588 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



Milky Way, which really extends over a part of this constellation, to say nothing 

 of numbers of faint stars scattered all over it, justify the words of the poet, who 

 sang : 



" Orion's beams ! Orion's beams ! 



His star-gemmed belt, and shining blade ; 

 His isles of light, his silvery streams. 

 And gloomy gulf of mystic shade." , 



From the beginning of astronomy, and probably long before astronomy was 

 thought of, this constellation was figured as a giant: sometimes a giant hunter, a 

 sort of celestial Nimrod; sometimes as a warrior. He commonly wields an im- 

 mense club in his right hand, and a shield in his left. The star Beta of the con- 

 stellation Eridanus really marks the giant's bent knee; and originally the constel- 

 lation Lepus, or " the Hare," formed a chariot in which the hunter or warrior stood. 

 In some old manuscripts of the Middle Ages, the stars of Lepus formed a throne for 

 Orion. In fact, this little constellation, although named the Hare from time im- 

 memorial, has been called by other names, insomuch that Ideler, after quoting 

 several, wrathfully adds, "And God knows how many more there are." 



Orion is somewhat out of drawing, because of the necessity of keeping cer- 

 tain stars in particular positions with respect to him. Thus Betelgeux is derived 

 from the Arabic ibt-al-jauza, the giant's shoulder; Bellatrix, or "the Amazon 

 star," belongs of right to the other shoulder, and Rigel to the advanced foot, 

 while the three stars of the belt fix the position of the giant's waist. To tell the 

 truth, he is an ill-shaped giant, anyway, and cannot be otherwise depicted. 



Below Lepus (the Hare) you see the neat little group Columba, or "the 

 Dove." This is one of the younger constellations, and was invented by Heve- 

 lius, perhaps to show that the ship Argo, which you see low down on the left, is 

 no other than Noah's Ark. In fact, the name given to the small group originally 

 was Columba Noachi, or " Noah's Dove." Approaching the mid south, you 

 now see the brightest star in the whole heavens — Sirius, the famous Dog-star. 

 The constellation Canis Major {the Greater Dog) which might much better be 

 called simply Canis, was one of Orion's hunting dogs, Canis Minor being the other ; 

 but we can hardly suppose, Lepus was the sole prey pursued by so great a giant 

 and two such fine dogs. The constellation Canis Major is chiefly remarkable 

 for the Dog-star. In old times this star was thought to bring pestilence. Homer 

 speaks of it (not by name, however) as the star 



" Whose burning breath 

 Taints the red air with fevers, plagues and death." 

 Many among the ancients supposed that this star was in reality as large as the 

 Sun. Thus Manilius said : 



" 'T is strongly credited this owns a light 

 And runs a course not than the Sun's less bright; 

 But that, removed from sight so great a way. 

 It seems to cast a dim and weaker ray." 



