406 Astronomical and Nautical Collections. 
much space as naturally belonged to them, it would not be sur- 
prising if the foundations of his reasoning were somewhat de- 
ficient ‘in the certainty required for calculation. Without 
entering, therefore, into his modes of arguing and his geome- 
trical inferences, because I have always thought it best to avoid 
speaking of subjects with which I am not well acquainted, I 
shall here examine only those foundations which are of an 
elementary nature, and of a material form, and which M. Biot 
obtains immediately from the monument in question. 
“The elements of his investigation consist in the determina- 
tion of four principal stars, of which three are of the first rank. 
Fomalhaut, Antares, and Arcturus, and lastly, the aecena® star 
of Pegasus, named Sheat. 
“‘ If the reader will cast his eye on the lithographical repre- 
sentation of the zodiac, published by M. M. Saulnier and Lelor- 
rain, and will place immediately before him the sign Pisces, he 
will see, to the right of this sign, a figure of a man, standing, 
with a sceptre in his hand, and having on his head a sfar: it is 
this which M. Biot calls Sheat. 
“ Directly below the feet of the same figure we see another 
star accompanied also by some small hieroglyphical signs : 
this, according to M. Biot, is Fomalhaut. 
*‘ Between the Scorpion, and one of the scales of Libra, is a 
monstrous figure, with a human head, with the feet of a hippo- 
potamus, and a long tail, stretching out his arms, and holding 
in one of his hands an object which M. Biot believes to be a 
star, and which he calls Antares. 
“ Lastly, between ‘the second scale of the balance and the 
figure of the Virgin, is a personage with the head of a bullock, 
having a star before his face, which M. Biot has named 
Arcturus. 
“Tt is merely the degree of reliance that can be placed on 
the application of these names that I propose to examine; and 
I trust that the length of the time, that I have devoted to the 
study of the monuments of ancient Egypt, will allow me to 
undertake this task without presumption. 
‘“< If we consider attentively the whole character of the zodiac 
es 
