present too close for ordinary telescopes, although it was once within their reach; 729, double, magnitudes six and eight, distance 2′′, p. 26°, the smaller star pale blue. Try it with a fourinch, but five-inch is better; 816, double, magnitudes six and half and eight and a half, distance 4", p. 289°; 2, double, magnitudes five and a half and eleven, distance 3", or a little less, p. 322°; 905, star cluster, contains about twenty stars from eighth to eleventh magnitude; 1267, nebula, faint, containing a triple star of eighth magnitude, two of whose components are 51" apart, while the third is only 17" from its companion, p. 85°; 1376, star cluster, small and crowded; 1361, star cluster, triangular shape, containing thirty stars, seventh to tenth magnitudes, one of which is a double, distance 2'4".

Let us now leave the inviting star-fields of Orion and take a glance at the little constellation of Lepus, crouching at the feet of the mythical giant. We may begin with a new kind of object, the celebrated red variable R Leporis (map No. 1). This star varies from the sixth or seventh magnitude to magnitude eight and a half in a period of four hundred and twenty-four days. Hind's picturesque description of its color has frequently been quoted. He said it is “of the most intense crimson, resembling a blood-drop on the black ground of the sky." It is important to remember that this star is reddest when faintest, so that if we chance to see it near its maximum of brightness it will not impress us as being crimson at all, but rather a dull, coppery red. Its spectrum indicates that it is smothered with absorbing vapors, a sun near extinction which, at intervals, experiences an accession of energy and bursts through its stifling envelope with explosive radiance, only to faint and sink once more. It is well to use our largest aperture in examining this star.

We may also employ the five-inch for an inspection of the double star, whose chief component of the fifth magnitude is beautifully tinged with green. The smaller companion is very faint, eleventh magnitude, and the distance is about 13", p. 337°.

Another fine double in Lepus is κ, to be found just below; the components are of fifth and eighth magnitudes, pale yellow and blue respectively, distance 2'5′, p. 360°; the third-magnitude star a has a tenth-magnitude companion at a distance of 35", p. 156°, and its neighbor ẞ (map No. 2), according to Burnham, is attended by three eleventh-magnitude stars, two of which are at distances of 206", p. 75°, and 240", p. 58°, respectively, while the third is less than 3" from B, p. 288°; the star y (map No. 2) is a wide double, the distance being 94", and the magnitudes fourth and eighth. The star numbered 45 is a remarkable multiple, but the components are too faint to possess much interest for those who are not armed with very powerful telescopes.

an eighteen-inch telescope in 1862, when its distance was 10" from the center of Sirius, this ninth-magnitude star has since been swallowed up in the blaze of its great primary. It at first slightly increased its distance, and from 1868 until 1879 most of the meas

MAP No. 2.

From Lepus we pass to Canis Major (map No. 2). There is no hope of our being able to see the companion of a (Sirius), at present (1894), even with our five-inch. Discovered by Alvan Clark with

ures made by different observers considerably exceeded 11'. Then it began to close in, and in 1890 the distance scarcely exceeded 4". Burnham was the last to catch sight of it with the Lick telescope in that year. Since then no human eye has seen it. But during its visibility its motions were so carefully studied that we can have no doubt of its ultimate reappearance as it continues to pursue its orbit around the center of gravity between it and Sirius. According to Burnham, its periodic time is about fifty-three years, and its nearest approach to Sirius should have taken place in the middle of 1892. In that case it is now rapidly receding from periastron, and news of its emergence from the rays of Sirius should be expected at any time from Mount Hamilton, where a vigilant outlook is maintained. If we can not see the companion of the Dog Star with our instruments, we can at least, while admiring the splendor of that dazzling orb, reflect with profit upon the fact that although the companion is ten thousand times less bright than Sirius, it is fully half as massive as its brilliant neighbor. Imagine a subluminous body half as ponderous as the sun to be set revolving around it somewhere between Uranus and Neptune. Remember that that body would possess one hundred and sixtyfive thousand times the gravitating energy of the earth, and that five hundred and twenty Jupiters would be required to equal its power of attraction, and then consider the consequences to our easy-going planets! Plainly the solar system is not cut according to the Sirian fashion. We shall hardly find a more remarkable coupling of celestial bodies until we come, on another evening, to a star that began, ages ago, to amaze the thoughtful and inspire the superstitious with dread-the wonderful Algol in Perseus.

We may remark in passing that Sirius is the brightest representative of the great spectroscopic type I, which includes more than half of all the stars yet studied, and which is characterized by a white or bluish-white color, and a spectrum possessing few or at best faint metallic lines, but remarkably broad, black, and intense lines of hydrogen. The inference is that Sirius is surrounded by an enormous atmosphere of hydrogen, and that the intensity of its radiation is greater, surface for surface, than that of the sun. There is historical evidence to support the assertion, improbable in itself, that Sirius, within eighteen hundred years, has changed color from red to white.

With either of our telescopes we shall have a feast for the eye when we turn the glass upon the star cluster No. 1454, some four degrees south of Sirius. Look for a red star near the center. Observe the curving rows so suggestive of design, or rather of the process by which this cluster was evolved out of a pre-existing nebula. You will recall the winding streams in the Great Nebula

we find the double star μ, whose components are of the fifth and eighth magnitude, distance 2'8", p. 343°. The small star is pale blue. Cluster No. 1512 is a pleasing object with our largest aperture. In No. 1511 we have a faint nebula remarkable for the rows

of Orion. Another star cluster worth a moment's attention is No. 1479, above and to the left of Sirius. We had better use the fiveinch for this, as many of the stars are very faint. Not far away

of minute stars in and near it. The star y is an irregular variable. In 1670 it is said to have almost disappeared, while at the beginning of the eighteenth century it was more than twice as bright as it is to-day. The reddish star 8 is also probably variable. In my Astronomy with an Opera Glass will be found a cut showing a singular array of small stars partly encircling 8. These will be widely scattered, even with the lowest power of a telescope.

Eastward from Canis Major we find some of the stars of Argo Navis. 1097, of sixth magnitude, has two minute companions at 20" distance, p. 311° and 312°. The large star is itself double, but the distance 0'8", p. 166°, places it beyond our reach. According to Burnham, there is yet a fourth faint star at 31", p. 40°. Some three degrees and a half below and to the left of the star just examined is a beautiful star cluster, No. 1551. Nos. 1564, 1571, and 1630 are other star clusters well worth examination. A planetary nebula is included in 1564. With very powerful telescopes this nebula has been seen ring-shaped. 1146, otherwise known as 5 Navis, is a pretty double, colors pale yellow and blue, magnitudes fifth and seventh, distance 3'25", p. 19°. Our three-inch will suffice for this.

North of Canis Major and Argo we find Monoceros and Canis Minor (map No. 3). The stars forming the western end of Monoceros are depicted on map No. 1. We shall begin with these. The most interesting and beautiful is 11, a fine triple star, magnitudes fifth, sixth, and seventh, distances 7′4′′, p. 131°, and 2′7′′, p. 103°. Sir William Herschel regarded this as one of the most beautiful sights in the heavens. It is a good object to try our three-inch on, although it should not be difficult for such an aperture. The star 4 is also a triple, magnitudes sixth, tenth, and eleventh, distances 3'4", p. 178°, and 10", p. 244. We should glance at the star 5 to admire its fine orange color. In 8 we find a golden fifth-magnitude star, combined with a blue or lilac star of the seventh magnitude, distance 13′′, p. 24°. 938 is a difficult double, magnitudes six and a half and twelve, distance 10", p. 210°. Σ 921 is double, magnitudes six and a half and eight, distance 16", p. 4°. At the spot marked on the map 1424 we find an interesting cluster containing one star of the sixth magnitude.

The remaining stars of Monoceros will be found on map No. 3. The double and triple stars to be noted are S, or 950 (which is also a variable and involved in a faint nebula), magnitudes sixth and ninth, distance 2'5", p. 206°; 1183, double, magnitudes five and a half and eight, distance 31", p. 326°; 1190, triple. magnitudes five and a half, tenth, and ninth, distances 31", p. 105, and 67", p. 244. The clusters are 1465, which has a minute triple star near the center; 1483, one member of whose swarm is red; 1611, very small but rich; and 1637, interesting for the great number