SUN, PARALLAX OF THE 166 SUNDAY-SCHOOIi ©3,000,000 miles. More time, labor, and money have been expended in the de- termination of the polar parallax than of any other astronomical constant, on account of its importance in giving us an accurate base line with which to gauge the solar system and then strike out into the depths of stellar space. Before the last transit of Venus it was thought that careful observation would give an exceed- ingly accurate value of this constant; but these hopes were disappointed, and it is known that we have at hand at any time more accurate methods of determining the distance of the sun than frorti any possible observation of a transit of Venus. The most accurate direct method is likely to be the direct measurement of the parallax of the nearer and brighter asteroids by the heliometer. SUN YAT-SEN, a Chinese revolution- ary leader, born in 1866, near Canton. When still young, he was taken by his parents to Hawaii, where he attended lolani College. He later graduated from the Hongkong School of Medicine, and for a year practiced at Macao. Soon, however, he gave himself up to the project of driving the Manchu dynasty from China. He attempted a revolt in 1895, which failed, and he fled to Japan and later to Honolulu and San Fran- cisco. He organized the Chinese living abroad in all countries into a reform as- sociation to aid the coming revolution. Although large rewards were offered by the government for his death, he escaped without harm. The revolution of 1911 was chiefly successful through the preparations made by him, and he was elected provisional president of the Chinese Republic. He resigned in 1912 in favor of Yuan Shih-kai, in order to induce the latter to join the Republican cause. He later incurred the hostility of Yuan and was obliged to retire to Japan, He continued to agitate for reforms in China and was largely responsible for the rebellions of 1913, 1915, and 1916. SUNART, LOCH, an inlet in Scotland, in the W. of Argyleshire, opening into the Sound of Mull. It is about 20 miles long, and varies in breadth from less than Vz mile to 3 miles. SUN BITTERN, in ornithology, the Eurypya helias, from the N. parts of South America. It is about 16 inches long; body small and thin, neck long and slender, head like that of a heron, with a long, powerful beak compressed at the sides and slightly arched at the culmen; the plumage is minutely variegated with bars and spots of many colors. It is often made a pet by the Brazilians, who call it pavao (=:peacock), whence it is sometimes called the peacock heron. SUNBURY, a borough and county-seat of Northumberland co.. Pa., on the Sus- quehanna river, and on the Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia and Reading rail- roads; 56 miles N. of Harrisburg. It is an important shipping point for coal. It contains a court house, high school, and electric railroad, numerous churches, a National bank, and daily and weekly newspapers. It has door and sash mills, coffin and casket factory, hosiery mill, several large railroad shops, nail works, and silk, saw, and rolling mills. Pop. (1910) 13,770; (1920) 15,721. SUNDA ISLANDS, the name by which all the islands of the Malay Archipelago west of the Molucca and Banda Seas are known. The four large Sundas are Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and Celebes, and the lesser Sundas are Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, Timor, etc.; the name is derived from the Sundanese Malayan people of West Java. SUNDAY, WILLIAM ASHLEY, an American evangelist, born at Ames, la., in 1863. He was educated at the High School of Nevada, la., and at Northwest- ern University. From 1883 to 1890 he was a professional baseball player with
- he Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia
teams of the National League; from 1891 to 1895 assistant secretary at the Y. M. C. A., Chicago; and since 1896 he has been continuously engaged in evan- gelistic services. Although his methods were extremely spectacular and found opposition in many quarters, he met with remarkable success and held meetings in most of the important cities of the United States. In 1903 he was ordained a pres- byterian minister by the Chicago Pres- bytery, which body made him a delegate to the General Assembly of the Presby- terian Church, U. S. A., at Columbus, Ohio, May 1918. SUNDAY - SCHOOL, according to Schaff, "an assembly of persons on the Lord's day for the study of the Bible, moral and religious instruction, and the worship of the true God. It is a method of training the young and ignorant in the duties we owe to God and to our neighbor." Sunday-schools may be said to have passed through three distinct phases: (1) Early Christian catechetical schools, for the preparation of converts for church-membership, and the instruc- tion of the young and ignorant in the knowledge of God and of salvation. The scholars committed passages of Scripture
