CANDLEMAS

, or the Purification, a feast of the church, held on the 2d of February, in memory of the purification of the Virgin; taking its name of Candlemas, either from the number of lighted candles used by the Romish church, in the processions of this day, or because that the church then consecrated candles for the whole year.

CANES Venatici, the Hounds, or the Greyhounds, one of the new constellations of the northern hemisphere, which Hevelius has formed out of the unformed stars of the old catalogues. These two dogs are farther distinguished by the names of asterion and chara. They contain 23 stars according to Hevelius, but 25 in the British catalogue.