368 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



usurers, who are worried by the fiery flakes that fall upon them, 

 and are trying to remove them (Inf. xvii. 49) : — 



' ' Non altrimenti fan di state i cani 

 col ceffo, o coi pie, quando son, 

 da pulei, o da mosche, o da tafani morsi." 



We are next introduced to him gnawing a bone (Inf. xsxiii. 78), 

 and then we see the faithful House-Dog flying at a tramp (Inf. 

 xxi. 68), and, lastly, the impotent cur (botolo) snarling at the 

 passer-by (Purg. xiv. 46). I can find no allusion to the Sheep- 

 Dog, which is surprising, especially when Giotto has left us the 

 picture of such a fascinating little puppy in his carving of pas- 

 toral life on the tower of the Cathedral at Florence. But, though 

 he is not mentioned, the Sheep (" pecore pecorelle agnelli ") are 

 alluded to on several occasions. I always imagine them to be 

 Giotto's Sheep, not the great big specimens with which one meets 

 in England. He describes the sportive lamb (Par. v. 82), that 

 leaves its mother's milk, and frolicsome and simple, combats at 

 its own pleasure with itself. He speaks of them, as did our early 

 poets, as the "silly Sheep" (Par. v. 80), but they supply him 

 with two of his most fascinating similes. The first is a long 

 one, describing a frosty morning in early spring, and the shepherd 

 driving out his flock. There is such an atmosphere about it ; it 

 reminds one of Turner's ' Winter's Morning' (Inf. xxiv. 1). It 

 is getting near the equinox; the hoar-frost on the ground looks 

 like snow, but soon evaporates. 



" The rustic now exhausted his supply, 



Rises betimes, and looks out, and fcees the land 

 All white around, whereat he strikes his thigh, 

 Turns back, and, grieving, wanders here and there. 



Like one disconsolate, and at a stand ; 

 Then issues forth, forgetting his despair. 



For, lo ! the face of nature he beholds 

 Changed on a sudden — takes his crook again, 



And drives his flock to pasture in the folds." 



Again, he gives us an accurate picture of them (Purg. iii. 79), 

 where they come out of the fold by ones and twos and threes ; 

 and others stand timid, turning their eyes and noses down to the 

 earth ; and whatever the foremost one does, so the others do, 

 huddling close up to it if it stops, simple and quiet, and do not 



