HOW TO FIND THE CONSTRUCTIONS. 
I? 
fact. Some assert, however, that the beam only of the bal¬ 
ance was at first placed among the stars, and that the Egypt¬ 
ians thus honored it as their Nilometer,or instrument by 
which they measured the inundations of the Nile. Accord¬ 
ing to Virgil the ancient husbandmen were wont to regard 
this sign as indicating the proper time for sowing their win¬ 
ter grain :— 
“ But when Astrsea’s balance, hung on high, 
Betwixt the nights and days divides the sky, 
Then yoke your oxen, sow your winter grain, 
Till cold December comes with driving rain.” 
Below Corona Borealis the observer can doubtless read¬ 
ily recognize the constellation Hercules, which, when lo¬ 
cated, appeared in the West. Below Hercules and Eibra 
is a large region of low magnitude stars, extending from 
Scorpio to Aquila. This is the constellation Ophiuchus, 
or Serpentarius, the serpent bearer. It contains seventy- 
four stars, only one of which is of the second magnitude. 
It is also sometimes called Aesculapius, the god of medi¬ 
cine. About half way from the Northern Crown to the 
horizon, right in the upper edge of the Milky Way, is a 
group of small stars, comprising a part of Ophiuchus, re- 
sembing very much the Hyades in Taurus, only very 
much smaller. This is called Taurus Poniatoroskii. This 
little group is interesting mainly because of its position 
in the heavens. It is situated almost exactly on the celes¬ 
tial equator, and is, therefore, nearly equidistant from the 
two celestial poles, and, like Orion, is visible to the entire 
habitable world. The solstitial colure also passes very 
near it, and it is, consequently, very nearly midway between 
the vernal and autumnal equinoxes. This is one of the 
constellations, being known 1200 years before the Chris¬ 
tian era. Homer mentions it, as well as Manilius. 
“Next, Ophiuchus strides the mighty snake, 
Untwists his winding folds, and smooths his back, 
Extends his bulk, and o’er the slippery scale, 
His wide-stretched hands on either side prevail.” 
Aesculapius was the son of Apollo, and was educated by 
