408 Astronomical and Nautical Collections. 
because these two last are comprehended in the hieroglyphical 
groups, like the thirty-five others. As to Antares, Mr. Biot 
seems to have given up the question, by admitting that the 
monstrous figure placed between the Scorpion and one of the 
scales of the Balance, does not hold a star in his hand; and, in 
fact, the thing intended is really a vase, as may be observed by 
inspection of the monument itself, or even of the lithographical 
drawing, and by a comparison with the rectangular zodiac of 
Dendera, on which this figure is seen by the side of the Scorpion, 
holding two vases in its hands. All the existing drawings of 
this second zodiac agree in this point. 
** But since these thirty-eight figures of stars, grouped together 
with hieroglyphical symbols, do not really represent any celestial 
bodies, or at least do not shew their relative places, it remains 
for us to examine what office they really perform on the monu- 
ment of Dendera: and all the remains of Egyptian sculpture 
will agree in affording us a satisfactory answer. 
“Itis certain, [‘ Nous’ avons reconnu] that every hieroglyphi- 
cal group, placed on the head or by the side of the image of a 
deity, a man, or an animal, expresses the proper name of the 
object, or at least a peculiar and characteristic designation. 
This assertion is proved by innumerable examples. The short 
hieroglyphical inscriptions, which stand on the zodiac of Den- 
dera, above or by the side of the thirty-eight figures in question, 
can therefore only be their proper names. Consequently, the 
star termed Fomalhaut belongs to the proper name of Aries 
placed immediately below it, with its feet touching the circum- 
ference of the disc: Arcturus is a part of the proper name of 
the figure with a bullock’s head, and Sheat of that of the per- 
sonage standing and holding a sceptre. The positions of real 
stars that might be deduced from these representations are, 
therefore, without any foundation, since the representations are 
only constituent parts of the proper names belonging to the pic- 
tures of the personages, which could alone be considered as 
holding the places of the constellations, even if it were allowable 
to attach any great importance to their relative situations, as 
fixing their true positions; which is however extremely impro- 
