Although the augurs had neither the auspicia impetrativa nor the right to watch the sky for unfavorable omens,[669] they were competent to report (nuntiatio) unexpected oblativa to the magistrates.[670] Their object in attending the comitia accordingly was not only to assist the president with their special knowledge,[671] but also to witness the religious legality of the proceeding. In the latter function the augur derived great influence[672] from the possibility of an investigation into such legality by the augural college and the senate, which might result in the annulment of the act.[673] For this reason witnessing augurs were granted the privilege of adjourning the assembly in case they perceived unfavorable omens.[674] Cicero[675] describes in detail such an adjournment of an electoral assembly of centuries: “Behold the day for the election of Dolabella! The prerogative century is drawn by lot, he (the augur) remains quiet. The vote is announced, he is silent. The first class is called and the announcement made. Then as usual the suffragia (of the equites?) were summoned; then the second class is called. All this happened more quickly than I have told it. “When the business is over, that excellent augur says, ‘We adjourn to another day.’ O remarkable impudence! What (omen) had you seen? What had you felt? What had you heard?” Antony, who was both consul and augur, presiding over the electoral assembly, allowed the voting to continue till a majority was nearly reached in favor of Dolabella, when, making use of the augural formula, he adjourned the meeting. This procedure was in itself legal; but Antony had from the beginning of the year boasted of his intention to prevent through augury this man’s election. As only magistrates, through their right to the spectio, to be explained hereafter, could with certainty predict an evil omen,[676] it was evident that Antony, acting merely as augur, made a fictitious report. Augurs were always present at meetings of the curiae,[677] of the centuries,[678] and of the tribes under the presidency of a patrician magistrate.[679] That they attended the meetings of the plebs as well and had the same relation to the plebeian as to the other assemblies is necessarily implied in Cicero’s[680] question, “What shows greater religious power than to be able to grant or refuse to grant the right to transact business with the people or with the plebs?”