Page:The Music of the Spheres.djvu/195

 in this constellation, is called the "Little Dog's Star." It appears above the eastern horizon on the 23rd of January just after darkness, and shines for about half an hour before Sirius appears upon the scene.



Sirius is the head star of Canis Major and the brightest star in the sky. This dog sits at the feet of Orion watching Lepus, the Hare.



This is the bull that Orion chases backwards across the winter's sky, although only his foremost portion is visible among the stars. The rest of this creature might be imagined as hidden behind a cloud; but no, mythologists say the other half is immersed beneath the waves of the sea. Beneath the waves of the sea! It looks to us as if he were defending himself with considerable gusto