How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
This reminded him that if there was one class of manifestation on this matter that he thoroughly understood, it was the instincts of sheep. (36.25)
If there's one thing Gabriel Oak knows, it's sheep. And not just which part of them tastes the best. Oak knows why sheep behave certain ways at certain times, and he can use this knowledge to prepare for coming weather.
Quote #8
[The sheep] had now a terror of something greater than their terror of man. (36.26)
As the narrator notes, sheep aren't dumb. They know enough to know that they should be terrified of humans, who shear them for the wool or kill them for their meat. But in this passage, we find out that there's something they're even more scared of, and that's lightning storms.
Quote #9
[The flash] sprang from east, west, north, south, and was a perfect dance of death. (37.21)
You get a lot of very poetic metaphors in this book, and one of the most awesome is a lightning strike as a "dance of death." By using personification to make the lightning sound like it's dancing, Hardy creates a very clear connection between nature and humanity.