Jan. 24, 1889] 



NATURE 



309 



senses: (i) for electrical energy, which is measured in watts ; 



(2) for electric currents, which are measured in fl!w/^r<rj ; and 



(3) for electrical quantity, which is measured in coulombs. 



Jofe has discovered that the resistance of cobalt in a magnetic 

 field is increased in the direction of lines of force, and diminished 

 in directions at right angles to them. 



i 



STAR NAMES AMONGST THE ANCIENT 

 CHINESE. 



TN two recent numbers of the Chinese Rtzueiv (vol. xvi. Nos. 

 5-6) the well known scholar, Dr. Joseph Edkins, writes on 

 the subject of star naming among-t the ancient Chinese. He 

 says that there are two great periods of star naming in ancient 

 China, the first being about B.C. 2300, and the second during 

 the Chow dynasty from B.C. 1 120 to B.C. 220. The real be- 

 ginning of Chinese astronomy is, in Dr. Edkins's opinion, to be 

 found in the period preceding B.C. 2300, about which date, by 

 command of the Emperor Yan, the observation of the meridian 

 stars was made. Amongst primitive Chinese observers our 

 Scorpion was a dragon, Aquarius a serpent or tortoise, Taurus a 

 tiger, and Leo a bird. These figures were, however, larger 

 than our zodiacal signs ; for instance, the chief portion of Virgo, 

 Leo, and Cancer would form the Red Bird. At that remote 

 period we find that Chinese astronomers divided the heavens 

 into four large sections, and twenty-eight small groups or con- 

 stellations. The former, the large ones, are all animals, and are 

 arranged from east to west, while the constellations are arranged 

 from west to east. There were seven eastern constellations 

 forming the Green Dragon — which comprised the stars in Libra, 

 Scorpio, and Sagittarius ; seven southern constellations, the 

 Red Bird, or /vw^-//7t/a«_o-_comprising Cancer, Leo, and 

 Virgo ; seven western constellations, the White Tiger — made 

 up of Aries, Taurus, and Gemini ; and the seven northern 

 constellations, the Dark Warriors — or the Serpent or Tortoise. 

 Each group, whether large or small, had its Chinese name. The 

 Red Bird or Pheasant is the constellation of summer or the 

 south ; the Dragon, of spring or the east ; the Tiger, of autumn or 

 the west ; and the Serpent or Tortoise, of winter or the north. 

 Since the Great Bear points to Spica Virginis, the Chinese 

 astronomers made the group led by Spica the group of spring. 

 Another reason for thus making Spica the gate of the year is, 

 perhaps, to be found in the fact that the Babylonians, from 

 whom the Chinese probably got their astronomy, for a long 

 time regarded Scorpio as the first of the signs. This is, of 

 course, a mere iiuess, for we cannot, after this lapse of time, tell 

 how much of the astronomical knowledge of the Chinese is 

 derived from external sources. On the probable Babylonish 

 origin of some of the astronomical knowledge of the Chinese, 

 Dr. Edkins says : — "The contests of the early Buddhists with 

 the worshippers of fire show that the Persian religion was pro- 

 pagated ill Intlia during and after the sixth century before 

 Christ, and the eagerness with which the Hindus adopted the 

 Greek astronomy after Alexander's invasion of India, as well 

 as our knowledge of the fondness of the Buddhists for astrology, 

 make it probable that Babylonian ideas on the stars were 

 familiarly known in ancient India, during the period when they 

 became popular in China. The resemblance of the cosmogony 

 of the laws of Manu to that of the Babylonians seems to support 

 strongly the correctness of the statement that Babylonian astrology 

 was accepted at the same time in ancient India and in ancient 

 China." With regard to the names of the four zodiacal signs, 

 they are, as we have seen, those of animals, and it is peculiar 

 that they are all Chinese animals but the Dragon, and it is not 

 known that any species of dragon ever existed in China. In the 

 naming of the constellations a wider field is included. Thus, the 

 following are found : parts of the body, as heart, stomach, lips ; 

 buildings, a house, a wall, a well, a tower ; articles of daily use, 

 a peck measure, a net, a carriage ; animals, K'wei K'ien (a 

 humped V)oar leading a cow to sacrifice) ; adjectives and 

 numerical groups, &c. From these names it appears that the 

 origin of the appellations was popular rather than Imperial, In 

 B.C. 1 144, Wen Wang began to write the treatise called " Yi 

 King." The adoption by Wen Wang of red as the Court colour 

 of the Chow dynasty, and the fact that his son introduced five 

 colours into the sacrifices, show that the Babylonish doctrine of 

 the five colours and the five planets was known in China at that 

 time. There are, however, variations in the colours. Thus, 



Mars is red in both China and Babylon ; Jupiter, orange in 

 Baliylon, blue or purple in China ; Venus, yellow in Babylon, 

 white in China ; Mercury, blue in Babylon, black in China ; 

 Saturn, black in Babylon, yellow in China. The " Yi King" shows 

 that the stars were divided into four groups from the earliest times, 

 for the Dragon and the Tortoise lie at the root of all the divina- 

 tion of that work ; and the Tiger and Red Bird are respectively 

 assigned to the west and the south. Shortly after the date of " Yi 

 King" we find the following points mentioned: the cycle of 

 twelve years, dependent on a revolution of Jupiter ; the twelve 

 hours into which the horizon is divided by the pointing of the 

 Bear ; the cycle of ten days ; the cycle of twenty-eight constella- 

 tions ; the four seasons ; the sun, moon, and planets. Astrology 

 was, of course, implicitly believed in ; in fact, the end and aim 

 of all ancient Chinese astronomy was astrology. The conjunc- 

 tion of the sun and moon controlled the good and bad luck of 

 the Empire, and particular stars foretold the fortunes of the 

 various portions of the Empire, for each province had its presid- 

 ing star. During the Chow dynasty — that is, after B.C. 1 1 20 — 

 many constellations are named. Thus the fifth Emperor ordered 

 a group of stars in Cepheus to be called Tsau-fu, after his 

 favourite (Charioteer. Wang Hang was also a charioteer about 

 B.C. 470, and his name was given to a number of stars in Cas- 

 siopeia. The virtues of a duke of the Tsi kingdom who died in 

 B.C. 488 were so great that a star was called after him. Unlike 

 the old names, all of which seemed to denote a popular origin, 

 those named during the Chow dynasty show their Imperial 

 origin. Thus several stars in Leo were styled Wu-ti-tso — that is, 

 "throne of the five emperors." During the second century 

 before (the Christian era, Chinese astronomers pointed out the 

 five emperors. The chief ruler of Heaven is the ancient pole» 

 the star Tai-yi, 22° from our present pole. The seven stars of 

 the Great Bear are the Government — rulers of the sun, moon, 

 and five planets. The palace of the heavenly emperor is 

 bounded by the oval formed of the fifteen stars of Draco, 

 amongst which is Tai-yi. At the back of the bear is the group 

 Wen Ch'ang Kung, "the palace of literature brilliantly spread 

 abroad," the favourite object of the adoration of the literati. 

 The abode of the eastern emperor is in Scorpio. The group 

 containing Antares is Ming-t'ang, the council-hall of the em- 

 peror, where he give laws to his subjects. The adjoining stars 

 are the sons of the emperor. The palace of the emperor is 

 Arcturus, and the two large stars in Centaur to the south of 

 Sagittarius form the south gate of his dominions. In Cancer and 

 Leo lies the residence of the southern emperor. One group is 

 the palace of the sun, moon, and planets, and surrounding this 

 group is a guard of twelve feudal barons who keep the throne of 

 the five emperors. Between Procyon and Regulus, and between 

 the ecliptic and equator, there is a group in Hydra called the 

 willow-branch, which rules over planets, and forms the beak of 

 the Red Bird. The constellations of the Seven Stars adjoin this, 

 and form the neck of the Red Bird : its crop is the kitchen of 

 the palace ; Hydra forms the bird's wings ; the constellation 

 Yi is the imperial hotel where visitors at the palace are accom- 

 modated ; the constellation Corvus finishes the shape of the Red 

 Bird, and is the last in the zodiac. The seven western constel- 

 lations — that is, those made up of Aries, Taurus, and Gemini — 

 are "the lake of fulness," "the five reservoirs of heaven," "the 

 home of the five emperors." Hyades is " the announcer of inva- 

 sion on the border." Later on — that is, probably about the second 

 century — the stars are grouped into three principal sections, the 

 first section containing the circum-polar stars, the second stars 

 in Leo and Virgo, the third twenty-two stars in Serpens, 

 Hercules, and Ophiuchus, the latter being said to be feudal 

 rulers paying homage to the Emperor. The whole history, in 

 fact, of Chinese astronomy is full of this comparison of the state 

 of the kingdoms on the earth with the heavenly bodies. Thus, 

 under the Tsin dynasty, the pole star is the abode of the supreme 

 ruler. " The circum-polar stars form his court. Their name as 

 a whole is the ' purple subtle inclosure.' The stars selected to 

 represent, the emperors of the five colonies " {i.e. blue, red, 

 yellow, white, and black) " were Denebola and four others in 

 Leo. They are surrounded by twelve groups, which have re- 

 ceived names of office and rank representing together the court 

 of an earthly emperor. This inclosure is the court, especially, 

 it is said, of the yellow emperor, whose essence is called Han- 

 shu-nieu. The four remaining colours are near him. The blue 

 emperor is Ling-wei-yang. The red or south emperor is Chi- 

 piaunu. The white emperor of the west is Pe-chan kii, ' the 

 white beckoning mason's rule.' The north or black emperor is 



