128 SPECIAL RESULTS IN THE URANOLOGICAL PORTION 



rection of the Milky Way, together with its subordinate 

 branches, I subjoin a very brief and compressed account of 

 its parts, following their order of Eight Ascension. Passing 

 through y and Cassiopeiae, the Milky Way sends out to the 

 southward, towards e Persei, a branch, which loses itself 

 near the Pleiades and Hyades. The main stream, which is 

 here very faint, passes over the three remarkable stars called 

 the Hcedi, in Auriga, between the feet of Gemini and the 

 horns of Taurus, where it intersects the Ecliptic nearly at 

 the summer solstice, and thence over the club of Orion, 

 cutting the equinoctial (in 1800), at 6h. 54m. E. A., in the 

 neck of Monoceros : from this place it increases considerably 

 in brightness. At the after-part of the Ship a branch 

 detaches itself towards the south, proceeding as far as 

 y Argus, where it breaks off suddenly. The main course 

 continues to 33 South Declination, where, having opened 

 out into a fan-like shape 20 wide, it breaks off ; so that, 

 in the line between y and X Argus, there is a wide gap 

 in the Milky Way. After this it resumes its course, at first 

 with a similar expansion in breadth ; but near the hind 

 feet of the Centaur it narrows again, and before entering the 

 constellation of the Cross it reaches its narrowest part, 

 which is only 3 or 4 wide. Soon afterwards the shining 

 Way spreads out into a bright and broad mass, which 

 includes $ Centauri as well as a and /3 Crucis, and in the 

 middle of which the black pear-shaped coal-bag or coal- 

 sack, which I have spoken of more particularly in the 7th 

 section, is situated. It is in this remarkable region, a little 

 below the coal- sack, that the Milky Way approaches nearest 

 to the South Pole. 



The principal division of the Milky Way, alluded to 



