OF THE COSMOS. CLUSTERS OF STARS. 121 



times by the rudest nations ; the constellation of naviga- 

 tion, Pleias, airo TOV TT\EII> , according to the etymology of 

 the old scholiast of Aratus, which is probably more correct 

 than that of later writers, who derive the name from 

 TrXt'oe, abundance. The navigation of the Mediterranean 

 lasted from May to the beginning of November, from 

 the early rising to the early setting of the Pleiades. 



The Bee-hive in Cancer : according to Pliny, nubecu-la 

 quam Prsesepia vocant inter Asellos ; a veyiKiov of the 

 Pseudo-Eratosthenes. 



The cluster of stars in the hilt of the sword in Perseus, 

 often mentioned by the Greek astronomers. 



Coma Berenices : like the three former, visible to the 

 naked eye. 



Cluster of stars near Arcturus (No. 1663), telescopic; 

 E. A. 13h. 34m. 12s., N. declination, 29 14'; more than 

 a thousand small stars of the 10th to the 12th magni- 

 tude. 



Cluster of stars between r? and Herculis : in very fine 

 nights visible to the naked eye ; a magnificent object in 

 the telescope (No. 1968), with singular ray-shaped out- 

 lines ; K A. 16h. 35m. 37s.; N. Decl. 36 47'; first 

 described by Halley in 1714. 



Cluster of stars near w Centauri : described as early as 

 1677 by Halley; appears to the naked eye as a round 

 comet-like patch, shining almost like a star of the 4.5 

 magnitude ; when seen in powerful telescopes it appears 

 to be composed of a countless multitude of small stars of 

 the 13th to the 15th magnitude, which are more densely 

 crowded towards the centre; E. A. 13h. 16m. 38s., 

 S. Declination 46 35'; No. 3504 in Sir John HerscheFs 



