moderns. It is even said that the crew were able to carry it on their backs from the Danube to the Adriatic.

According to many authors, she had a beam on her prow, cut in the forest of Dondona by Minerva, which had the power of giving oracles to the Argonauts. This ship was the first, it is said, that ever ventured on the sea. After the expedition was finished, and Jason had returned in triumph, he ordered her to be drawn ashore at the isthmus of Corinth. and consecrated to Neptune, the god of the sea.

Sir Isaac Newton endeavours to settle the period of this expedition at about 30 years before the destruction of Troy; and 43 years after the death of Solomon. Dr. Bryant, however, rejects the history of the Argonautic expedition as a mere fiction of the Greeks, and supposes that this group of stars, which the poets denominate Argo Navis, refers to Noah's ark and the deluge, and that the fable of the Argonautic expedition, is founded on certain Egyptian traditions that related to the preservation of Noah and his family during the flood.

CANCER.

THE CRAB, is now the fifth constellation and fourth sign of the Zodiac. It is situated in the ecliptic, between Leo on the E. and Gemini on the W. It contains 83 stars, of which, one is of the 3d, and seven of the 4th magnitude. Some place the first-mentioned star in the same class with the other seven, and consider none larger than the 4th magnitude.

Beta, is a star of the 3d or 4th magnitude, in the southwestern claw, 10° N. E. of Procyon, and may be known from the fact that it stands alone, or at least has no star of the same magnitude near it. It is midway between Procyon and Acubens.

Acubens, is a star of similar brightness, in the southeastern claw, 100 N. E. of Beta, and nearly in a straight line with it and Procyon. An imaginary line drawn from Capella through Pollux, will point out Acubens, at the distance of 24° from Pollux. It may be otherwise distinguished by its standing between two very small stars close by it in the same claw.

Tegmine, the last in the back, appears to be a small star, of between the 5th and 6th magnitudes, 80 in a northerly direction from Beta. It is a treble star, and to be distinctly seen, requires very favourable circumstances. Two of them are so near together that it requires a telescopic power of 300 to separate them.

About 70 northeasterly from Tegmine, is a nebulous cluster of very minute stars, in the crest of Cancer, sufficiently luminous to be seen by the naked eye. It is situated in a triangular position with regard to the head of the Twins and the Little Dog. It is about 20° W. of each. It may otherwise be discovered by means of two conspicuous stars

What is the relative position of Cancer among the signs and constellations of the Zodiac? How is it situated? What are the number and magnitude of its stars? Where is Beta situated, and how may it be known? Which way from Procyon and Acubens? Describe Acubens. What are its distance and direction from Pollux? How may it be otherwise known? Describe Tegmine. There is a remarkable cluster in this con. stellation-describe its position. How may it otherwise be discovere

of the 4th magnitude lying one on either side of it, at the distance of about 2°, called the northern and southern Aselli. By some of the Orientalists, this cluster was denominated Presepe, the Manger, a contrivance which their fancy fitted up for the accommodation of the Aselli or Asses; and it is so called by modern astronomers. The appearance of this nebula to the unassisted eye, is not unlike the nucleus of a comet, and it was repeatedly mistaken for the comet of 1832, which, in the month of November, passed in its neighbourhood.

The southern Asellus, marked Delta, is situated in the line of the ecliptic and in connexion with Wasat and Tejat, marks the course of the earth's orbit for a space of 36° from the solstitial colure.

There are several other double and nebulous stars in this constellation, most of which are too small to be seen; and indeed, the whole constellation is less remarkable for the brilliancy of its stars than any other in the Zodiac.

The sun arrives at the sign Cancer about the 21st of June, but does not reach the constellation until the 23d of July! The mean right ascension of Cancer is 128°. It is consequently on the meridian the 3d of March.

A few degrees S. of Cancer, and about 17° E. of Procyon, are four stars of the 4th magnitude, 3° or 4° apart, which mark the head of Hydra. This constellation will be described on Map III.

The beginning of the sign Cancer (not the constellation) is called the Tropic of Cancer, and when the sun arrives at this point, it has reached its utmost limit of north declination, where it seems to remain stationary a few days, before it begins to decline again to the south. This stationary attitude of the sun is called the summer solstice; from two Latin words signifying the sun's standing still. The distance from the first point of Cancer to the equinoctial, which at present, is 23° 27', is called the obliquity of the ecliptic. It is a remarkable and well ascertained fact, that this is continually growing less and less. The tropics are slowly and steadily approaching the equinoctial, at the rate of about half a second every year; so that the sun does not now come so far north of the equator in summer, nor decline so far south in winter, as it must have done at the creation, by nearly a degree.

HISTORY.-In the Zodiacs of Esne, and Dendera, and in most of the astrological remains of Egypt, a Scarabæus, or Beetle, is used as the symbol of this sign; but in Sir William Jones's Oriental Zodiac, and in some others found in India, we meet with the figure of a crab. As the Hindoos, in all probability, derived their knowledge of the stars from the Chaldeans, it is supposed that the figure of the crab, in this place, is more ancient than the Beetle."

In some eastern representations of this sign, two animals, like asses, are found in this division of the Zodiac; and as the Chaldaic name for the ass may be translated muddiness, it is supposed to allude to the discolouring of the Nile, which river was rising when the sun entered Cancer. The Greeks, in copying this sign, have placed two asses as the appropriate symbol of it, which still re

What is the name of this cluster? What is its appearance to the naked eye, and for what has it been mistaken? How is the star called the southern Aselius, situated, with respect to the ecliptic? What other stars in this constellation? At what time does the sun enter the sign Cancer? At what time the constellation? Where is the tropic of Cancer situated? When the sun reaches this point what is said of its declination? What is this stationary attitude of the sun called? What is the obliquity of the ecliptic? What remarkable fact in respect to this distance? Does his affect the stability of the tropics.

m. They explain their reason, however, for adopting this figure, by saying at these are the animals that assisted Jupiter in his victory over the giants. Dopuis accounts for the origin of the asses in the following words :--Le Can cer. où sont les étoiles appellées les anes, forme l'impreinte du pavillon d' ls. sachar que Jacob assimile à l'ane.

Mythologists give different accounts of the origin of this constellation. The prevailing opinion is, that while Hercules was engaged in his famous contest with the dreadful Lernæan monster, Juno, envious of the fame of his achievements, sent a sea-crab to bite and annoy the hero's feet, but the crab being soon despatched, the goddess to reward its services, placed it among the constella tions.

"The Scorpion's claws here clasp a wide extent,
And here the Crab's in lesser clasps are bent."

CHAPTER VI.

DIRECTIONS FOR TRACING THE CONSTELLATIONS WHICH ARE ON THE MERIDIAN IN APRIL.

LEO.

THE LION.-This is one of the most brilliant constellations in the winter hemisphere, and contains an unusual number of very bright stars. It is situated next E. of Cancer, and directly S. of Leo Minor and the Great Bear.

The Hindoo Astronomer, Varaha, says, "Certainly the southern solstice was once in the middle of Asleha (Leo); the northern in the first degree of Dhanishta" (Aquarius). Since that time, the solstitial. as well as the equinoctial points, have gone backwards on the ecliptic 75°. This divided by 50, gives 5373 years; which carry us back to the year of the world 464. Sir W. Jones, says, that Varaha lived when the solstices were in the first degrees of Cancer and Capricorn; or about 400 years before the Christian era.

Leo is the fifth sign, and the sixth constellation of the Zodiac. The mean right ascension of this extensive group is 150°, or 10 hours. Its centre is therefore on the meridian the 6th of April. Its western outline, however, comes to the meridian on the 18th of March, while its eastern limit does not reach it before the 3d of May.

This constellation contains 95 visible stars, of which two are of the 1st magnitude, two of the 2d, six of the 3d, and fifteen of the 4th.

"Two splendid stars of highest dignity,
Two of the second class the Lion boasts,

And justly figures the fierce summer's rage.'

The principal star in this constellation is of the 1st magnitude, situated in the breast of the animal, and named Regulus, from the illustrious Roman consul of that name.

What is the general appearance of the constellation Leo? Where is it situated? What is the relative order among the signs and constellations of the Zodiac? What is the right ascension of Leo, and when is its centre on the meridian? When do the outlines of the figure come to the meridian? What number of visible stars does it contain, and how large are the principal ones? What is the name of the first star in tho Constellation, and whence is it derived?

It is situated almost exactly in the ecliptic, and may be readily distinguished on account of its superior brilliancy. It is the largest and lowest of a group of five or six bright stars which form a figure somewhat resembling a sickle, in the neck and shoulder of the Lion. There is a little star of the 5th magnitude about 20 S. of it, and one of the 3d mag.. nitude 5o N. of it, which will serve to point it out.

Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation, except Denebola, in the tail, 25° E. of it. Great use is made of Regulus by nautical men, for determining their longitude at sea. Its latitude, or distance from the ecliptic, is less than 10; but its declination, or distance from the equinoctial is nearly 13° N.; so that its meridian altitude will be just equal to that of the sun on the 19th of August. Its right ascension is very nearly 150°. It therefore culminates about 9 o cock on the 6th of April.

When Regulus is on the meridian, Castor and Pollux are seen about 400 N. W. of it, and the two stars in the Little Dog, are about the same distance in a S W. direction; with which, and the two former, it makes a large isosceles triangle whose vertex is at Regulus.

The next considerable star, is 5° N. of Regulus, marked Eta, situated in the collar; it is of between the 3d and 4th magnitudes, and, with Regulus, constitutes the handle of the sickle. Those three or four stars of the 3d magnitude, N. and W. of Eta, arching round with the neck of the animal, describe the blade.

Al Gieba, is a bright star of the 2d magnitude, situated in the shoulder, 4° in a N. E. direction from Eta, and may be easily distinguished by its being the brightest and middle one of the three stars lying in a semicircular form, curving towards the west; and it is the first in the blade of the sickle.

Adhafera, is a star of the 3d magnitude, situated in the neck, 40 N. of Al Gieba, and may be known by a very minute star just below it. This is the second star in the blade of the sickle.

Ras al Asad, situated before the ear, is a star of the 3d or 4th magnitude, 60 W. of Adhafera, and is the third in the blade of the sickle. The next star, Epsilon, of the same magnitude, situated in the head, is 21° S. W. of Ras al Asad, and a little within the curve of the sickle. About midway

Describe the situation of Regulus. What other stars serve to point it out? What is its comparative brightness? What use is made of it in nautical astronomy? What are its latitude and declination? On what day will Regulus culminate at 9 o'clock in the evening? When is it on the meridian, with what stars does it form a large triangle, and in what direction are they from it? What are the name and position of the next considerable star in its vicinity? What stars form the blade of the sickle? Where is Al Gieba situated, and how may it be distinguished? What is the position of Adhafera and how may it be known? Describe the situation of Ras al Asad.

between these, and a little to the E., is a very small star, hardly visible to the naked eye.

Lambda, situated in the mouth, is a star of the 4th magnitude, 310 S. W. of Epsilon, and the last in the sickle's point. Kappa, situated in the nose, is another star of the same magnitude, and about as far from Lambda as Epsilon. Epsilon and Kappa are about 510 apart, and form the longest side of a triangle, whose vertex is in Kappa.

Zozma, situated in the back of the Lion, is a star of the 2d magnitude, 18° N. E. of Regulus, and midway between it and Coma Berenices, a fine cluster of small stars, 180 N. E. of Zozma.

Theta, situated in the thigh, is another star of the 3d magnitude, 5° directly S. of Zozma, and so nearly on the same meridian that it culminates but one minute after it. This star makes a right angled triangle with Zozma on the N. and Denebola on the E., the right angle being at Theta.

Nearly in a straight line with Zozma, and Theta, and south of them, are three or four smaller stars, 4o or 5° apart, which mark one of the legs.

Denebola, is a bright star of the 1st magnitude, in the brush of the tail, 100 S. E. of Zozma, and may be distinguished by its great brilliancy. It is 50 W. of the equinoctial colure, and comes to the meridian 1 hour and 41 minutes after Regulus, on the 3d of May; when its meridian altitude is the same as the sun's at 12 o'clock the next day.

When Denebola is on the meridian, Regulus is seen 250 W. of it, and Phad, in the square of Ursa Major, bears 39° N. of it. It forms, with these two, a large right angled triangle; the right angle being at Denebola. It is so nearly on the same meridian with Phad that it culminates only four minutes before it.

Denebola is 3540 W. of Arcturus, and about the same distance N. W. of Spica Virginis, and forms, with them, a large equilateral triangle on the S. E. It also forms with Arcturus and Cor Caroli a similar figure, nearly as large on the N. E. These two triangles, being joined at their base, constitute a perfect geometrical figure of the forms of a Rhombus called by some, the DIAMOND OF VIRGO.

A line drawn from Denebola through Regulus, and continued 70 or 80 further in the same direction, will point out Xi and Omicron, of the 3d and 4th magnitudes, situated in the fore claws, and about 3° apart.

What star is next? Describe the position of Lambda? What are the situation and magnitude of Kappa? What is the distance between Epsilon and Kappa? Describe the position of Zozma? What are the magnitude and position of Theta? What geometrical figure may be formed with this star, Zozma and Denebola? What stars in this neighbourhood mark one of the legs of Leo? Describe Denebola? How far is it from the equinoctial colure, and when does it come to the meridian? When Denebola is on the meridian, what geometrical figure does it form, in connexion with Regulus and Phod? With what other star is it nearly on the same meridian? What is the position of Denebola in regard to Arcturus and Spica Virginis, and what figure does it form with them? With what other stars does Denebola form a similar figure? What large geometrical figure is formed by these two triangles? What stars point out those in the fore claws?