Ursa Major, the Great Bear.-The first seven stars in this constellation form what is called the Great Dipper. It is situated about 15 degrees north of the zenith, and a little to the east of north. There It is exactly bottom upwards, with the handle towards the east. are four stars which form the dipper, and three in the Tail of the Bear, which form the handle. These stars cannot fail to be recognized at a glance. Six of these stars are of the second and one of the third mag. nitude. The first two, a, B., are called pointers, as a line drawn through them towards the horizon would pass very near the North Star, which is about 30 degrees from them towards the horizon.

Ursa Minor, the Little Bear.-The stars in this constellation form a figure called by some a Wagon, and by others the Little Dipper. It is north of the Great Dipper and east of the North Star, which is in the end of the handle. The North Star is at the end of the tail of the LITTle Bear.

Taurus, the Bull.-The star a, or Aldebaran, is one of the first magnitude, and is in the right eye of the Bull; hence, it is sometimes called the Bull's Eye. This constellation is situated nearly west, and about 20 degrees above the horizon. The cluster of stars on the head of the Bull is called the Hyades. There is a small cluster of stars on the neck of the Bull, and north of the word Taurus on the map. It consists of seven stars, very near together. This group is called the Pleiades, or Seven Stars. Six of these stars only are visible to the naked eye.

Orion. This is one of the most remarkable constellations in the heavens, and was familiarly known to the ancient writers, Joв and HOMER. It contains two stars of the first magnitude, BETELGEUSE on the right shoulder, and RIGEL on the left foot, of ORION. Half way between these two stars are three stars in the girdle, in a right line, forming Jacob's Staff, or the Three Kings, as they are sometimes called. There is a large nebula seen in this constellation, or rather through it, as the nebula is at an immense distance beyond the stars. According to fable ORION was a mighty hunter, who accompanied Diana and Latona in the chase.

Gemini, the Twins.-The two principal stars in this constellation are (a) Castor and (B) Pollux; one in the head of each Twin.

Canis Minor, the Little Dog.-This constellation contains two large stars, (a) or Procyon, of the first, and (ß) Mirza, of the third magnitude, besides several small stars. This constellation was said to be one of the hounds of Orion.

Canis Major, the Great Dog.-This constella..on is to the southeast of Orion, and contains the star Sirius, the brightest star in the whole heavens. This is said by the Greeks to be one of Orion's hounds-but the Egyptians, no doubt, gave it the name of DOG, from the fact that it gave them warning of the approach of the inundation of the waters of the Nile. When this star was seen in the direction of the source of the Nile they moved back from the river upon the high ground-and as the dog was ever watchful to announce the approach of danger, they gave the same name to this star, which they fancied warned them, although silently, of approaching danger.

Leo Major, the Great Lion.-The principal star in this constellation is (a) or REGULUS: it is on the meridian at the time for observation, and about 30 degrees south of the zenith. There are several bright stars in this constellation. The stars in the head and neck form a curve somewhat like a sickie, Regulus being in the end of the handle. This Lion was supposed to be a metamorphosis of the Nemean Lion, which was slain by Hercules.

Bootes, the Herdsman.-This is a very large constellation, southeast of the Great Bear. The principal stars are (a) Arcturus, of the first magnitude, and (ɛ) Izar of the second magnitude. This star is

is represented as walking, holding in left the leading cords of the two dogs to be barking at the GREAT BEAR.

Virgo, the Virgin.-This con principal star is (a) SPICA, of the firs which the Virgin holds in her left ha this constellation. The position of th great exactness for the benefit of nav zone, in the heavens traversed by t from the star is used for determining to the ancient poets, this constellation goddess of Justice, who lived upon the being offended at the wickedness of iron ages of the world, she returned t the constellations of the zodiac, with hand and a sword in the other.

Corvus, the Crow.-This is a virgin. It contains four bright stars, square. The brightest of the two u ALGORAB, in the east wing of the cr once of the purest white, but was char a punishment for tale bearing.

Corona Borealis, the North constellation between the head of B distinguished by six principal stars, wh bling a wreath or crown. This beat be in commemoration of a crown pr the daughter of MINOS, second king of

Draco, the Dragon.-This cons the pole of the Ecliptic, and its tail a quence of its various windings, perha traced. According to fable. Draco, hundred heads and as many voices. appies that grew in the garden of He CULES, who obtained the apples, and f

Canes Venatici, the Grey H tains only small stars. These two h small cord, are named ASTERION and

Coma Berenices-Berenices lation between the Greyhounds, on t south. It contains only small stars.

Crater, the Cup.-This cup is east of the CROW, It contains seve degree to resemble the outline of a sent the CRow with a cup to fetch vagrant disposition, wasted his time, told Apollo that the stream was guar punish the CRow for this falsehood, A and commanded the serpent never to

Hydra, the Water Serpent tion, extending over 100 degrees from by four small stars south of the Cral This was supposed to be the Lernæan

Sextans, the Sextant.-Thi Hevelius of stars not included in the contains only small stars.

Argo Navis, the Ship Argo.ern horizon. The head of the ship of stars about 15 degrees of the dog of this constellation is below the horiz brated ship in which Jason and his

und by observations, that the earth revolves on its nearly, while it is making one complete revolution r while the sun moves from either equinox to the same consequently the solar year, upon which the seasons nearly 365 days. It will be seen from this that the n a year of 365 days and the year as measured by the one day in every four years; so that in 120 years of sons would fall back one whole month, or 30 days, or May would be in June, and the season for June - &c. In 720 years the longest days would be in the ber; but in about 1450 years the season would fall e twelve months, and would again correspond to their ment. In order to keep the seasons to the same ake the solar and civil year correspond, one day more = month of February, every fourth year. This would solar and civil year together, if the earth revolved upon 65 times while it was revolving around the sun, or year; but the earth revolves from one equinox to the 5 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 49 seconds; which is 11 than 365 days; consequently, in allowing one day ars is allowing 44 min. 44 sec. too much; and in 132 mount to 24 h. 36 min. 6 sec., or more than one day; st day, which is now on the 21st of June, would in 132 20th of June, or one day earlier, and in 264 years the 1 be on the 19th of June, and so on.

eckoning time, by making every fourth year a leap1 by the Council of Nice, in the year of our LORD 325, day in the year happened June 21st, and the vernal 1st. This mode of reckoning was continued from the , a period of 1427 years; when it was found that the on the 10th of June, and the vernal equinox on the he vernal equinox having fallen back 11 days towards the year. To restore the equinoxes to the same days vhich they happened in the year 325, eleven days

were ordered, by the British Government, and the United States, then British colonies, to be stricken out of the month of September, 1752, by calling the 3d day the 14th; and it was ordered that hereafter one leap-year in every 132 years, or 3 leap-years in 400 years, should be omitted that is, that the years 1700, 1800, and 1900, which by the OLD STYLE would have been leap-years, should be common years of 365 days. This method gives 97 leap-years in every 400 years. Thus 400 multiplied by 365, plus 97 days for the leap years, gives 146,097 days. This divided by 400 years makes 365 days 5 h. 49 min. 12 sec.; making a difference from the true solar year of only 23 seconds a year; an error which amounts only to one day in 3,866

years.

This new arrangement is called the NEW STYLE.

This change was made to keep the equinoxes and solstices to the same days of the same months, and to keep the time of celebrating EASTER, and the other feasts, fasts, and holydays of the Episcopal Church, to the same seasons of the year. The Russians and some other eastern nations continue the OLD STYLE at the present day. The year. 1800 was not a leap year by the NEW STYLE, but would have been. by the OLD STYLE; the difference between the styles is now 12 days.

RULE FOR ASCERTAINING WHAT YEARS ARE

LEAP-YEARS.

DIVIDE the years by 4, and if there is no remainder it is LEAPYEAR: if there is 1 remainder, it is the 1st year after the leap-year; if there is 2 remainder, it is the 2d; if there is 3 remainder, it is the 3d year after leap-year. The even centuries are leap years only when, by cutting off the two ciphers, you can divide the other two figures without a remainder. Thus 19(00 is not divisible by 4 without a remainder-consequently it is not a leap-year. The years 2,000, 2,400, 2,800, &c. are leap-years; and 2,100, 2,200, 2,300, 2,500, 2,600, and 2,700 are not leap-years.

that time, as measured by the sun, differs from that that keeps true and equal time; the solar day, or 's leaving the meridian of any place till he leaves the sometimes less than 24 hours, and sometimes more; e clock, on any day, the sun leaves the meridian of 12 o'clock, it is either a few seconds before or a few when he leaves that meridian the next time; it is a either before or after 12, when he leaves that merido on, till in a few weeks it is several minutes before ! clock when the sun leaves the meridian.

e place, and the meridian of the place, that leaves the the sun leaves the meridian, because by the motion of s axis, the sun appears to move round the earth every notion of the earth round the sun, the sun appears to ic round the earth once a year. The motion of the is is always uniform and equal, never faster at one her; this is the only perfectly uniform and equal mothe mean or average time of its revolution from the in is 24 hours; that is, the average or mean time wving the meridian of any place, till he leaves the hours; though, as before said, it is sometimes more

S.

between the time of the sun's leaving the meridian, a true clock, is called THE EQUATION OF TIME: at

sun and clock agree; and these are the only days in the year on which the sun and clock do agree.

The EQUATION depends on two causes;-viz. 1. The unequal motion of the sun in the ecliptic ;—And, 2. The obliquity of the ecliptic to the equator.

It has already been shown that the sun, as well as the moon, movés much slower when in or near its apogee, than when in or near its perigee; and that its true place is never the same as its mean place, except in apogee and perigee. Now as the motion of the earth round its axis on the side next the sun, is in the same direction as the apparent motion of the sun in the ecliptic, it is plain that the slower the sun moves, the sooner will any place on the earth's surface move round from the sun to the sun again; or the shorter will be the solar day; because as the earth revolves round its axis, any place on the earth's surface will overtake the sun in less time when he advances through a less space, than when he moves through a larger.

The first equation depends upon the sun's distance from the perigee or perihelion, and is the difference between the mean and true place of the sun, changed into time. It is greatest when the sun is half way between the aphelion and perihelion, and nothing when it is in the aphelion or perihelion. The sun is faster than the clock while it is moving from the aphelion to the perihelion, and slower while it is moving from the perihelion to the aphelion. This difference, between the sun and clock, when greatest, is 7 min. 42 sec.

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