Piscina,) and this water is considered
holy. The Fish-days are observed as holy days, or fast days, in which
Fish may be eaten and meat is forbidden; and learned writers have
asserted that in the worship of Pisces may be found the true secret of
the origin of the rite of baptism. The Fish-god Oannes, is said to have
come out of the Erythraean Sea and taught the Babylonians all kinds of
useful knowledge. Ionnes or Jonas went headlong into the sea and into
a fish, and has kindly recorded for our instruction his remarkable
adventures. The miraculous draughts of fishes in the apostolic age still
excite the emulation of modern fishermen, who cannot even hope to rival
the wonders that have been recorded. St. Peter is said to have secured
ready money from the mouth of a fish that he caught with a hook and
line in the sea of Galilee. (Matthew xvii, 27.) His success was justly
rewarded, and to him was delegated the power of ruling the infant
church. Pisces thus displaced Aries. The fisherman succeeded the
shepherd. The precession of the equinoxes produced a new avatar; a new
sign arose in the heavens; and a new saviour was born to save mankind.

THE CONSTELLATIONS.

SIRIUS, the Dog Star.--A bright star of the first magnitude in the
mouth of the constellation Canis Major. This is the brightest star that
appears in our firmament, and is supposed by some to be the nearest.

LEPUS.--One of the southern constellations, placed near Orion, according
to Grecian fable, because it was one of the animals which he hunted.

ERIDANUS.--A winding southern constellation, near the Cetus, containing
the bright star Achemar.

CETUS, the Whale.--A southern constellation, and one of the forty-eight
old asterisms. It is fabled to have been the sea monster sent by Neptune
to devour Andromeda, which was killed by Perseus.

CRATER, the Cup.--A southern constellation, near Hydra. This is supposed
by Hyainus to be the cup which Apollo gave to the Corvus, or Raven.

CORVUS.--One of the old constellations in the southern hemisphere, near
Sagittarius. This bird is fabled to have been translated to heaven by
Apollo for discovering to him the infidelity of the nymph Coronis.

ARGO NAVIS, the Ship.--A constellation near to the Canis Major, and the
name of the ship which carried Jason and his fifty-four companions
to Colchis in quest of the golden fleece, and was said to have been
translated into the heavens.

CANOPUS.--The name formerly given to a