Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/110

 76 pliky's natural HISTOET. [Book II. tins is connected with the rising of the Yergiliae, in the 25th degree of Taurus, six days before the Ides of May which is the time when south winds prevail: these are opposite to Septemtrio. The dog-star rises in the hottest time of the summer, when the sun is entering the first degree of Leo^ ; this is fifteen days before the Calends of August. The north winds, which are called Prodromi^, precede its rising by about eight days. But in two days after its rising, the same north winds, which are named Etesise"*, blow more constantly during this period ; the vapour from the sun, being increased twofold by the heat of this star, is supposed to render these winds more mild ; nor are there any which are more regular. After these the south winds become more frequent, until the appear- ance of Arcturus^, which rises eleven days before the autumnal equinox. At this time Corns sets in ; Corns is an autumnal ■wind, and is in the opposite direction to Yulturnus. After this, and generally for forty-four days after the equinox, at the setting ot the Yergilise, the winter commences, which usually happens on the third of the Ides of November^. This is the period of the winter north wind, which is very unlike the summer north wind, and which is in the opposite direc- tion to Africus. For seven days before the winter solstice, and for the same length of time after it, the sea becomes calm, in order that the king-fishers may rear their young ; from this circumstance they have obtained the name of the halcyon days^ ; the rest of the season is winterly^. Tet the 1 Corresponding to the lOth of May. 2 According to the Roman calendar, this corresponds to the 20th July, but, according to the text, to the l7th. Columella says, that the sun en- ters Leo on the 13th of the Calends of August ; xi. 2. 3 " quasi prsecursores ;" Hardouin, in Lemaire, i. 335. Cicero refers to these winds in one of his letters to Atticus j xiv. 6. 5 This will be on the 13th of September, as, according to our author, xviii. 24, the equinox is on the 24th. ^ This corresponds to the 11th of November ; forty-four days before this will be the 29th of September. 7 Or Halcyonides. This topic is considered more at length in a sub- sequent part of the work ; x. 47. fourteen periods, during most of which certain winds are said to blow, or, at least, to be decidedly prevalent. Although the winds of Italy are
 * eTTjaiat, ab eros, annus.
 * The author, as it appears, portions out the whole of the year into