J. W.—The earliest calendars, as the Jewish, the Egyptian, and the Greek, did not begin the year where we do now; and the Jewish year, which opened on the 25th of March, continued to have a legal position in many Christian countries until a comparatively recent period. In England, it was not until 1752 that the 1st of January became the initial day of the legal, as it had long been of the popular, year. Several other countries made this change earlier than England—France in 1564, Scotland in 1600, Holland and Russia in 1700.
The Roman calendar, which made January the first month of the year, is credited to the second King of Rome, Numa Pompilius, more than six hundred years b.c. He added two months to the ten into which the year had been previously divided, and called the first one Januarius, in honor of Janus, the deity supposed to preside over doors.
Our Saxon ancestors originally called this the Wolf-month (Wolf-monat), because wolves were more than usually ravenous and daring in that season of the year.
A. T. G.—Snow crystals were first observed by the arctic explorer Scoresby, and for a time they were supposed to be peculiar to the polar regions. It was found, however, that these crystals were formed wherever snow falls. An interesting account of these beautiful formations, with engravings of many of them, was given in Young People No. 15.
F. T. B.—When metal pins were invented and brought into use, about the beginning of the sixteenth century, they were a very acceptable New-Year's gift to ladies, and money given for the purchase of them was called "pin-money"—an expression which has come to mean the money set apart for a wife's private expenses.
Inquisitive Jim.—The best account of Petra, the wonderful rock-hewn city of Arabia, is to be found in Stephens's book of travels called Egypt, Petra, and the Holy Land. The present name of the little valley where it was situated is Wady Musa. The city, shut in by high cliffs, occupied an area of about half a mile square. The valley is watered by a stream, and the principal entrance is through a deep ravine, with rugged cliffs 300 feet high on each side. In ancient times Petra was a very strong city. It is mentioned in the Bible under the name of Selah, and received its present name, which signifies rock, from the Greeks, about 300 b.c. It was finally destroyed, by whom is not known, and was not heard of after the sixth century a.d. until it was discovered in 1812 by the traveller Burckhardt. The ruins, consisting of tombs, a theatre, temple, etc., are very interesting and picturesque.