MARCH

, the 3d month of the year, according to the common way of computing, and consists of 31 days. The sun enters the sign Aries about the 20th or 21st day of this month.

Among the Romans, March was the first month; and in some ecclesiastical computations, that order is still preserved. In England, before the alteration of the ftile, March was the 1st month in order, the year always commencing with the 25th day of the month.

It has been said it was Romulus who first divided the year into months; to the first of which he gave the name of his supposed father Mars. It is observed by Ovid, however, that the people of Italy had the month of March before the time of Romulus; but that they placed it differently; some making it the third, some the 4th, some the 5th, and others the 10th month of the year.

MARINE Barometer. See Barometer.

MARINERS-Compass. See Compass.