STAR STREAMS AND STAR SPRATS. 
409 
here seen lie at different distances, and that much more clearly 
marked streams would be recognised if we could cut off with a 
veil all the stars beyond a certain distance, and obliterate alto- 
gether certain of the nearer stars. I would, however, recom- 
mend such of my readers as possess Argelander’s chart to study 
the region around the two spaces pictured in Figs. 2 and 3 ; 
when I think the conviction will be forced upon them that 
there is a much closer connection between the several branches 
of stars seen in those regions than one would have been dis- 
posed to expect among the orders of stars Argelander has in- 
cluded in his charts. 
Many cases occur, however, in which two streams lying at 
different distances appear to cross each other in the chart ; and 
it is a somewhat noteworthy circumstance, that the disposition 
of five nearly equal stars in the form of a cross, thus • • • which is 
very seldom met with (compared with other simple configura- 
tions) in the complete series of charts, is commonly to be 
noticed where two well-marked streams cross each other. 
The arrangement of the stars in the large chart, as respects 
aggregation in certain regions and segregation from others, is 
sufficiently remarkable ; but I have not space to dwell at length 
here on peculiarities of that description. Some of these pecu- 
liarities are associated with the con figuration of the galactic 
stream of stars, presently to be briefly referred to. One, however, 
is so remarkable that I cannot refrain from here calling special 
attention to it. The Milky Way region or zone is shown in the 
chart to be exceptionally rich in stars (as W. Struve judged 
from statistical considerations) ; but instead of that grad ual 
tendency to aggregation towards the galactic zone which Struve 
supposed to prevail, there is in many places a sudden change in 
the density of distribution, spaces close by the galaxy being 
relatively poor. But in no instance is this peculiarity so re- 
markably exemplified as in the part of the Milky Way near the 
horns of Taurus. Here we have on one side the rich fields of 
the Hyades and the Pleiades, and on the other rich galactic 
fields — properly so-called ; but between these two rich regions 
we have absolutely the poorest region in the whole of the nor- 
thern heavens.* 
Extending next our range of view so as to reach the stars 
down to the thirteenth magnitude inclusive, we have indeed 
less complete surveys to consider, but yet the evidence we 
obtain is sufficiently distinct. The zodiacal zone has been 
closely surveyed by Chacornac, Hind, and others, with the 
* This peculiarity did not escape the attention of Argelander, who says : — 
u Die absolut armste Gegend findet sich aber sonderbarweise nicht gar weit 
von der Milchstrasse entfernt, an den Hornern des Stiers.” 
