HEARING. 53 



Rude Heiskar's seals, through surges dark, 

 Will long pursue the minstrel's bark. 



In Germany they take the shad (Alosa clupea, 

 MERRET) by means of nets, to which bows of wood, 

 hung with a number of little bells, are attached in 

 such a manner as to chime in harmony when the 

 nets are moved. The shad, when once attracted by 

 the sound, will not attempt to escape while the bells 

 continue to ring. ./Elian says the shad is allured by 

 castanets : and so delicate is the ear of this fish re- 

 ported to be, that the sound of thunder terrifies them 

 to death, and numbers are annually found thus killed 

 on the Rhine and the Moselle*. 



Numerous other instances of a similar kind are 

 recorded, upon authority far from being * destitute 

 of respectability, though they may somewhat startle 

 the faith of the incredulous. An officer, confined 

 in the B a stile at Paris, begged the governor to 

 permit him the use of his lute, to soften his con- 

 finement by the harmonies of his instrument. At 

 the end of a few days this modern Orpheus, playing 

 on his lute, was greatly astonished to see frisking 

 out of their holes great numbers of mice, and de- 

 scending from their woven habitations crowds of 

 spiders, which formed a circle about him while he 

 continued playing upon his instrument. At first, 

 he was petrified with astonishment, when, having 

 ceased to play, the assembly of animals immediately 

 broke up. Having a great dislike to vermin, it was 

 two days before he ventured to touch the instrument ; 

 but having mustered courage to conquer his dislike, 

 he recommenced his concert, when the assembly was 

 by far more numerous than at first; and, in the 

 course of farther time, he found himself surrounded 

 by a hundred of these animal amateurs. 

 * Physicse Curiosee, [>. 1261. 



