Pisces, the Fishes, [symbol for Pisces].—­The twelfth sign of the zodiac, rises in February and is represented by two fishes tied together by the tails.  These fishes are fabled by the Greeks to be those into which Venus and Cupid were changed to escape from the giant Typhon.  This fable may not be true, but that wonderful miracles were once performed with two small fishes is stated in the ninth chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke, where it is said that 5000 hungry mortals were cheaply, if not sumptuously regaled with two small fishes and five loaves of bread; while a large surplus of this piscatory diet, larger indeed than the original stock, still remained intact.

In the vestibule or approaches to catholic churches is usually found a vase filled with water, (called Piscina,) and this water is considered holy.  The Fish-days are observed as holy days, or fast days, in which Fish may be eaten and meat is forbidden; and learned writers have asserted that in the worship of Pisces may be found the true secret of the origin of the rite of baptism.  The Fish-god Oannes, is said to have come out of the Erythraean Sea and taught the Babylonians all kinds of useful knowledge.  Ionnes or Jonas went headlong into the sea and into a fish, and has kindly recorded for our instruction his remarkable adventures.  The miraculous draughts of fishes in the apostolic age still excite the emulation of modern fishermen, who cannot even hope to rival the wonders that have been recorded.  St. Peter is said to have secured ready money from the mouth of a fish that he caught with a hook and line in the sea of Galilee. (Matthew xvii, 27.) His success was justly rewarded, and to him was delegated the power of ruling the infant church.  Pisces thus displaced Aries.  The fisherman succeeded the shepherd.  The precession of the equinoxes produced a new avatar; a new sign arose in the heavens; and a new saviour was born to save mankind.

THE CONSTELLATIONS.

Sirius, the Dog Star.—­A bright star of the first magnitude in the mouth of the constellation Canis Major.  This is the brightest star that appears in our firmament, and is supposed by some to be the nearest.

Lepus.—­One of the southern constellations, placed near Orion, according to Grecian fable, because it was one of the animals which he hunted.

Eridanus.—­A winding southern constellation, near the Cetus, containing the bright star Achemar.

Cetus, the Whale.—­A southern constellation, and one of the forty-eight old asterisms.  It is fabled to have been the sea monster sent by Neptune to devour Andromeda, which was killed by Perseus.

Crater, the Cup.—­A southern constellation, near Hydra.  This is supposed by Hyainus to be the cup which Apollo gave to the Corvus, or Raven.

Corvus.—­One of the old constellations in the southern hemisphere, near Sagittarius.  This bird is fabled to have been translated to heaven by Apollo for discovering to him the infidelity of the nymph Coronis.