Arizona silver belt., 1888-06-16
Curious Idens Abeut the lIeOn.
Iscientife American. 1

The phases of the moon have been much remarked and the cycle of these various appearances IS short enough te favor that convenient division of time which was the ancient month, and which still serves the Israelltes and Mussulmen for their calendar. When the Indians of several tribes ! united for some enterprise, the signal for the rendezvous was usually full moon deslgnated long time in ad- vance.
 The beautiful moonlight of countries that have a usually pure atmosphere offered an invitation to games and festivities. The nsw moon interrupts ed the merry-makings, hich were re- sumed with greater spirit when the thin silver crescent was observed after sunset. Ere anclent Peruyians said that the moon was dead during the three days of its inYislbility. The Khasias of the northwest of India think that the sun burns it up. Sev- eral savage peoples beheve that they see in the lunat;on a quarrel between the sun and the moon (which to them are husband and wite), passing month ly through the same phases. The moon grows from new moon to the full, then wanes; the same IS the case with its domination; finally, the sun triumphs and swallows Its adversary. whose head 1t spits into the heavens. The ancient Slavonians believed that the moon, having been untrue to her husband, with the beautiful Venus, was condemned to wander in the heav- ems. The Dakota Indians think that the moon at its waning is eaten by little mice. The Polynesians believe that it is devoured by the spirits of the dead. The Hottentots say that it wanes when, suferlag from a head ache, it puts its hand to its forehead and hides the latter from our view. The Eskimos imagine that the moon, harrasssd by fatigue and hunger after finishing its journey, retires for mo- ment to take rest and food. Its ap- parent corpulence after it's reappear- ancs shows with what avidity it has fed.
 The spots on the moon havO at tractsd attention and stirred the ina gination in all ages. There is proba ply no country in which an imaginary picture has not been seen in the disk of our satellite; and yet, aueng tAe various figures that are thought to bs seen in the moon, two principal types seem to prevail, according to certain geographical distribution. In East ern Asla, the common vision IS that of a hare or rabbit. The Chinese ina zine that they see a rabbit seated up on its launches befcre 2 mortar and pounding rice, after the manner of the country. The Hindoos see a hare or squirrel, and they call the moon the hare or squirrel carrier. The Siamese see the figure of hare Tn the moon; although some distinguish therein a man and woman cultIvating their field.
 Albertus Magnus thought that the form of the spots represented a lion with hls tail toward the east and his head to the west; others have thought it to be much more like fox. .t-
 Among many of the Indian tribes of North America, the hare is the sym bOl ot the moon, as the jaguar IS that of the sun. The MeMcans maintained that there was rabbit in the moons disk, and this was connected with one of their myths. In Central America, the moon is figured upon certain structures as pitcher, or as spiral shell whence a hare is emerging,
 According to Iroquois tradition, an cid wsman gifted with the power of divination was unhappy because she could net also foretell when the world would come to an end. For this, she was transported te the moon, where te this day she is seen weaving fore head strap. As once month she stirs a kettle of hominy. an ever-pres- ent cat unravels her net, so her work will never be finished.