The original figure drawn by Hevelius is described as "a strange weasel-built creature with a curly tail."
The Chinese knew the stars in this region of the sky as "the Flying Serpent," and in Royer's chart, published in 1679, these stars formed the star group known as "the Sceptre and Hand of Justice."
Argelander mentions thirty-one stars in this constellation, none brighter than 3.9 magnitude.
Lacerta culminates about the middle of April.
The Lesser Lion
Of fifty stars attend his steps.
Hevelius introduced this star group in 1690, forming it from eighteen stars situated between the Greater Lion and Bear. He gave it this title as he said it "partook of the same nature" as the neighbouring figures.
The Chinese included the Greater and Lesser Lion in their great figure of the Dragon.
The zodiacal Crab of the zodiac of Denderah is located in this figure, and this part of the sky was thought to have been sacred to the god Ptah.
Argelander assigned twenty-one stars to this group, none brighter than the fourth magnitude.
The Lynx
The Lynx first made its appearance as a constellation in 1690 on the star map of Hevelius. Originally it was said to contain nineteen stars, which number Burritt has increased to forty-four.
The inventor accounted for the title on the ground that
