Chap. 8.] DOLPHINS. 3/3 



of sea to the school at Puteoli, and in a similar manner bring 

 him back again. This happened for several years, until at 

 last the boy happened to fall ill of some malady, and died. 

 The dolphin, however, still came to the spot as usual, with a 

 sorrowful air and manifesting every sign of deep affliction, 

 until at last, a thing of which no one felt the slightest doubt, 

 he died purely of sorrow and regret. 



Within these few years also, 72 another at Hippo Diar- 

 rhytus, 73 on the coast of Africa, in a similar manner used to 

 receive his food from the hands of various persons, present 

 himself for their caresses, sport about among the swimmers, 

 and carry them on his back. On being rubbed with unguents 

 by Flavianus, the then proconsul of Africa, he was lulled to 

 sleep, as it appeared, by the sensation of an odour so new to him, 

 and floated about just as though he had been dead. For some 

 months after this, he carefully avoided all intercourse with 

 man, just as though he had received some affront or other ; but 

 at the end of that time he returned, and afforded just the same 

 wonderful scenes as before. At last, the vexations that were 

 caused them by having to entertain so many influential men 

 who came to see this sight, compelled the people of Hippo to 

 put the animal to death. 



Before this, there was a similar story told of a child at the 

 city of lasus, 74 for whom a dolphin was long observed to have 

 conceived a most ardent affection, until at last, as the animal 

 was eagerly following him as he was making for the shore, 75 

 it was carried by the tide on the sands, and there expired. 

 Alexander the Great appointed this boy 76 high priest of Nep- 

 tune at Babylon, interpreting this extraordinary attachment 

 as a convincing proof of the favour of that divinity. 



Hegesidemus has also informed us, that in the same city 77 of 



72 Oppian, in his Halieutica, B. v. 1. 453, mentions this story also, and 

 of course Solinus does. 73 See B. v. c. 3. 



74 The island and city of Caria. See B. v. c. 29. 



75 Being alarmed by the pursuit of the fish while he was swimming. 



76 Athenaeus, B. xiii., tells this story more at large, and states that the 

 name of the child was Dionysius. Hardouin remarks, that Solinus, the 

 ape of Pliny, has absolutely read this passage as though the child's name 

 had been Babylon ; upon the strength of which, Saumaise had proposed to 

 alter the reading in Pliny, not remembering at the time that the boy's name 

 had been given by Athenaeus. 



77 This story is also told by Plutarch, in his work on the Instincts of 

 Animals. 



