154 PROSE HALIETJTICS. 



chese A , an eccentric octogenarian, who having, in 



imitation of LucuUus, opened a communication many 

 years ago at the bottom of his lava domains, between 

 an extensive cavern and the neighbouring bay, con- 

 verted the admitted waters into an extensive vivarium 

 for sea-fish, and formed of the capacious sides an 

 aviary for web-footed fowls, and a prison for wild law- 

 less birds. It was not tiU after some frequentation of 

 the fish-market, nor tiU our eye had become familiar- 

 ized with the dead forms of most of the scaly beauties 

 of the bay, that Professor C mentioned this inter- 

 esting spot, and offered at the same time to make us 

 acquainted with its treasures, and the old nobleman 

 (himself a treasure !) to whom it belonged. Thankiag 

 him on the spot for his obliging offer, we were in a 

 very few mii^utes possessed of a queer-shaped, oddly- 

 folded, very flattering note, in which thanks were ten- 

 dered to the Marchese by anticipation (anticipatamente) 

 for the civilities required of him, and ourself mentioned 

 in a way superlatively to our credit and advantage. 

 Armed with this raissive, we started in hot haste, in the 

 very middle of an Italian dog-day, and after some time 

 arrived, staggering under the suffocatiag heat of a walk 

 which nothing but a strong sense of duty, or an equally 

 strong desire to study flying-fish alive, could have brought 

 to a successful issiie, at the gate of the old ichthyophilist. 

 On pulling a flery bell-wire, the glowing portals opened, 

 and entering from the baked lava road, we proceeded 

 forthwith to make inquiries for the Marchese, of his 

 ' donna di casa.' The punctual old man had, we found, 

 already started, it being just on the point of the ' venti 

 due' (twenty-two o'clock), the hour, she said, when he 

 constantly went with Giuseppe to feed the ' creature ' in 

 the cavern. 



"We followed the twain in breathless speed ; and, not 

 to be baulked of our object at last, after such a walk. 



