Ecliptic, and thence continues into the
southern hemisphere, beyond our ken in these latitudes.

It reappears in two branches in the region of Ophiuchus, one running
through the tail of Scorpius, the bow of Sagittarius, Aquila,
Delphinus, and Cygnus; the other above and almost parallel to it,
uniting with the first branch in Cygnus, and passing to Cepheus, the
place of beginning.

The student should note especially the strange gap between [a], [g],
and [e] Cygni. This dark space has been called the "Coal Sack."

The Milky Way in the vicinity of Cassiopeia is particularly rich, and
well repays a search with an opera-glass.

"The Galaxy covers more than one tenth of the visible heavens,
contains nine-tenths of the visible stars, and seems a vast
zone-shaped nebula, nearly a great circle of the sphere, the poles
being at Coma and Cetus."

THE MOTIONS OF THE STARS.

It may be that the student desires to proceed in this conquest of the
sky at a more rapid pace than the scheme of study permits. To assist
such, it should be borne in mind that the circumpolar constellations,
as Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Draco, Cepheus, and Cassiopeia, are
designated,--are visible in our latitude in the northern sky every
night.

A reference to their diagrams, and a glance at any of the large plates
showing the entire group in their respective positions, will suffice
for the student to identify them.

The hours of darkness alone limit the speed with which a knowledge of
the constellations can be acquired.

Let us suppose that the student begins his search for the constellations
on the night of April 1st, at nine P.M. He has for his guide the large
plate, and the spring group of eleven constellations set forth in the
diagrams. The remaining three constellations of the circumpolar group
are, as we have seen before, visible in the north.

If he faces the western sky, he will see Andromeda just setting, and
Perseus, Taurus, Orion, Lepus, and Canis Major but a short distance
above the horizon. If he is so fortunate as to be able to identify
these, and the spring group, he may turn his attention wholly to the
eastern sky, where new constellations await him.

In the southeast he may see Virgo. In the east well up blazes
Arcturus, the gem of Bo[:o]tes, below which is the beautiful Northern
Crown, with the diamond in the head of Serpens beneath it. Hercules is
rising, and Vega in the Lyre should be seen just flashing on the view
in