THE BEAUTY OF THE NIGHT 369 



scorpion is the Centaur, a large group with a 

 considerable number of bright stars so evenly 

 strewn that one might imagine some giant had 

 scattered them as a sower would sow grain. 



The southern sector of the heavens is also very 

 brilliant because of a number of stars of first 

 magnitude not visible in the Northern States. In 

 the lower part of the Centaur are two superb 

 stars, Agena and Bungula, which show finely low 

 down in the Southern sky in late spring and early 

 summer. It is probably not known generally 

 that the Southern Cross can be seen in its entirety 

 in this region in May and June. With a clear 

 horizon Acrux, the southernmost and brightest 

 star of the Cross, is visible here for a short time 

 during the evenings of these two months. The 

 group is a little disappointing as it is not a very 

 perfect cross but rather a slightly irregular dia- 

 mond. Acrux is a splendid object; there are two 

 stars of the second magnitude and two lesser ones. 

 Canopus is a fine star in the Southern sky and so 

 too is Fomalhaut, only seen in autumn, — in the 

 Southern Fish. This is not in the zodiacal con- 

 stellation Pisces which has two fish tied together 

 by their tails, the ribbon being bespangled by 

 24 



