WAS THE ANGLER'S ?— TIBULLUS 151 



To conclude, whether harundo here be a weapon for capture 

 of birds or of fish, it is now estabUshed beyond any doubt or 

 contradiction that there was used in and probably long before 

 Martial's time 1 a Reed Rod, capable of extension, either by 

 protruding a smaller cane through a larger one, or else, perhaps, 

 by an action somewhat similar to a chimney-sweep's, with 

 jointed rods fastened together in the hand, when prolonging 

 his brush. 



If such a Reed Rod was found of service to the fowler for 

 reaching a bird on a high branch, is it not extremely probable, 

 is it not almost certain, that in spite of no express mention of 

 such use the fisherman also employed a similar jointed rod for 

 the purpose — common alike to his primitive predecessor and 

 his more advanced successor— of getting the bait over any 

 obstacles which lay between him and the water, and for in- 

 creasing both the reach of his arm and the length of his throw ? 2 



Whether the Rod of t\iQpiscatoy was similar to that of the 

 aucupator or not, we do find these two pursuits, with but one 

 verb for both, coupled in two of TibuUus's beautiful lines on 

 Hope (H. 6, 23). His Hope is very reminiscent of St. Paul's 

 Charity or Love, which " beareth all things, belie veth all things, 

 hopeth all things, endure th all things. Love never faileth." 



" Haec laqueo volucres, haec captat harundine pisces 

 Cum tenues hamos abdidit ante cibus." 



" 'Tis Hope, that taketh birds with the Snare, fish with the Rod 

 with fine Hooks well hidden in the bait." 



Panormus, those for fishing [harundo piscatoria) from Abaris in Lower Egypt. 

 Pliny, XVI. 66. For a legal decision as to the selling, etc., of reeds, see Digesta 

 Jiistiniani, VII. i, 9, 5. 



^ Possibly in the time of Aristophanes, 



'iffTTicn ^p6x,ovi, ra7i5as, pd^Sovs, /c.t.A. 



Aves, 526 f. 

 In the seventh century B.C. the Chinese mention the Ch'ih Kan or the " glu 

 tinous line for catching birds." Cf. Apuleius, Met., XI. 8. 



- The epitaph in Corpus Inscript. Lat., ii. 2335, is of interest : 

 d. [M.] Quintus Marius Optatus 

 heu iuvenis tumulo qualis iacet a[bditus isto,] 

 qui pisces iaculo capiebat missile dextra, 

 aucupium calamo praster studiosus agebat . . , 

 Cf. Carm. Lat. Epig., no. 412, 



