Another feature of the stars which cannot fail to be noticed is the fact that they are not evenly distributed over the heavens, but are grouped into a variety of configurations or constellations. In the very dawn of human history these configurations woke the imaginations of the earliest star-gazers, and fanciful shapes and titles were attached to the star-groups, which have been handed down to the present time, and are still in use. It must be confessed that in some cases it takes a very lively imagination to find any resemblance between the constellation and the figure which has been associated with it. The anatomy of Pegasus, for example, would scarcely commend itself to a horse-breeder, while the student will look in vain for any resemblance to a human figure, heroic or unheroic, in the straggling group of stars which bears the name of Hercules. At the same time a few of the constellations do more or less resemble the objects from which their titles are derived. Thus the figure of a man may without any great difficulty be traced among the brilliant stars which form the beautiful constellation Orion; while Delphinus presents at least an approximation to a fish-like form, and Corona Borealis gives the half of a diadem of sparkling jewels. A knowledge of the constellations, and, if possible, of the curious old myths and legends attaching to them, should form part of the equipment of every educated person; yet very few people can tell one group from another, much less say what constellations are visible at a given hour at any particular season of the year. People who are content merely to gape at the heavens in 'a wonderful clear night of stars' little know how much interest they are losing. When the constellations and the chief stars are learned and kept in memory, the face of the sky becomes instinct with interest, and each successive season brings with it the return of some familiar group which is hailed as one hails an old friend. Nor is the task of becoming familiar with the constellations one of any difficulty. Indeed, there are few pleasanter tasks than to trace out the figures of the old heroes and heroines of mythology by the help of a simple star-map, and once learned, they need never be forgotten. In this branch of the subject there are many easily accessible helps. For a simple guide, Peck's 'Constellations and how to Find Them' is both cheap and useful, while Newcomb's 'Astronomy for Everybody' and Maunder's 'Astronomy without a Telescope' also give careful and simple directions. Maunder's volume is particularly useful for a beginner, combining, as it does, most careful instructions as to the tracing of the constellations with a set of clear and simple star-charts, and a most interesting discussion of the origin of these ancient star-groups. A list of the northern constellations with a few of the most notable objects of interest in each will be found in Appendix II.