvia ventisque carebunt." 



VIRGIL, Georgic, lib. I. 1. 432-435. 

 " But four nights old, (for that's the surest sign,) 



With sharpen'd horns, if glorious then she shine; 



Next day, not only that, but all the moon, 



'Till her revolving race be wholly run, 



Are void of tempests." DRYDEN. 



1ST. B. A gentleman who cuts hay for his own consump- 

 tion will seldom fail to find his account in making this 

 observation ; but a farmer who has much business to do 

 cannot contract his work into so small a compass, as to save 

 himself by the benefit of this observation, because some of 

 his work must be done to make way for the rest. 



Signs from the Wind. 



WHEN the wind veers about, uncertainly, to several points 

 of the compass, rain is pretty sure to follow. 



Some have remarked, that if the wind, as it veers about, 

 follows the course of the sun, from the east towards the 

 west, it brings fair weather ; if the contrary, foul : but there 

 is no prognostic of rain more infallible than a whistling or 

 howling noise of the wind. 



