86 PEOSE HALIETJTICS. 



should some fisherman tourist, on a fine summer day 

 waxing towards its closej embark to visit the ' cerulean 

 grotto' of the opposite island, he wUl not fail as he ap- 

 proaches this sheltered part of the basin, 



' Where Capri's rugged heigMs lie mirror'd deep 

 In those blue waters where her sea-fowl sleep,' 



to observe, as he bends over the barque's side intently 

 thynnoscopizing the deep, the evolutions of myriads of 

 fish— 



' Who single or with mate 

 Graze the seaweed, their pasture, and through groves 

 Of coral stray ; or sporting with quick glance 

 Show to the sun their waved coats dropp'd with gold ; 

 Or from their pearly shells come forth to seek 

 Moist nutriment ; or under rocks their food 

 In jointed armour watch,'* 



a legion of gliding shapes traversing the translucent 

 waters here, there, and everywhere : 



noXXa 6' avavra, Karavra, irdpavrarc, 6o;yiia r ^\dov. 



Some buoyant and iridescent as soap-bubbles floating 

 up directly below the boat; others emerging at every 

 angle of the abyss to swim round the motionless keel, 

 and frisk mider the drippings of the suspended oarsj 

 the lovely labridse, to whose delicate, many-coloured 

 cuticle, transparent scales, while they burnish and set it 

 ofi', add their own hues ; and conspicuous amongst these 

 the lulls, mencha di re, or rainbow wrasse, in his gay 

 harlequin dress of green and blue; the protean orbis, 

 which from a flat suddenly changes to a sphere; the 

 pink riband-fish cipolla, winding in wavy course like a 

 streamer floatiug m the breeze ; the fleet, broad-striped 

 atalonga; the small mackerel colias, dashing into a 

 scudding fry of anchovies or sardines, and disturbing mo- 



* Milton. 



