72 ARRIAN 



Chap. II. hare can escape them ; unless the country present some ob- 

 stacles, either a covert to conceal her, or a hollow deep pit to 

 break off the course, or a ditch to favour her escape while out 

 of sight of the dogs. 



To this ignorance, in my opinion, is to be attributed the 

 length of his instructions on driving the hare into nets, ^ and 

 if she pass them, ^ pursuing and recovering her by scent, till 

 she be taken, at last, completely tired out. But he has no 

 where said either that fleet dogs altogether supersede the 

 necessity of a sportsman having nets, '^ or of his hunting by 

 scent after the hare has escaped them. Indeed he has de- 

 scribed only the mode of hunting which is practised by the 

 Carians and Cretans. ^ 



5. See Xenophon de Venat. c. vi. 



6. El irapa^pdixot toss &pKvs — if she pass by the tunnel or purse -nets without enter- 

 ing their mouths. The &pKves or casses were placed, here and there, in the line of 

 the main hayes, S'lKTva or retia ; and as the hare passed along exploring a place of 

 escape, terrified by the formido above, and the meshes below, (continuous except 

 where the purse-nets with the running noose, PpSxos or laqueus, were introduced,) 

 she attempted to pass at the supposed opening, and became by her struggles en- 

 tangled in the purse, which immediately closed at its slip-knot entrance. Arrian, 

 perhaps, uses the term &pKvs generically for every variety of net, and not specifically 

 for tlie tunnel. See the Venationes Ferarum of Johannes Stradensis and Philippus 

 Galle, tab. xviii. " Sic leporem in laqueos agitant," &c. 



7. In the 21st chapter Arrian remarks that greyhounds answer every purpose, and 

 supersede the use of nets altogether: he there writes tus ayaBas as synonymous to 

 Tas uKeias ; and the latter epithet being more distinctive of the hounds intended to 

 be designated, I have so translated the former epithet in the present instance. Any 

 dog may be good of his kind, but a greyhound alone fleet. 



8. Diana having been particularly worshipped in Crete, on the authority of Ovid's 



Ovid. Fast. Pallada Cecropia;, Minoia Creta Dianam 



L. III. 



Vulcanum tellus Hypsipilita colit. 



we expect to find the inhabitants addicted to hunting ; and such was their character 



DeNatura Ani- according to ^lian : Kiiuv Kprjcraa Koixpi), koI aKjiKi], koI opeifiacriats a{jVTpo<pos' koI 



nial. L, III. (xivToi Kol ahroi Kpi)7es ToiovTovs avTovs irapaSeiKvvcrtVj koI aSet t) 4"1M'?' But it is 



*"■''■ worthy of notice that although Arrian attributes to Xenophon a description of the 



bunting practices alone of the Cretans and Carians, there is no mention, in the Cyne- 



