12 THE CHRISTIAN NATURALIST. 



season. In the East glows the sign of the Zodiac, 

 termed by Astronomers the Lion. The West is enli- 

 vened by the presence of Venus, the most splendid of the 

 planets, while higher up in the heavens, and almost over 

 our heads, glitter the lovely groups of the Pleiades 

 and Hyades, forming part of the sign of the Bull. 

 But the most striking part of the hemisphere is the 

 South, where Orion, with his glorious band of diamond- 

 like orbs, blazes forth, the most brilliant constellation 

 of the heavens ! Surrounded also as this constellation 

 is with several others of great splendor, the beholder 

 may now stand lost in admiration at the most magnifi- 

 cent view which this part of the starry firmament 

 affords, especially when he is told that it is visible to all 

 the habitable world !* 



In looking round upon this gorgeous spectacle, we 

 cannot wonder that the Almighty himself should have 

 ijhallenged the attention of man to it as one of the 

 noblest exhibitions of his power and greatness. 

 " Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or 

 loose the bands of Orion ? Canst thou bring forth 



* The constellation of Orion is for the most part included 

 within the limits of the Zodiac j hence it must be visible in all, 

 except in very high northern latitudes. 



