92 THE DOLPHIN—ICHTHYOPHAGI—THE TUNNY 
“the organ,’ the only trait, I imagine, common to the fish 
and to Nero! ! 
The helpfulness of the Dolphin shows itself in diverse ways, 
often on vital occasions. In gratitude for the rescue of Tele- 
machus, Ulysses wore its effigy stamped on signet and on 
shield. Attracted by Arion’s singing, it saves from the waves 
“the sweet musician,’ and bears him safe to Tenarum.? 
Later on, with pleasant disregard of religious bias, it rescues 
the Christian Saint Callistratus from a watery grave.? It acts 
as willing, almost as ‘‘ common ”’ carrier, alike to gods, school- 
boys, and damsels in distress. It anticipates our meteorological 
office, for from the direction of its swim can be predicted the 
wind of to-morrow.* 
Its constant and practical service to fishermen meets wide 
attestation. Oppian sings it: Pliny proses it: lian cribs, 
and confirms it.® 
From the lagoon of Latera (says our Latin author) multi- 
tudes of mugils or grey mullets at stated periods flock to the 
sea.6 The moment the migration begins, crowds collect for 
the sport, shout their loudest, and summon “ Simo ’”’ from the 
vasty deep, or rather the mouth of the lagoon. 
The Dolphins, formed in line of battle, swim swiftly in, cut 
off all escape to sea, and drive before them the frightened fish 
to the shoals.?7 While the nets are being drawn the dolphins 
1 Pindar (frag. 235 Bergk‘, 140°, 68 ff., Schroeder) likens himself to the 
dolphin, 
“‘ Which flutes’ beloved sound 
Excites to play 
Upon the calm and placid sea.” 
Pliny (Delphin edition, 1826, which I use throughout), IX. 8. Suetonius, 
Nero 4I. 
2 Herodotus, I. 24. Pausanias, III. 25. Plutarch, Sept. Sap. Conviv., 18. 
Cf. Lucian’s characteristic account, op. cit., VIII. 
3S. Baring-Gould, The Lives of the Saints (London, 1897), vol. x. 385. 
‘ Keller, op. cit., 347, confirms this habit of the fish, which, I suggest, is 
dictated by reason of food. 
5 Oppian, hab. V. 425 ff.; Pliny, TX.9; lian, de nat. an., II. 8. 
* The Mugil, especially Mugil saétator, vies with if it do not surpass the 
salmon in its power of leaping. It often (according to Oppian) jumps right 
over the surrounding nets. Our Dolphin a double duty pays, in (1) driving 
the fish, and (2) killing the successful saltatores. 
7 In Arist., N. H., LX. 48, the Dolphin “ seems to be the swiftest of all the 
creatuyes, marine or terrestrial,” but in N. H., 1X. 37, he credits the grey mullet 
as being ‘“‘ the swiftest of fishes.” 
