DIVISIONS GP THE ZOXJIACK, S47 



the Arabians : but, in a few instances, they essentially 

 differ. The Hindus have hkewise adopted the division 

 of the Ecliptick and Zodiack into twelve signs or con- 

 stellations, agreeing in figure and designation with, 

 those of the Greeks ; and differing merely in the place 

 of the constellations, which are carried on the Indiarl 

 sphere a few degrees further west than on the Grecian. 

 That the Hindus took the hiiil of this mode of dividing 

 the ecliptick from the Greeks, is not perhaps altogether 

 improbable : hut, if such be the origin of it, they have 

 not implicitly received the arrangement suggested to 

 them, but have reconciled and adapted it to their own 

 ancient distribution of the ecliptick into twenty-seven 

 parts *» 



In like manner, they may have either received or 

 given the hint of an armillary sphere as an instrument 

 for astronomical observation : but certainly they have 

 not copied the instrument which was described by 

 Ptolemy ; for the construction differs considerably. 



In the Arabick Epitome of the Almagest entitled 

 Tahrirulmejesti t, the armillary sphere (Zat ul halk) 

 is thus described. " Two equal circles are placed at 

 fight angles ; the one representing the ecliptick, the 

 other the solstitial colure. Two pins pass through the 

 })oles of the ecliptick ; and two other pins are placed on 

 the poles of the equator. On the two first pins, are 

 suspended a couple of circles, moving the one within. 



• According to thelongitude of the three brightest stars of Aries, 

 as stated by Ptolemy, viz. 10° 40', 7° 40' and 6o 40', (I quote 

 jrom an Arabick epitome of the Almagest); the origin of the 

 ecliptick, in the Greek book which is most likely to iiave become 

 known in India, is 6° 20' from the star which the Hindus have se- 

 lected to mark the commencement of the ecliptick. 



t By the celebrated Nasikuddin Tusi ; from the Arabick ver* 

 sionol Ik'hak B^^ HuneNj which was revised by Thabit. 



