andle of Perseus there is a cluster which, to the naked
eye, appears as a small patch of luminous cloud. This inconspicuous
object when observed with an instrument of moderate power is resolved
into a magnificent assemblage of stars, and presents a spectacle which
creates in the mind of the beholder mingled feelings of admiration and
amazement. No telescope has yet penetrated its utmost depths, or
revealed all the glories of this shining region, crowded with glittering
points of light comparable in number to the pebbles strewn on the shore
of a troubled sea.

The cluster Praesepe in Cancer is visible on a clear night to the
unaided eye as a small nebula. This object attracted the attention of
Galileo, to which he applied his newly invented telescope, and was
delighted to find that his glass was capable of resolving it into a
group of stars thirty-six in number, and all of comparatively large
magnitude. The disappearance of Praesepe in consequence of the
condensation of vapour in the atmosphere was regarded by the ancients as
a sure indication of approaching rain. In the same constellation, near
the Crab's southern claw, there is another rich cluster, which consists
of 200 stars of the ninth and tenth magnitudes.

In Sobieski's Shield there is a magnificent fan-shaped cluster of minute
stars with a prominent one in its centre; and in the constellation of
the Southern Cross there is a cluster which, on account of the varied
colours of its component stars, has been compared by Sir John Herschel
to 'a piece of rich fancy jewellery;' eight of the principal stars being
coloured red, green, and blue.

GLOBULAR CLUSTERS.--These have been described by Herschel as 'the most
magnificent objects that can be seen in the heavens.' They are all very
remote, of a rounded form, and when viewed with a telescope present the
appearance of 'a ball of stars.' In some clusters the constituent stars
are distinguishable as minute points of light; in others, more remote,
they are of a coarse granular texture, and in those still more distant
they resemble a 'heap of golden sand.' Some clusters are situated at
such a profound distance in space that it is impossible with the most
powerful of telescopes to define their stellar structure; all that can
be distinguished of these is a cloudy luminosity resembling in
appearance an irresolvable nebula. Globular clusters usually present a
radiated appearance. Rays, branches, and spiral-shaped streams of