6^ NATURAL HISTORY 



also clear the Summer heliotrope to the north 

 of it. 



By this simple expedient it would soon 

 appear that there is no such thing, strictly- 

 speaking, as a solstice : for, from the shortest 

 day, the owner would, every clear evening, 

 see the disc advancing, at its setting, to 

 the westward, of the object ; and, from the 

 longest day, observe the sun retiring back- 

 wards every evening at its setting, towards 

 the object westward, till, in a few nights, it 

 would set quite behind it, and so by de- 

 grees to t\\e west of it: for when the sun 

 comes near the Summer solstice, the whole 

 disc of it would at first set behind the ob- 

 ject ; after a time the northern limb would 

 first appear, and so every night gradually 

 more, till at length the whole diameter 

 would set northward of it for about three 

 nights ; but on the middle night of the 

 three, sensibly more remote than the former 

 or following. When beginning its recess 

 from the Summer tropic, it would continue 

 more and more to be hidden every night, 



