92 THE DOLPHIN— ICHTHYOPHAGI— THE TUNNY 



" the organ," the only trait, I imagine, common to the fish 

 and to Nero ! i 



The helpfulness of the Dolphin shows itself in diverse ways, 

 often on vital occasions. In gratitude for the rescue of Tele- 

 machus, Ulysses wore its effigy stamped on signet and on 

 shield. Attracted by Arion's singing, it saves from the waves 

 " the sweet musician," and bears him safe to Taenarum.^ 

 Later on, with pleasant disregard of religious bias, it rescues 

 the Christian Saint Callistratus from a watery grave. 3 It acts 

 as willing, almost as " common " carrier, alike to gods, school- 

 boys, and damsels in distress. It anticipates our meteorological 

 office, for from the direction of its swim can be predicted the 

 wind of to-morrow. 4 



Its constant and practical service to fishermen meets wide 

 attestation. Oppian sings it : Pliny proses it : .^Elian cribs, 

 and confirms it,^ 



From the lagoon of Latera (says our Latin author) multi- 

 tudes of mugils or grey mullets at stated periods flock to the 

 sea.* The moment the migration begins, crowds collect for 

 the sport, shout their loudest, and summon " Simo " from the 

 vasty deep, or rather the mouth of the lagoon. 



The Dolphins, formed in line of battle, swim swiftly in, cut 

 off all escape to sea, and drive before them the frightened fish 

 to the shoals.'' While the nets are being drawn the dolphins 



1 Pindar {frag. 235 Bergk*. 140'', 68 £f., Schroeder) likens himself to the 

 dolphin, 



" Which flutes' beloved sound 

 Excites to play 

 Upon the calm and placid sea." 



Pliny (Delphin edition, 1826, which I use throughout), IX. 8. Suetonius, 

 Nero 4 1 . 



2 Herodotus, I. 24. Pausanias, III. 25. Plutarch, Sepl. Sap. Conviv., 18. 

 Cf. Lucian's characteristic account, op. cit., VIII. 



3 S. Baring-Gould, The Lives of the Saints (London, 1897), vol. x. 385. 



* Keller, op. cit., 347, confirms this habit of the fish, which, I suggest, is 

 dictated by reason of food. 



* Oppian, Aai.V. 425 ff. ; Pliny, IX. 9; A^lian, de »at. an., II. 8. 



* The Mugil, especially Mugil saltator, vies with if it do not surpass the 

 salmon in its power of leaping. It often (according to Oppian) jumps right 

 over the surrounding nets. Our Dolphin a double duty pays, in (i) driving 

 the fish, and (2) killing the successful saltatores. 



' In Arist., N. H., IX. 48, the Dolphin " seems to be the swiftest of all the 

 creatures, marine or terrestrial," but in N. H., IX. 37, he credits the grey mullet 

 as being " the swiftest of fishes." 



