Both the grey and brown striped tabbies are chiefly males, particularly the grey. The tortoiseshell tabbies are both males and females; as are black, white, black and white, and spotted, and of various sorts. There is a kind of Cat from the Cape of a mouse colour, of both sexes, and we believe a permanent variety, as are the well known Angola Cats.

Pipes for Smoking.-We have observed that the raw or unboiled Merschaum makes excellent pipes, the oil of the tobacco smoke in time saturating their porous substance more completely and more pleasantly than when previously boiled in oil as usual, but these raw pipes do not colour so well nor so soon.

December 22. St. Ischyrion Martyr. SS. Cyril and Methodius Confessors.

URANIA.

rises at VIII. 8'. and sets at III. 52'.

The enters this afternoon, of which

Thomson thus reminds us :—

Winter comes to rule the year,

Sullen and sad, with all his rising train;
Vapours, and clouds, and storms.

Now, when the cheerless empire of the sky
To Capricorn the Centaur Archer yields,
And fierce Aquarius stains the inverted year;
Hung o'er the farthest verge of heaven, the Sun
Scarce spreads through ether the dejected day.
Faint are his gleams, and ineffectual shoot
His struggling rays, in horizontal lines,

Through the thick air, as clothed in cloudy storm,
Weak, wan, and broad, he skirts the southern sky;
And, soon descending, to the long dark night,
Wide shading all, the prostrate world resigns.

Feriae Laribus dictae Compítalia.—Rom. Cal.

The Compitalia were certain holidays in old Rome, resembling our modern European wakes, and dedicated to the honour of the Dii Compítales or Lares Publici, that is, the Public or City Divinities of the old Mythology. And they were distinguished from the Domestic Lares as well as from the Penates, before described. See our Index.

TEMPUS. This is the shortest day in the year; and the weather at this time being commonly clouded and obscure, the days of the winter solstice have received the common appellation of "The dark days before Christmas." The mornings are often particularly dark and lowering, especially in the neighbourhood of London and other great cities. And

those whose industrious habits oblige them to rise early are forced to breakfast by candlelight.

Some rustic pursuits and pleasures, at this period of the year, are well described in Bampfylde's amusing Sonnet on Christmas :-

With footstep slow, in furry pall yclad,

His brows enwreathed with holly never sere,
Old Christmas comes, to close the wained year;
And aye the shepherd's heart to make right glad;
Who, when his teeming flocks are homeward had,
To blazing hearth repairs, and nutbrown beer,
And views well pleased the ruddy prattlers dear,
Hug the grey mungrel; meanwhile maid and lad
Squabble for roasted crabs. Thee, Sire, we hail,
Whether thine aged limbs thou dost enshroud
In vest of snowy white and hoary veil,
Or wrap'st thy visage in a sable cloud;

Thee we proclain with mirth and cheer, nor fail
To greet thee well with many a carol loud.

December 23. St. Servulus Confessor. Ten Martyrs of Crete. St. Victoria Virgin and Martyr.

Feriae Jovis. Laurentalia.-Rom. Cal.

Laurentia was the foster mother of Romulus, and the Laurentalia were festivals in her honour.

URANIA. A Pinar of the visible fixed Stars of each Magnitude in

FLORA. By this time, in all temperate and northern countries, the dreary look of midwinter prevails, and the naked gardens do not even possess the interest attached to the rubbishing appearance of them earlier in the winter, while the dead stalks of plants are still standing. Many flowers, however, in mild weather are still to be seen in that sparing and occasional manner we have described before; so that many people amuse themselves by making out a list of flowers and of reptiles to be seen on Christmas day. But the most bleak, dreary, and flowerless month is fast approaching, led by Janus and accompanied by Jack Frost, binding all up in his icy fetters. The hilarity, however, of intervening Christmas must first occupy our attention; and it is some satisfaction to those, who do not like winter, to know that the days are now beginning to lengthen again.

December 24. SS. Thrasilla and Emiliana Virgins. St. Gregory of Spoleto, Priest and Martyr.

Juvenalia vel ludi.-Rom. Cal.

It seems that juvenile games were practised this day in ancient Italy, but what sort of sports they were we are in a great measure ignorant of: they correspond, seemingly, to our Christmas night gambols, and afford another instance of the coincidence of Heathen and Christian customs.

Horace describes certain children's games in Sat. i.—

Aedificare casas, plostello adjungeré mures,
Ludere par impar, equitare in arundine longa.

And Gray alludes thus to sports :—

Say, Father Thames, for thou hast seen
Full many a sprightly race
Disporting on thy margent green
The paths of pleasure trace,

Who foremost now delight to cleave
With pliant arm thy glassy wave?

The captive Linnet which enthrall ?
What idle progeny succeed

To chase the rolling circle's speed,
Or urge the flying ball?

See a very curious 4to volume on the ancient games of skill by Mr. Revely. See also our December 26.

CHRISTMAS EVE.

On Christmas Eve the bells were rung;
On Christmas Eve the mass was sung;
That only night, in all the year,
Saw the stoled priest the chalice rear.
The damsel donned her kirtle sheen;
The hall was dressed with Holly green;
Forth to the wood did merry men go,
To gather in the Misletoe.

Then opened wide the baron's hall,
To vassal, tenant, serf, and all.

The ceremonies which take place on the Vigil of the Nativity are of a most pleasing character, and serve to amuse us in this dreary season of midwinter. The houses and churches stuck up with evergreens and their beautiful berries, the merry carols sung about the streets and in the villages, the waits or night music, and the cheerful bells, which begin their peal at midnight to hail the birthday of the Lord, whom the Christians of all sects concur in regarding as the Salvator of mankind, are naturally calculated to impress the imaginations with joyous ideas of the most lively sort; and these are in no small degree enhanced by the very numerous early recollections of childhood with which Christmas and its festivities are connected.

Thy welcome eve, loved Christmas, now arrived,
The churches' bells their tunefull peals resound,
And mirth and gladness every breast pervade.
The pondrous Ashen Faggot, from the yard,
The jolly farmer to his crowded hall

Conveys, with speed; where, on the rising flames,
Already fed with store of massy brands,