As the end of February was five days before the 1st or kalends of March, the extra day was known by the phrase _bis sexto_ (_ante_) _calendus martii_.

Hence the fourth year is termed in the calendar _bissextile_, but is more usually called by us in England _leap year_." "The remedy is certainly simple; but are your figures perfectly square?
If you add a day every four years, do you not overleap the earth's fraction ?" "Yes, from ten to eleven minutes." "And what becomes of these minutes?
Are they allowed to run up another score ?" "No, not exactly.

In 1582, the civil year had got ten clear days the start of the solar year, and Pope Gregory XIII.

resolved to cancel them, which he effected by calling the day after the 4th of October the 15th." "That manner of altering the rig and squaring the yards," said Willi laughing, "would make the people that lived then ten days older.

If it had been ten years, the matter would have been serious.