374 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



one hear the Turtles in the tree. Beyond these he notices 

 the Swan (Purg. xix. 46) ; the Nightingale (Purg. xvii. 20), that 

 delights in its own song ; the Blackbird, that sings its song 

 of joy for fair weather (Purg. xiii. 123) ("come fa il merlo per 

 poca bonaccia ") ; but, above all the common birds, the Lark 

 (Purg. XX. 71) — 



" Qual lodoletta, die 'n aere si spazia, 

 Prima cantando, e poi tace contenta, 

 Dell' ultimo dolcezza clie la sazia." 



Of which Landor says : " All the verses that ever were written 

 on the Nightingale are scarcely worth the beautiful triad of 

 this divine poet on the Lark. In the first of them do you 

 not see the twinkling of her wings against the sky ? As often 

 as I repeat them my ear is satisfied ; my heart, like hers, con- 

 tented." 



In conclusion, I would notice the birds at break of day. As 

 one would imagine, Dante was an early riser, and must have 

 often gone out to wander ere the day had fully dawned. We 

 have already had a picture of early morning with the shepherd. 

 In the "Paradise" (Par. xxiii. 1) he describes the bird sitting 

 on its callow young through the night; then, eager to behold its 

 nestlings, and to get them food, 



" Previene il tempo in sul aperta frasca, 

 E con ardente affetto il sole aspetta, 

 Fiso guardando, pur che I'alba nasca." 



So again (Purg. xviii.), he speaks of the tuneful quire of little 

 birds, who cease not to employ all their skill — 



" Ma con plena letizia Tore prime, 

 Cantando, riceveano intra le fogli, 

 Che tenevan bordon alle sue rime." 



And of the Swallow (Purg. ix. 14), that near the dawn " comincia 

 i tvisti lai." But of all his similes of birds in the early 

 morning, the most perfect is that of the Rooks (Par. xxi. 35) : — 

 " And, as following their natural custom, the Rooks gather 

 together at the break of day, move to warm their cold feathers ; 

 then some go away without return, others return whence they 

 set out, and others, wheeling round, stay where they are." 

 A perfect picture of a rookery waking up, and one which 



