1883.] Polydesmus complanatus. 395 
To this Virgil probably makes reference in the well-known 
lines : — 
“ Anne novum tardis sidus te mensibus addas, 
Qua locus Erigonen inter Chelasque sequentes 
Panditur : ipse tibi jam brachia contrahit ardens 
Scorpius, et cceli justa plus parte reliquit.” 
“ In the year 389 a.d. a star appeared near Altair, which 
remained visible for three weeks, rivalling the planet Venus 
in splendour. The next orbs of this class of which we have 
accounts are those mentioned by our correspondent, namely, 
those of 945, 1264, and 1572. Accounts of the 945 and 
1264 are very vague, but it is known that the stars were 
located near Cassiopeia. The star of 1572 was observed by 
Tycho Brahe, the celebrated Danish astronomer, who de- 
voted 478 closely-printed pages to its description. Tycho’s 
attention was drawn to the star, while passing from his 
laboratory to his dwelling (on November nth, 1572), by 
some peasants who were gazing at it. At the time of dis- 
covery its brilliancy equalled Sirius (the dog star), and it 
went on increasing until it surpassed Jupiter and Venus, 
and ultimately became visible at mid-day ; then it gradually 
faded away, passing out of sight in March, 1574. During 
the previous seventeen months its position was unaltered, 
but it is said to have changed in colour from white to yellow, 
red, and white successively. There is now a very small star 
within a very slight distance of the position recorded by 
Tycho, and, from the observations of Messrs. Hind and 
Plummer, its light appears sensibly variable. Very bright 
stars also appeared in 1604 and 1670 : the former, in Ophi- 
uchus, lasting over a year, and being at times nearly as 
bright as Venus ; the latter, in Cygnus, lasted two years, 
during which it reached the third magnitude, faded away, 
and shone forth again on more than one occasion prior to 
its final disappearance. During the present century similar 
luminaries have been observed to attain an unwonted degree 
of brightness, and then fade away until only the most power- 
ful telescopes can dete( 5 t any trace of them. A comparison 
of the dates given (945, 1264, 1572) shows a difference in 
the period which our present knowledge cannot account for, 
but astronomers of a future generation may possess inform- 
ation not at the command of those to-day, and thus account 
for that which to us is veiled in mystery.” 
The next notice of the Star of Bethlehem caught my eye 
in “ Science Gossip ” for May, the writer professing himself 
credulous on the subject. He says — “ The American papers 
are discussing the expected reappearance of this star, which 
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