stubble-fields; where they find shelter from the cold, and are enabled to pick up the few solitary grains of corn that yet remain undestroyed. "Now Autumn's purple scenes are fled, And wintry honours sway The pensive robins strain their throats, Proclaim in wildly warbling notes That beautiful shrub, the laurustinus, exhibits, from among its bright dark-green leaves, numerous little white flowers, that give a peculiar charm to our gardens, which are now stripped almost of every other beauty. A solitary primrose or polyanthus, sheltered from the northern blast, and exposed to the sun, unfolds here and there a few blossoms. Second week.-Earth-worms appear occasionally on the surface of the ground in rainy weather, or after the breaking up of the frost. The wagtails, white, grey, and yellow, (motacilla alba, boarula, and flava,) are seen by the sides of ponds and brooks, hopping before the passenger, with occasional turns and jerks, as though holding familiar discourse with him. The missel-thrush, on a sunny morning, is heard to pour forth his loud and wild notes, and leads us to think of the approach of spring, forgetting that many a blast of frosty wind must howl in the naked forests before that lovely season shall cheer Britannia's isle. The helleborus niger, or Christmas rose, now exhibits its somewhat bold flowers, and attracts not only the notice of the botanist, but every common observer of nature. Its time of blowing better accords with the Old than with the New Style, being very soon after old Christmas. The winter aconite (eranthis hyemalis) shows its beautiful yellow flower, surrounded with a leaf of bright dark-green. Third week. The hedge-sparrow warbles; the brisk little wren hops about with his perking tail, and sings his lively notes; while the common sparrow chirps from the tops of houses and walls. Linnets congregate, and the blackbird whistles in the thorny brake. Chickweed begins to sprinkle the way-side with its starry blossoms; and after the melting of snow, here and there a daisy is seen on the grassy plain. Monthly roses, which are interesting all the year round, are particularly so at this season. Mrs. Johnson, in her useful little book, entitled "Every Lady her own Flower-Gardener," thus observes: "Monthly-roses are invaluable as auxiliaries of all kinds; they will grow in any soil, and bloom through the winter months, always giving a delicate fragrance, and smiling even in the snow. Monthly-roses will ever be the florist's delight; they are the hardiest, most delicate-looking, and greenest-leaved of garden productions; they give no trouble, and speedily form a beautiful green against any offensive object. No flower-garden should exist without abundance of monthly-roses." Fourth week.-Many of the feathered race have sought a warmer and more congenial clime, beyond the reach of our short wintry days; yet a sufficient number remain to enliven the chilly scene which January unfolds. The throstle is seen under sunny hedges and southern walls, in pursuit of snails, which he destroys in abundance, particularly in hard winters: he is also partial to worms and the chrysalids of butterflies. The nuthatch and the titmouse are heard; pullets begin to lay, and young lambs are dropped; the bat appears in the evenings, and spiders shoot out their threads, while house-flies make their appearance on our windows. The snow-drop, and some of the early crocusus open their bloom; mezereon exhibits its delicate pink flowers in our gardens, while the red dead-nettle blows in the fields, and on hedge-sides. The catkins of the nut-trees appear; the common honeysuckle shows buds; and the flowers of the rosemary begin to open. In Germany they have a peculiar method of making flowers grow in winter. They saw off such a branch of any tree as will answer their purpose, and they lay it for an hour or two in a running stream, if they can find one: the object of this is to get. the ice from the bark, and soften the buds. It is afterwards carried into one of their warm rooms, and fixed upright in a wooden box or tub containing water. Fresh burnt lime is then added to the water, and allowed to remain in it about twelve hours, when it is removed, and fresh water added, with which a small quantity of vitriol is mixed, to prevent its putrefying. In the course of some hours the blossoms begin to make their appearance, and afterwards the leaves. If more lime be added, the process is quickened; while if it be not used at all, the process is retarded, and the leaves appear before the blossoms. BRIEF ASTRONOMICAL NOTICES, FOR JANUARY, 1842. BY MR. WILLIAM ROGERSON, of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. "WHEN Nature, rising from chaotic night, To tell the seasons, and divide the year; Creation was their theme, and melody Tuned their glad hearts, and swept each noble string: Loudly they sang rich anthems to his praise, Viewing his work, which shone with graceful hue, Their God of excellence, wise, just, and true." "BESIDES the obvious tendency which the study of astronomy has to improve the powers of reason, to lead to a nearer acquaintance with the most stupendous and amazing scenes in the universe, and thus to enlarge our conceptions, and cherish an ardent desire for more copious draughts of real and useful knowledge; it also, when properly pursued, directly tends to meliorate and improve the heart. We do not say that these beneficial consequences will result from a mere acquaintance with the properties of lines, and angles, and triangles, and circles, or with a facility in applying the principles of geometry and analysis to the determination of celestial distances and magnitudes; though this will be far from a useless exercise for the faculties of the mind: but what we mean to affirm is, that the truths which astronomy places before us, when rightly attended to, lead to the advancement of wisdom and good morals; indeed, we could almost hazard the opinion, that they inculcate a morality inferior only to the excellent morality of the Gospel. By means of astronomy we may, as the ingenious Huygens remarks, mount from this dull earth, and view it from on high, consider whether nature has laid out all her cost and finery upon this small speck of dirt. So, like travellers into other distant countries, we shall be better able to judge of what is done at home; know how to make a true estimate of, and set its own value upon, every thing; we shall be less apt to admire what this world calls great, and shall nobly despise those trifles the generality of men set their affections upon.' Surely if anything can eradicate the sentiments of selfconceit, and instil a principle of humility, we may hope that this desirable end will be effected, at least, in a considerable degree, by recollecting that an individual is only one among the millions of intelligent agents who inhabit one among the many millions of habitable worlds; one who, to an eye that can take in the whole of creation, is but as an insect existing upon an atom of earth. Can the baneful passions of envy and avarice be fostered in the breast of him who is convinced that even the wealth of the Indies is as nothing when set in competition with the riches of the universe? Can he who has frequently contemplated the splendour of the sun, the silent majesty of the moon, and the combined lustre and glory of the starry worlds, give way to ambition, or evince an eagerness to attain the shadowy distinctions of human grandeur? Or can he who has adopted the persuasion that worlds are innumerable, and their inhabitants infinite, when he reflects upon the blessings and benefits which fall to the share of one minute object in the immense catalogue, do otherwise than repress all repining, to make room for the swelling sensations of gratitude? But gratitude, it must be acknowledged, implies an object to whom it is due: we therefore proceed to inquire, whether the study of astronomy does not furnish us with the most satisfactory proofs of the existence of a Being to whom gratitude is justly due for all we have enjoyed, or ever can expect to enjoy. "If an ancient heathen poet, who dealt in fiction, was so convinced of the dependency of the works of nature, and of all second causes, upon some First Cause, as to make the inference that the highest link of nature's chain must be attached to the foot of Jupiter's throne;' it is not unreasonable to expect that a modern inquirer after truth, with present advantages, will find ample grounds for believing that there exists, distinct from the universe, a supreme, intelligent First Cause."-Dr. Olinthus Gregory. THE SUN rises on the 1st at eight minutes past eight, and sets at one minute before four: on the 19th he rises at fifty-eight minutes past seven, and sets at twenty-four minutes after four. At Edinburgh the Sun rises on the 1st at thirty-five minutes past eight, and sets at thirty-four minutes after three: on the 19th he rises at sixteen minutes past eight, and sets at two minutes after four. On the 20th day he enters the zodiacal sign Aquarius. The Moon rises on the 1st at five minutes past ten at night, and on the 3d enters on her last quarter: she rises on the 5th at nine minutes past two, and on the 7th at a quarter before five, in the morning. The Moon changes on the 11th, at a quarter past four in the afternoon; presents her beautiful crescent in the west on the 13th, and sets on the 15th at twenty minutes before nine: she sets on the 17th at eleven o'clock; and enters on her first quarter on the 19th, at nine at night exactly. This interesting luminary is due south on the 20th at half-past six, and on the 25th at half-past eleven, at night. The Moon is full on the 26th, at ten minutes before six in the evening, at which time she is visibly eclipsed. Note, she rises eclipsed at thirty-four minutes after four, attains the greatest obscuration at forty-four minutes past five, when between nine and ten parts out of twelve of the moon's diameter is immersed in the shadow of the earth: the eclipse ends at ten minutes after seven. For a representation of this phenomenon, and other particulars, consult my Almanack (Temporis Calendarium) for 1842. MERCURY is invisible. VENUS is now too near the Sun to be observed by unassisted vision. MARS is to be seen in the south-west every clear evening: he sets during the whole month at about eight o'clock: on the 15th he is in conjunction with the Moon. JUPITER and SATURN appear in the mornings at the end of the month they are in conjunction on the 26th, which phenomenon takes place only once in twenty years. The Pleiades, Aldebaran, Capella, and the splendid constellation Orion, decorate the south-eastern skies in the evenings. "The silver hosts of heaven more bright Their beamy fires display, Whene'er the piercing frosts of night Succeed the turbid day." JUVENILE OBITUARY. MARY HATTRY was born at Leicester, February 28th, 1816. Her parents had passed through much tribulation; but they are respected for their piety, and her father is an acceptable Local Preacher. Possessing an inquiring and highly susceptible mind, the questions which conversations in the domestic circle often led her to ask on the subject of futurity, gave early and pleasing promise concerning her. But it appears to have been at the Sundayschool, under the affectionate training of a judicious Teacher, that she was first enlightened on the necessity of obtaining a personal assurance of pardoning mercy. When she was about sixteen years old, she was graciously blessed with the Spirit of adoption. Retiring one day to her chamber, with her mind evidently much burdened, she prayed to her heavenly Father "in secret;" her supplication was heard, her burden of guilt and fear removed, and she was filled with "joy and peace in believing." From that time she increased in knowledge and holiness. She lived by faith in the Son of God, enjoyed freedom of access to the throne of grace, and prayer and praise became her habit and delight. The ordinances of religion she duly observed; she valued, and accordingly sought fully to improve, the Sabbath-day; rarely was she absent from her class-meeting, and she loved conversation on spiritual subjects at all times. In reading the Scriptures, the Wesleyan Hymns, and the Life of Mrs. H. A. Rogers, she spent many happy hours. She also became a diligent Tract Distributor. But having herself received so much spiritual benefit in the Sunday-school, as a field of useful exertion, this seems the most to have engaged her attention; and being admitted as a Teacher, she was assiduous in the fulfilment of her duties, and most solicitous for the religious welfare of the children that were placed under her care. The affliction which removed her from this world was protracted, and for the most part extremely painful; but she was favoured with divine strength, and was resigned to the will of her heavenly Father. Her consolation frequently abounded, and she rejoiced in hope of the glory of God. An apprehension being expressed by her father that her affliction might be unto death," The Lord is my portion," she observed: "it will be a glorious change." She prayed frequently and fervently that she might be made perfectly holy; while she reposed her confidence solely in the merits of the Saviour for acceptance with God. One morning after she had suffered a restless night, her anxious parent asked how her mind was supported while her body was racked with such strong pain. She replied, she was "very happy ;" adding, "Once during the night, when thinking of heaven, it was suggested,' But where is your passport?' and then a gloom began to come over me; but in a moment these words passed through my mind, 'Before the throne my Surety stands, |