Natural Hiftory of the Ancients. 1 49 



lion deeply ponders among a crowd of men, in 

 fear when they draw round him the crafty circle," 

 fays Homer. 1 The cuftom lafted till recent times 

 in Scotland, and the ring thus formed was known 

 as the Tinchel : 



"We'll quell the favage mountaineer 

 As their Tinchel cows the game." 2 



A peep at the implements of ancient foreft-craft 

 is allowed us in Virgil's celebrated hunting-fcene, 

 when ^Eneas and Dido went forth together on 

 a fateful morn, " wide-mefhed nets, toils, and 

 boar-fpears with broad fteel heads." 3 Along with 

 thefe were the al<e coloured feathers faftened on 

 ropes, which were fufpended fo as to allow them 

 to flutter in the wind and terrify the wild creatures 

 till they darned into the feries of toils 4 which were 

 fet for their capture : 



"Dum trepidant alae faltufque indagine cingunt." 5 



In another fplendid pafTage, defcribing the 

 manner in which during winter the Northern 

 nations capture deer, the poet again introduces 

 thefe " alas." The ftags are found in herds, half 

 fmothered in fnow, which their horns can hardly 

 furmount (fomething in the fafhion of moofe in a 

 Canadian " yard ") ; " thefe they flay with fteel at 



1 "Odyffey," iv. 791. 2 "Lady of the Lake," vi. 17. 



3 " Jineid," iv. 131. 



4 For the manner in which the toils were fet, compare 



" The toils are pitched and the Hakes are fet, 

 Ever fmg merrily, merrily." 



(" Lady of the Lake," iv. 25.) 



5 " ^ncid," iv. 121. 



