eye, the largest of which is of the 3d magnitude, and called Lucido Pleiadum. Five stars in the face of Taurus are called the Hyades.

Taurus is supposed by some to be the animal under the figure of which Jupiter carried away Europa, the daughter of Agenor, king of Phenicia, to the island of Crete. As it was the custom of the ancients to have images on their ships, both at the head and stern, the first of which was called the sign, from which the ship was named, and the other was that of the tutelar deity to whose care the ship was committed; it is supposed by some that this circumstance gave rise to the fable, that Europa was carried away by Jupiter under the figure of Taurus. Some supposed that Europa lived about 1552 years before the Christian era. See the history of Europa in Lempriere's Classical Dictionary.

5. GEMINI: In this constellation are two remarkable stars called Castor and Pollux, the former is of the first, and the latter of the second magnitude.

Castor and Pollux were the sons of Jupiter by Leda, the wife of Tyndarus, king of Laconia. They embarked with Jason to go in quest of the golden fleece, and both behaved with superior courage. During ing the Argonautic expedition, in a violent storm, a flame of fire was seen to play around the head of each of them, and immediately the tempest ceased; from this occurrence their power to protect sailors has been credited; and the tw) fires, which are very common in storms, have since been called Castor and Pollux. These brothers cleared the Hellespont, and the adjacent seas, of pirates; on which account they have always been deemed the friends of navigation. The appearance of these stars together was, according to many ancient writers, thought favourable to mariners; and therefore for a good omen, they had them carved or painted on the head of the ship, and gave it a name from thence. The Alexandrian vessel in which Paul sailed from Melita or Malta, to Syracuse in Sicily, had for its sign, and consequently its name, Castor and Pollux.

6. CANCER: There are no stars of the first three magnitudes in this constellation, and therefore it is less remarkable than any other in the zodiac.

This is supposed to be the sea-crab which Juno sent to bite the foot of Hercules, while he fought the serpent Hydra, in the lake of Lerna, which was situated near Argos in the Peloponnesus. This new enemy was soon dispatched; and Juno, unable to succeed in her attempts to lessen the fame of Hercules, placed the crab among the constellations.

LEO: Regulus of the 1st, and ẞor Denebola of the 2nd magnitude, are the principal stars in this constellation. There are also several remarkable stars of the 3d magnitude in Leo.

Leo is supposed to be the famous lion killed by Hercules on mount Citheron, which preyed on the flocks of Amphitryon, his supposed father, and which laid waste the adjacent country. Others suppose it to be the Nemæan lion which was sent by Juno against Hercules; being slain by this hero. the goddess placed the animal among the constellations.

8. VIRGO: Spica Virginis of the 1st, and Vindemiatrix of the 3d magnitude, are the principal stars in this constellation.

This constellation is supposed to take its rise from the Virgin Astræa, the goddess of justice. She lived upon the earth, as the poets mention, during the golden age; but the wickedness and impiety of mankind drove her to heaven in the brazen and iron ages, and she was placed among the constellations under the name of Virgo. She is represented as a virgin, with a stern but majestic countenance, holding a pair of scales in one hand, and a sword in the other. Some, however, maintain that Erigone was changed into the constellation Virgo. Her father Icarius, an Athenian, perished by the hands of some shepherds, whom he had intoxicated with wine. When Erigone heard of her father's death, she hung herself, and was afterwards changed into the constellation Virgo.

9. LIBRA: a, or Zubenelchamali of the 2nd magnitude, is the principal star in this constellation.

Libra is supposed to be the balance of Astræa, with which that goddess is always painted; hence this constellation is

called by Virgil, "Astræa's balance." Others suppose that Jupiter made Themis the goddess of love and justice, and placed her balance among the constellations.

of the

10. SCORPIO: Antares of the 1st, and 2nd magnitude, are the principal stars in this constellation.

This is supposed to be the Scorpion which stung to death the boasting hunter Orion; on account of which, Jupiter placed the Scorpion among the constellations.

According to Ovid, this serpent was produced by the earth, to punish Orion for his vanity in boasting that there was not on earth any animal which he could not conquer.

11. SAGITTARIUS: There are no stars of the 1st or 2nd magnitude in this constellation.

It is supposed that Sagittarius took its name from Chiron, the famous Centaur, who had changed himself into a horse, to elude the jealous inquiries of his wife Rhea.

Chiron was famous for his knowledge of music, medicine, and shooting. He taught mankind the use of plants and medicinal herbs; and instructed in all the polite arts the greatest heroes of his age. He taught Esculapius physic; Apollo music; Hercules astronomy; and was tutor to Achilles. Being accidentally wounded by Hercules with a poisoned arrow, and the wound being incurable, and the cause of excruciating pains, Chiron begged of Jupiter to deprive him of immortality. His prayers were propitious, and he was therefore placed by that god among the constellations of the zodiac, under the name of Sagittarius, the Archer. Some, however, assert that Crocus, a famous hunter, (not the youth mentioned by Ovid, who, for love of the nymph Smilax, was changed into a flower,) was, at the request of the Muses, metamorphosed into this sign.

12. CAPRICORNUS: In this constellation there are no stars of the first or second magnitude; nor any remarkable star of the third.

Capricornus is supposed to be Pan, the god of shepherds, of huntsmen, and of all the inhabitants of the country, who,

fleeing from the giant Tiphon into the river Nile, transformed himself into a sea-goat, upon which account Jupiter placed him among the constellations. Others suppose this constellation to be the goat Amalthea, which fed Jupiter with her milk.

13. AQUARIUS; Scheat of the third magnitude, is the principal star in this constellation.

Aquarius is supposed to be the famous Ganymede, a beautiful youth of Phrygia, son of Tros, king of Troy. He was taken up to heaven by Jupiter, under the figure of an eagle, as he was tending his father's flock on Mount Ida; and he became the cup-bearer of the gods, in place of Hebe, the goddess of youth, who had been dismissed from this office by Jupiter, because she fell down a little disorderly as she was pouring nectar at a grand festival.

14. PISCES: In this constellation there is only one star of the 3d, and none of the 1st or 2nd magnitude.

These are said to be the fishes into which Venus and her son Cupid transformed themselves, to avoid the fury of Typhon when he assailed heaven. There are various other opinions relating to this constellation. See Francœur's Uranographia, or Traite Elementaire D'Astronomie.

QUESTIONS.

How many stars of the first magnitude are there in the zodaical constellations, and what are they called?

What effect has the recession of the equinoctial points upon the constellations of the zodiac ? Name the circumstances.

Of what magnitude are the principal stars in Aries, and what are they called ? Of what magnitude are the principal stars in Taurus, and what are they called?

Of what magnitude are the principal stars in Ge

mini, and what are they called ?

Of what magnitude is the most remarkable star

in Cancer, and what is its name?

Of what magnitude are the principal stars in Leo, and what are they called ?

Of what magnitude are the principal stars in Virgo, and what are they called ?

What is the most remarkable star in Libra called?

Of what magnitude are the principal stars in Scorpio, and what are they called ?

Are there any remarkable stars in Sagittarius ? Of what magnitude is the principal star in Aquarius, and what is it called?

Of what magnitude is the principal star in Pisces?

CHAPTER III.

Of the northern constellations, and fables relative to

them.

1. In the northern constellations, which are thirty-seven in number, there are six remarkable stars of the first, twelve of the second, and three of the third magnitude.

The names of the northern constellations and of the host remarkable stars in each, are given in the second table of the preceding Chapter. The student should commit hose names to memory.