The faintest stars shown in the diagrams are fifth-magnitude stars and stars of this magnitude as well as stars of the fourth magnitude are only given when needed to fill out the distinctive outlines of the constellations which have been formed by connecting the principal stars in each group by dotted lines. All stars of first, second and third magnitude are given in the diagrams without exceptions as such stars are visible to everyone on clear nights. The constellations given in the following pages include practically all of the constellations that can be seen in 40° N. Latitude. A diagram is given for each constellation. In this latitude it is impossible to see the constellations of the southern hemisphere that lie within 40° of the south pole of the heavens. A brief chapter with diagram treats of these constellations that are invisible in mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere. II JANUARY One of the most easily recognized constellations in the heavens is Taurus, The Bull, a zodiacal group which lies just south of the zenith in our latitudes in the early evening hours about the first of January. Taurus is distinguished by the V-shaped group of The Hyades, which contains the bright, red, first-magnitude star Aldebaran, representing the fiery eye of the bull. It also contains the famous cluster of faint stars known as The Pleiades, lying a short distance northwest of The Hyades. No group of stars is more universally known than The Pleiades. All tribes and nations of the world, from the remotest days of recorded history up to the present time, have sung the praises of The Pleiades. They were "The Many Little Ones" of the Babylonians, "The Seven Sisters" of the Greeks, "The Seven Brothers" of the American Indians, "The Hen and Chickens" of many nations of Europe, "The Little Eyes" of the South Sea Islanders. They were honored in the religious ceremonies of the Aztecs, and the savage tribes of Australia danced in their honor. Many early tribes of men began their year with November, the Pleiad month; and on November 17th, when The Pleiades crossed the meridian at midnight, it was said that no petition was ever presented in vain to the kings of ancient Persia. [Illustration: JANUARY--TAURUS] Poets of all ages have felt the charm of The Pleiades. Tennyson gives the following beautiful description of The Pleiades in _Locksley Hall_: "Many a night I saw the Pleiades, rising through the mellow shade, Glitter like a swarm of fireflies tangled in a silver braid." A well-known astronomer, not so many years ago, also felt the mysterious charm of The Pleiades and seriously expressed the belief that Alcyone, the brightest star of The Pleiades, was a central sun about which all other suns were moving. But we know that there is no foundation whatever for such a belief.