198 The Rev. E. Hincks on the Years and Cycles, Sfc. 



the names and the mythological patrons of the several months v?ere assigned to 

 them, the vernal equinox and the summer solstice would both fall a day later in 

 the year. Now, it has been satisfactorily shown by M. Biot, that the normal 

 position of the vernal equinox, according to his view of the matter, that is, 

 according to mine, its position in the old fixed year, was in the fifth month, 

 Tybi ; while that of the summer solstice was in the ninth month, Pachon ; and 

 should have been at its very commencement. If we suppose, as I now do, that 

 the months primarily consisted of thirty and thirty-one days alternately, both 

 these conditions would be exactly complied with. The 151st and 152nd days 

 of the year, between which the vernal equinox would fluctuate, would be the 

 29th and 30th days of Tybi ; while the 245th and 246th days, on one or other 

 of which the summer solstice would fall, would be the 1st and 2nd days of 

 Pachon. On the other hypothesis of twelve equal months, and five or six 

 epagomenae at the end, the vernal equinox would fall out of the limits of Tybi ; 

 while the summer solstice would not occur before the 5th or 6th of Pachon. 

 From these considerations it now appears to me quite evident, that the equaliza- 

 tion of the months took place very little before the introduction of the wandering- 

 year, for which it prepared the way ; if, Indeed, the two changes did not take 

 place at the same time ; the five extra days of the alternate months being 

 gathered together at the end of the year, on the occasion of the wandering year 

 being substituted for the fixed one. 



