DANTE AS A NATURALIST. 373 



their flight, sometimes in a compact mass, sometimes in a long 

 line (Par. xviii. 73) — 



" Come augelli surti di riviera, 

 Quasi congratulando a lor pastura, 

 Fanno di si or tonda or lunga schiera " ; 



or (Purg. xxiv. 64), like the birds that winter on the Nile, 

 sometimes make of themselves a compact array, sometimes fly 

 in a long line. Milton speaks of both in the same passage. 



He says : — 



" Part loosely wing the region, part more wise, 

 In common ranged in figure wedge their way, 

 Intelligent of seasons ; and set forth 

 Their aery caravan, high over seas 

 Flying, and over lands, with mutual wing 

 Easing their flight ; so steers the prudent Crane 

 Her annual voyage." 



So has Dante seen them — seen the great flocks part, and wheel, 

 some north, some south (Purg. xxvi. 43) — seen them, and heard 

 their melancholy note, which is so well adapted to describe the 

 cry of the lost souls (Inf. v. 48) — 



*' Come i gru van cantando lor lai." 



After the Cranes, Dante has most to say of the Pigeons. 

 He has a wonderfully accurate picture of a flock of them 

 coming down, and setting to work in a business-like way (Purg. 

 ii. 125 : " senza raostrar I'usato orgoglio"), pecking at blades of 

 grass, first on one side and then on another, until a sudden scare 

 comes, and they rise en masse and fly away. Or, again, what a 

 perfect picture one has of the Rock-Pigeon sweeping down to its 

 nest with firm expanded wings (Inf. v. 82) — 



" Quali colombe dal disio chiamate, 

 Con I'ali aperte e ferine al dolce nido, 

 Volan per I'aer dal voler portate." 



So, too (Par. xxv. 19), where a Dove settles by its mate, and 

 walks round it cooing ; the rhythm of the line helps one to 

 imagine the whole scene — 



" L'uno e I'altro pande, 

 Girando e mormorando I'affezione," 



as " les tourterelles roucoulaient " of La Fontaine's fables lets 



