222 Gleanings from the 



let down and come to touch it." Victor Hugo 

 has thrilled numberlefs readers with his account of 

 the huge poulpe that attacked a man, and many 

 ftories, fabulous and otherwife, have in recent 

 years been feen in print about the fize and fierce- 

 nefs of poulpes and calamaries. Pliny gives a 

 marvellous account of the killing of fuch a 

 monfter, " whofe head was as big as a good round 

 hogfhead or barrel that would take and contain 1 5 

 amphores." His words implicitly contain all the 

 fabulous as well as the true recitals concerning 

 thefe monfters which have appeared of late years. 

 Much of Pliny's " Hiftory " is a tranflation from 

 Ariftotle, with many fables and fcraps of Italian 

 folk-lore appended. We muft own to ignorance 

 of the aries or ram-fim, which muft poffefs what 

 our forefathers would have termed " a fhrewd 

 nature," for it is " a very ftrong theef at fea, and 

 makes foule work where he comes; for one 

 while he fquats clofe vnder the fhade of big mips 

 that ride at anker in the bay, where he lies in 

 ambum to wait when any man for his pleafure 

 would fwim and bath himfelf, that fo he might 

 furprife them: otherwhiles he puts out his nofe 

 above the water to fpie any fmall fimer boats 

 comming, and then he fwimmeth clofe to them, 

 overturneth and iinketh them." His teaching on 

 the generation of fifties is marked with vague 

 credulity. His anthias, too, cuts the line afunder 

 with the fharp, faw-like fins which it bears on its 

 back, while the fargons fret it in two againft a 

 fharp rock. His laft chapter on fiih is delightful, 



