Fixed Stars. 61 



probable conjecture that the figures un- 

 der which they are represented are de- 

 scriptive of the seasons of the year, 01* 

 months, in the sun's path ; thus, the first 

 sign Aries, denotes, that, about the time 

 when the sun enters that part of the 

 ecliptic, the lambs begin to follow the 

 sheep ; that on the Sun's approach to the 

 second constellation, Taurus the Bull, is 

 about the time of the cows bringing forth 

 their young. The third sign, now Ge- 

 mini, was originally two kids, and signi- 

 fied the time of the goats bringing forth 

 their young, which are usually two at a 

 birth, while the former, the sheep and 

 cow, commonly produce only one. The 

 fourth sign, Cancer, the Crab, an animal 

 that goes side-ways and backwards, was 

 placed at the northern solstice, the point 

 where the sun begins to return back again 

 from the north to the southward. The 

 fifth sign, Leo, the Lion, as being a very 

 furious animal, was thought to denote the 

 heat and fury of the burning sun, \vhen 

 he has left Cancer, and entered the next 

 sign Leo. The succeeding constellation, 

 the sixth in order, received the sun at the 

 time of ripening corn and approaching 



