is ‘the Roe-buck’s Horn’, still another ‘the Tapir’; the Pleiades are the most important constellation, they are called _yehu_, but the natives do not know the meaning of the name. Venus is called _coemilla_, ‘morning’. The Guarayu call Orion ‘the Black Vulture’; at his side lies a heap of snake’s bones (the sword). The Southern Cross with the stars around it is an ostrich, the two large stars of the Centaur are a roe-buck, the Great Bear is a road, a cluster of stars in the south is ‘the Eel’s Nest’. The Pleiades are called _piangi_, a word of unknown meaning; when, on their return after their period of invisibility, they are surrounded by a circle, it is a good omen: if the circle is missing, all men will die. Venus is called ‘the Big Star’[504]. The Karai tribes called α, β Centauri the ostrich’s feet, the body is the neighbouring ‘coal-pit’ (the dark spot of the Milky Way), the Southern Cross is a fresh-water ray, the Pleiades are a flock of parakeets, Orion is the burning roça, the tail of the Scorpion is called _unze_. The Ipurina of Rio Purus call Orion a beetle, the Pleiades a serpent, the Hyades a turtle, the Cross forest-folk[505]. In a Chilean word-list there are words for star, constellation, the Pleiades, Orion, planet, Venus[506]. In Africa the comparatively more civilised negro Tribes seem to have paid less attention to the stars than the more primitive tribes of the south. The Ho tribe considers the stars to be the children of the moon: it recognises and names the most important constellations, the morning star (‘the Clucking Hen’), and the stool-bearer of the moon, a star always situated in the vicinity of that planet. The Milky Way is composed of stars forming a cord[507]. Of the Ibo-speaking tribes we are told that they seem to be singularly incurious about heavenly bodies and occurrences; however names were got for the following constellations:--The Pleiades (‘Hen and Chickens’), the belt of Orion (‘Three and Three’), for the Great Bear two names not translated were given, Venus (‘the Wise-Man-who-can-talk’)[508]. In French Guinea η _ursae_ is an ass, and the little star above it is a thief pursued by the six other stars, members of the tribe to which the stolen animal belongs. For other peoples the Great Bear is the star of the camel, Cassiopeia is that of the ass, the Pleiades have the name ‘murmur’, i. e. a confused thing. Jupiter (?), the companion and guardian of the moon, is held in particular veneration. The marabout in the morning awaits the rising of Venus, and announces by cries, or sometimes by blows on a gong, the hour of prayer. Everyone has his good and bad stars, which the magician takes carefully into account[509]. The intrusion of astrology is not striking, since the people are Mohammedans, while the names of the constellations must be of native origin. The Bakongo call the three stars in Orion’s belt ‘the Dog’, ‘the Palm-rat’, and ‘the Chief Hunter’; Venus is the wife of the moon.