MAY was so called from the heathen goddess Maia, the mother of Mercury. (Some suppose the earth to have been worshipped under this name.) The Saxons called it Trimilki, because they began to milk their cows three times a day in this month.

The first of May, "May-day," is still celebrated in some parts of England as a holyday, and devoted to merry games and sports, which are thought to have arisen from the Roman games in honour of Flora, goddess of flowers. Our ancestors used to hold an assembly on May-day. The "column of May," or "May-pole," was put up in the

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Ey-commons," or "fields of May ;" and the signal for assembling the people was made by hanging the garland of flowers upon the top of the pole. This was considered the day that divided winter and summer; and a mock battle was fought between two parties, one in defence of the continuance of winter, dressed in winter-clothing; and the other in favour of bringing in the summer, in the gay and light dress of spring. The latter party was always sure to gain the victory, which it celebrated by going round with green branches and May-flowers, singing," We have brought the summer home."

The 29th of May is called "Oak-day," in remembrance of King Charles II.'s concealment in the Boscobel oak, after his defeat at the battle of Worcester; and in some places the common people wear oak-leaves in their hats on this day.

The "merry month of May" is perhaps the most pleasing time of the year. The latest summer birds of passage, the fern-owl, sedge-warbler, spotted fly-catcher, razor-bill, field-titlark, dottrel, reed-warbler, hobby, red-backed shrike, and land-rail, arrive about the beginning of the month; and most of our birds are busy hatching and rearing their young. Many insects are now on the wing; amongst others, the peacock, tortoise-shell, and cabbage butterflies, field-crickets, cock-chaffers, and glow-worms; and bees send forth their early swarms.

About the 12th of May, or old May-day, cows are turned out to pasture. The milk becomes very rich, and the business of cheese - making begins, particularly in

Cheshire, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire. Cow-cabbage and potatoes are planted, trees are barked and felled, corn is weeded. The gardener weeds his borders and sows his flower-seeds, and children may be seen busily employed in gathering cowslips for wine. Wild flowers are abundant; and the lily of the valley, the orchis, the honeysuckle, butter-cup, germander, and columbine, are in beauty. The flowers of the chestnut, oak, Scotch-fir, beech, hornbeam, holly, and alder-trees, begin to open.

In the gardens, the rose, lilac, laburnum, guelder-rose, rhododendron, peony, wall-flower, rockets and stocks, marigolds and anemones, are in full beauty.

JUNE is most probably named from Juno, the chief heathen goddess, in honour of whom a festival was held in this month. The Saxons called it Weyd-monath, because their beasts did then weyd or feed in the meadows; Wold, or weed-month; and Sere-monath, or dry month.

"Mid

The 21st of June is the longest day in the year. summer-day" is on the 24th; and the 23d, "Midsummereve," used to be a time for merry-making, and meeting round large bonfires in the open air; and some remains of this custom are still to be found in parts of Cheshire and Derbyshire.

Summer begins in this month. Nature is in her gayest dress; but towards the end of the month the birds become almost silent. The cuckoo's note ceases; and the lark, blackbird, stone-curlew, and golden-crested wren, are only heard occasionally. Most of the young birds are hatched, and the old birds busied in finding food for them. Swallows are only absent from their nests for half a minute at a time, and yet return loaded with insects. The barn-owl may be seen in the mild evenings gliding along hedgerows, and now and then pouncing upon a mouse. (Some writers say that she takes a mouse every five minutes.) A great number of insects are now on the wing. The air seems full of them; and grasshoppers, beetles, flies, butterflies, and fern-chaffers, are very numerous.

The angler's May-fly appears for about a fortnight at the beginning of June. This insect only lives five or six hours, from six o'clock in the evening till eleven. Wasps make their nests in this month. The farmer has much to do now. His sheep are to be sheared, turnips to be sown, old pastures to be cleared, young corn to be weeded, &c. &c., and the hay-harvest has begun.

There is not much to be done in gardens during June, beyond weeding and watering plants and removing insects. Fruits are ripening, and young potatoes fit for the table. The fields are covered with clover, peas, beans, and vetches, in full flower. The orchis tribe, thyme, nightshade, bindweed, bryony, poppy, ragged-robin, purple fox-glove, wild or dog-rose, corn-cockle, water-iris, mallow, catch-fly, and the lime and alder - trees, are in bloom; and in our gardens, the jasmine, hollyhock, tiger-lily, lily, campanu