Class IV. COMMON DOLPHIN. 89 



Aristotle steers the clearest of all the antients 

 from these fables, and gives in general so faith- 

 ful a natural history of this animal, as evinces 

 the superior judgment of that great philosopher, 

 in comparison to those who succeeded him. 

 But the elder Pliny, JElian, and others, seem 

 to preserve no bounds in their belief of the 

 tales related of this fish's attachment to man^ 

 kind. 



Pliny* the younger (apologizing for what he 

 is going to say) tells the story of the enamoured 

 dolphin of Hippo in a most beautiful manner. 

 It is too long to be transcribed, and would be 

 injured by an abridgment; therefore we refer 

 the reader to the original, or to Mr. MelmotKs 

 elegant translation. 



Scarcely an accident could happen at sea but 

 the dolphin offered himself to convey to shore 

 the unfortunate. Avion, the musician, when 

 flung into the ocean by the pirates, is received 

 and saved by this benevolent fish. 



Inde (fide majus) tergo Delphina fecurvo, 



Se memorant oneri supposuisse novo. 

 Ille sedens citharamque tenens, pretiumque vehendi 



Cantat, et aequoreas carmine mulcet aquas. 



Ovid. Fasti, lib. ii. 113. 



* Epist. lib. ix. ep. 33. 



