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CHAP. 64.—WORK TO BE DONE BETWEEN THE WINTER SOLSTICE AND THE PREVALENCE OF THE WEST WINDS.

Between the winter solstice and the period when the west winds begin to prevail, the following, according to Cæsar, are the more important signs afforded by the constellations: the Dog sets in the morning, upon the third1 day before the calends of January; a day on the evening of which the Eagle sets to the people of Attica and the adjoining countries. On the day be- fore2 the nones of January, according to Cæsar's computation, the Dolphin rises in the morning, and on the next day, the Lyre, upon the evening of which the Arrow sets to the people of Egypt. Upon the sixth3 day before the ides of January, the Dolphin sets in the evening, and Italy has many days of continuous cold; the same is the case also when the sun enters Aquarius, about the sixteenth4 day before the calends of February. On the eighth5 before the calends of February, the star which Tubero calls the Royal Star6 sets in the morning in the breast of Leo, and in the evening of the day before7 the nones of February, the Lyre sets.

During the latter days of this period, whenever the nature of the weather will allow of it, the ground should be turned up with a double mattock, for planting the rose and the vine —sixty men to a jugerum. Ditches, too, should be cleaned out, or new ones made; and the time of day-break may be usefully employed in sharpening iron tools, fitting on handles, repairing such dolia8 as may have been broken, and rubbing up and cleaning their staves.

1 Thirtieth of December. According to the Roman reckoning, the third day would be the day but one before.

2 Fourth of January.

3 Eighth of January.

4 Seventeenth of January.

5 Twenty-fifth of January.

6 "Regia Stella."

7 Fourth of February.

8 Or wine-vats; by the use of the word "laminas," he seems to be speaking not of the ordinary earthen dolia, but the wooden ones used in Gaul and the north of Italy.

The Natural History. Pliny the Elder. John Bostock, M.D., F.R.S. H.T. Riley, Esq., B.A. London. Taylor and Francis, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street. 1855.

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