HOW TO FIND THE CONSTELLATIONS. 
77 
head into a horn, so that its head is forced constantly down in 
what is an awkward and seemingly painful position. 
We gaze long at the beetle — Ned and I. We wonder, each 
in our own way, why the thorax is so strangely prolonged, why 
the head is bent constantly down ; and as we wonder, night 
comes ; it is growing dark. 
How to Find the Constellations. IV. 
BY GEORGE I. HOPKINS. 
If the observer has succeeded in locating the constellations 
already mentioned, and has watched them from evening to 
evening, he must have noticed their change of position with 
reference to meridian and horizon at any given time. For ex¬ 
ample, at eight o’clock on October first, the time which we will take 
for our present observation, he will notice that Scorpio, which 
contains the red star Antares, is then so low down in the south¬ 
west that none of its stars are visible except under the most fav- 
vorable conditions, and that the brilliant planet Jupiter alone, 
now marks its position. He will notice also that the bright 
star Vega which has been near the zenith so long in the early 
evening, is now just across the meridian and is a few degrees 
west of the zenith. Equally noticeable is the position of Corona 
Borealis, the Northen Crown, nearer the western horizon, being 
now at an altitude of about 45 degrees, as well as correspond¬ 
ing changes in other groups whether named or not. It is alto¬ 
gether probable that some of the constellations about to be 
located have already been noticed in previous observations. 
Let the observer this time select a favorable field or tower and 
clear evening as near the first of October as possible, and face 
the south. If he will now lift his gaze steadily upward for about 
fifty degrees he will see a star of the first magnitude with two 
stars of lesser brightness, one on either side two or three degrees 
distant, all three nearly in a straight line. This is the principal 
