359 
by the motion of the Sun in the ecliptic from 
west to east, the Thibetans, the Chinese, the 
Japanese, and the Tartars, reckon the signs in 
the following order ; Rat, or Aquarius ; Ox, or 
Capricorn ; Tiger, or Sagittary ; Hare, or Scor- 
pion, &c. This singular habit has perhaps its 
cause in the circumstance, that the twelve zodi- 
acal constellations in their passage over the me- 
ridian, preside over the dilferent hours of the 
day and the night. As they share in the general 
motion of the celestial sphere from east to west, 
they are arranged in the order, according to 
which they rise or set one after the other. 
In the Mexican calendar, the signs of the 
days which are identical with the signs of the 
Tartar cycle, those of the dog, the ape, the tiger, 
and the horse, are so placed, that no analogy of 
relative position can be recognised between 
them. Cipactli, which we have proved to be the 
antelope-fish, is the first asterism, as Capricorn 
seems to have been among the Egyptians^’^. 
Among the Mexican signs nearly the following 
order prevails, cipactli, cohuatl, tochtli, itzcu- 
intli, ozomatli, and ocelotl ; or, substituting the 
names of our signs, Capricorn, Virgo, the Scor- 
pion, the Ram, the Twins, and Sagittarius. Is this 
difference in the arrangement of the signs mere- 
* Fragmentum ex Gazophyjacio Card. Barberiai (Kir- 
cberi CEdipus, 1653, vol. 3, p, 160). 
