76 FABULOUS HISTORY 



erman set his prisoner at liber ty, when they all 

 went off. A larger dolphin likewise always ac- 

 companies them as a guard. A troop of dolphins 

 of larger and smaller size, were once seen, and, at 

 no great distance behind them, two dolphins ap- 

 peared, bearing up the body of a young dead dolphin 

 on their backs, by swimming beneath it, as if in- 

 duced by pity lest it should be devoured by some 

 beast* 



(Elian relates in the third chapter of his eighth 

 book, that Ceranus, the Parian, purchased the free- 

 dom of some dolphins caught by Byzantine fisher- 

 men, and afterwards sailed towards his own coun- 

 try in a Milesian vessel of fifty oars. His vessel 

 was cast away in the strait of Paros, but these dol- 

 phins which he had set at liberty, came in time to 

 save their deliverer, and lauded him on a promonto- 

 ry, subsequently called Cerania, in honour of him; 

 at his death, he requested to be interred at that place; 

 thither the dolphins went to pay their benefactor 

 merited funeral honours. 



Leonidas of Byzantium, narrates (in (Eliairs 2d 

 book, ch. 6.) that a man and his wife of Ple- 

 roselene, taught a dolphin to eat from their hands, 

 and accustomed their son to be very familiar with 

 the animal, which very regularly frequented the har- 

 bour of the town, appearing to regard it as his home. 

 When old enough to take care of himself, he sought 



* Aristoteles de Animalibus Historic, lib. ix. cap. 35. 



