Astronomical and Nautical Collections. 407 
we shall observe in it a great number of figures of men or of 
animals of different shapes, almost all of which are surmounted 
or preceded by a little group of hieroglyphical characters, dis- 
posed either‘on the same line, or some above the others; and 
all these groups contain one star. They are in number at least 
thirty-eight, five of which belong to figures within the zodiac, 
and the thirty-three others to the figures of men or animals, of 
which the feet rest on the circumference of the great disc 
enclosing the zodiac. 
“« The analogy of the position of the stars, in these hierogly- 
phical groups, establishes necessarily between them an analogy 
of expression ; and if four of these stars are really representa- 
tions of Arcturus, Antares, Fomalhaut, and Sheat, it follows of 
course that the thirty four others must also be the representa- 
tions of so many principal stars existing in the heavens ; and 
further, if we assert, with M. Biot, that the stars which he 
names Arcturus, Antares, Fomalhaut, and Sheat, are represented 
in the zodiac nearly in the positions which they actually occupy 
in the heavens, we must allow that the thirty-four other stars 
are also sculptured in their true places. 
“* We should, therefore, only have to look them out in a map 
of the heavens, by observing their positions and their relative 
distances, as expressed on the monument of Dendera, and espe- 
cially by setting out with the comparison derived from the well- 
known situations of the former four. 
“< Now such a mode of proceeding, which would be extremely 
easy if the state of things were such as is supposed, becomes, 
in fact, totally impossible; since thirty-five of these stars, in- 
cluding that which would be called Fomalhaut, are arranged 
symmetrically on the monument, and form a circle concentric 
with the whole representation. Now nothing like this is to be 
found in the heavens. 
“It must, therefore, unavoidably be admitted, first, that these 
thirty-five figures of stars cannot represent of themselves any 
stars in the heavens, and that they do not stand in their places ; 
secondly, and consequently, that the two other images of stars 
named by M, Biot, cannot represent Arcturus and Sheat, 
