of the Pleiades: at this time the fishing-nets are spread out. It is said that ‘the Thornback’ (Pisces) and ‘the People-at-the-feast’ (the Pleiades) must not see each other; the former constellation is called _galial_ (‘fishes’), which at this time are not to be eaten[606]. On the island of Saa, one of the Solomon Islands, the Southern Cross is the net with four men letting it down to catch palolo, and the Pointers are two men cooking what is caught, since the palolo first comes when one of the Pointers appears above the horizon[607]. In the list of star-names given for the Carolines there are also references to the seasons. In Ponape _le-poniong_ is seen at the time of the variable winds. In Lamotrek Corvus is called ‘the Viewer-of-the-taro-patches’, since he is visible during the taro season; the name of Arcturus is formed from _ara_, ‘to conclude’, and _moi_, ‘to come’, and the star is so called because his rising indicates the end of the north-east winds, which bring visiting parties to the island; the appearance of Capella means heavy gales and bad weather[608]. Among the astronomically learned Polynesians time-estimations according to stars play an important part: most of these however belong to the chapters on the months and the year. In Samoa it is at present an exception if an old fisherman can indicate and name this or that star which at its entrance into this or that constellation (_sic!_) announces the beginning of an abundant _bonino_-catch, the immediate return of the South Sea herring, the _atuli_, to its accustomed spawning-grounds, or some other similar event of importance in the life of the natives[609].