CAUSE] THE CONSTELLATIONS 23 



There is a Chinese-Japanese legend about Vega: A spinning 

 damsel fell in love with a shepherd boy — the father of the damsel 

 was much incensed at their love so he banished them both to the 

 sky on opposite sides of the milky way but gave them permission 

 to meet once a year providing they could find a way to cross the 

 celestial river. Each year on the yth of July Vega, who was the 

 spinning damsel, came down to one edge of the milky way while 

 her lover, the shepherd boy Altair, came to the opposite edge. 

 Their friends, the magpies, congregated and formed a bridge 

 connecting these two points and Altair crossed to meet his beloved ; 

 after 24 hours the lovers were obliged to separate for the magpies 

 had to pass to earth and wait another year before going back to 

 form the celestial bridge. Serviso says that in Corea should a 

 magpie be found in its usual haunts on the 7 th of July, the children 

 stone it for shirking its duty. Alas for the lovers should it rain on 

 the 7th day of July! for then the river would be too wide to be 

 spanned by the magpie bridge. 



Altair and the Dolphin 



-A. Leah Gause 

 Altair, one of the stars in the constellation Aquila, or the eagle, is 

 a star of the first magnitude. It is situated in the edge of the milky- 

 way and may be observed there from early in June 

 until the middle of December. It is the brightest 

 Individual in the "pathway of light" during the 

 time mentioned so even an inexperienced "star 

 gazer" may easily locate it and its two companions 

 Beta and Gamma Aquilae. These three form a 



Altair in the straight line just five degrees in length with Beta 

 constellation ^ ^.^ . 1 r> ^ x-u .1 r m. • 



of the Eagle to the south and Gamma to the north of Altair. 



Very few people see Altair early in the year although 



it is in view near the western horizon before seven o'clock in the 



evening very soon after Janus opens the gate for the entrance of 



the New Year. Before many days it is indistinguishable in the 



"glow of lengthening days" and may not be seen again until the 



following month. In February, March and April Altair rises after 



midnight and may be seen by those who rise before the dawn. 



There is no burst of heraldry to announce the arrival of Altair, 



with its fine white brilliancy, as evening star. As was stated it 



appears early in June and quietly mounts the eastern sky about 



