540 SCIENTIFIC RECREATIONS. 



stowed upon him. But now the constellation is later. It does not include 

 any very striking stars, of which there are fifty-one in the " Goat." 



AQUARIUS, or the Waterbearer, may have referred to wet weather, 

 or as others declare, to Ganymede, the Cupbearer. There are four stars 



in the waterpot like a Y ; and more than 

 one hundred stars of small brilliancy are in- 

 cluded in this constellation. But here again 

 fancy must come to our assistance, for without 

 a diagram the ordinary observer could not 

 distinguish the Waterbearer. 



PISCES, the Fishes, are not plainly de- 

 fined. It is supposed that Venus and Cupid 



turned themselves into fish when the Titans assailed Heaven. This Con- 

 stellation occupies a triangle in the sky. 



The foregoing are the zodiacal constellations, and may be more easily 

 remembered by repeating an old rhyme, which runs as follows : 



" The Ram, the Bull, the Heavenly Twins ; 

 Then, next the Crab, the Lion shines, 



The Virgin, and the Scales ; 

 The Scorpion, Archer, and the Goat, 

 The Man who holds the Watering Pot, 

 The Fish with Glittering tails." 



The arrangement of the various Con- 

 stellations at which we have so rapidly 

 glanced, as well as of those that follow, has 

 been the work of many different periods. 

 Aratus and Ptolemy are the oldest enumer- 

 ators, but modern research has added im- 

 mensely to the store of knowledge. Many 

 of the most prominent stars were named by 

 Grecian and Arabian observers, and many 

 of the names are still retained such as Arc- 

 turus, Rigel, Capella, and others. 



Fig. 607. Aquarius. 



THE NORTHERN CONSTELLATIONS. 



There are, altogether, thirty-five of these, as per list on next page. It is 

 of course impossible to describe them all, but we will make a few remarks 

 respecting those which will be distinguished most readily, and the manner 

 of finding out particular stars. There are star maps published, and with a 

 little attention and reading, a great many very pleasant evening excursions 

 may be made across the sky, with or without a telescope. The following is 

 the list of the northern constellations. We have put them in various types 

 to indicate the most important. 



