and within
this space the principal planets perform their annual revolutions. It
was for long believed that the paths of all the planets lay within the
zodiac, but on the discovery of the minor planets, Ceres, Pallas, and
Juno, it was ascertained that they travelled beyond this zone. The stars
situated within the zodiac are divided into twelve groups or
constellations, which correspond with the twelve signs, and each is
named after an animal or some figure which it is supposed to resemble.
The zodiac is of great antiquity; the ancient Egyptians and Hindoos made
use of it, and there are allusions to it in the earliest astronomical
records. The twelve constellations of the zodiac bear the following
names:--

Aries the Ram
Taurus the Bull
Gemini the Twins
Cancer the Crab
Leo the Lion
Virgo the Virgin
Libra the Balance
Scorpio the Scorpion
Sagittarius the Archer
Capricornus the Goat
Aquarius the Water-bearer
Pisces the Fishes

In close association with the Sun's annual journey are the seasons, upon
the regular sequence of which mankind depend for the various products of
the soil essential for the maintenance and enjoyment of life. The
revolution of the Earth in her orbit, and the inclination of her axis to
her annual path, causing the plane of the equator to be inclined 23-1/2 deg.
to that of the ecliptic, are the reasons which account for the
succession of the seasons--Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Owing to
the position of the Earth's axis with regard to her orbit, the Sun
appears to travel 23-1/2 deg. north and 23-1/2 deg. south of the equator. When,
on June 21, the orb attains his highest northern altitude, we have the
summer solstice and the longest days; when, by retracing his steps, he
declines 23-1/2 deg. below the equator, at which point he arrives on
December 21, we have the winter solstice and the shortest days.
Intermediate between those two seasons are spring and autumn. When the
Sun, on his journey northward, reaches the equator, we have the vernal
equinox, and at this period of the year the days and nights are of equal
length all over the globe. In a similar manner, when, on his return
journey, the Sun is again on the equator, the autumnal equinox occurs.
In summer the North Pole is inclined towards the Sun, consequently his
rays fall more direct and impart much more heat to the northern
hemisphere than in winter, when the Pole is turned away from the Sun.
This difference in the incidence of th