THE STARS FOR JULY.

In the northern map (p. 148) the Guardians have passed over to the left, or west, of due north. The Plough, or Dipper, now has its top-from 8 to a-nearly perpendicular to the horizon. The Camelopard is below the pole. The solitary star marked 2, near the fore-foot of the Giraffe belongs to the Lynx, a constellation of small stars, set by Hevelius in this barren region of the heavens. The constellation Perseus has nearly passed from below the pole close by the horizon, and a part of Auriga is taking its place. But the bright star, Capella, which is the glory of this constellation, is beneath the horizon at the hours named below the second northern map, for all places south of the horizon of Boston, and even for two degrees or so north of that horizon.

It is toward the south (p. 149) that at present the heavens present the most glorious display. The contrast, in fact, between the northern and southern skies is very strange. Toward the north, the region below the pole shows not a single star above the fourth magnitude. Toward the south, the corresponding region (that is, the region extending some 40 degrees from the horizon) is singularly rich in large stars, chief among them being Antares (the Scorpion), and perhaps the most beautiful stars. The word Antares means, in fact, Mars." Antares cannot, however, really be said to rival,

Heart of the of all the red "the rival of

in ruddiness or in splendour, the planet of war when at his brightest.

Libra, which by rights should hold sway as the southern zodiacal constellation one month out of the twelve, has passed the south at the time shown in the southern map. The sign Libra has thirty degrees, like the rest, and pro

bably the original constellation had its due extension. story is told by Servius to the effect that the original Chaldean zodiac had only eleven signs, and that Libra was made out of the claws of Scorpio. But there is ample evidence to show that both the sign and constellation Libra belonged to the earliest Chaldean and Egyptian zodiacs.

The figures of the Scorpion, Ophiuchus (the Serpentbearer), with his serpent, besides parts of Hercules (head, arm and club), Libra (the Scales), Sagittarius (the Archer) and Lupus (the Wolf), are shown in Fig. 23.

The large constellation Ophiuchus is not specially interesting. It has been supposed by some to represent Esculapius, and by others to be another celestial Hercules. Novidius insists that it prefigured the miracle of St. Paul and the viper, in which case the Maltese viper was considerably magnified in anticipation. The figure is a very absurd one, the legs being singularly feeble. But it must be admitted he is awkwardly placed. The serpent is quite enough to occupy his attention, yet a scorpion is ready to sting one leg and to pinch the other. The club of Hercules may be meant for the serpent, and the arrow of the Archer for the scorpion, but they seem to threaten the Serpentbearer at least as much.

In the constellation Corona Borealis, a star marked T will be noticed. Here no star can be seen; but in May, 1866, one blazed out here very brightly, and, though it soon faded in lustre, it is still visible with a telescope. Like the star which blazed out lately in the constellation Cygnus, this one was found to be shining with the light of glowing hydrogen gas. At its brightest it appeared as a star of the second magnitude. Its present lustre is about one eighthundredth part of that.

The ecliptic (the sun's path among the stars) still tends downward in both the southern maps. The place marked m in the first southern map is that reached by the sun moving in the direction shown by the arrow on or about October 10, when, passing from the sign Libra, he enters the sign Scorpio, of which m is the symbol. The place marked ↑ in the second southern map is that reached by the sun on or about November 22nd, when he enters the sign Sagittarius, of which is the symbol.

In the east (p. 152) the double part of the Milky Way has now risen high above the horizon, and in clear weather can be