356 THE AQUARIAN NATURALIST. 



Scarcely more wonderful is the scene recounted 

 in ' Orlando Furioso/ relative to the fight between 

 Orillo, the necromancer, and the English duke, than 

 the phenomenon which nature in this case presents 

 us with in real sober earnest, although perhaps some 

 of our readers may have imagined that in writing the 

 lines alluded to, Ariosto had transgressed the licence 

 even of romance : 



"About the field Orillo's members flew, 

 But he together gathers them againe, 

 And straight his fight and forces doth renew ; 

 The English Duke dismembering him in vaine ; 

 Until at length one blow so luckie sped, 

 That by his shoulders he cut off his head." 



" And having headed him so even and so just, 

 Straight with his head on horseback he doth mount, 

 And rides away. Orillo in the dust 

 Doth grope to find the same, as he was wont ; 

 But missing it, and full of new mistrust, 

 To overtake him vet he makes account : 



/ 



He rides, and would have cried, Ho ! tame ! tarrie ! 

 But in his hand the Duke his tongue did carrie." 

 Combat bettveen Astolfo and Orillo Orlando Furioso. 



And now once more to revert to the stern facts of 

 natural history, as recorded by Sir John Dalyell. 



Individuals of the common Crab, when kept alone, 

 become very tame ; whence, says Sir John, for a long 

 time I was induced to think them of an extremely 

 pacific nature ; but four small ones having been com- 

 mitted to the same vessel, I was soon undeceived by 

 discovering that one had been devoured by a com- 

 panion. On the same day I found the smallest of 



