THE DOLPHIN. 
73 
a crooked form : From the defer! ptions of the poets, 
tt appears that they entertained the fame inaccurate no- 
tlon the fliape of this animal *. Before a florm the 
dolphins are obferved to be in great commotion, and fre- 
quently to leap above the fur-face of the water. It is pro- 
bably i n this attitude, almolt the only one in which they 
"'ere then feen, that they have a crooked appearance to 
'■he eye f.i The natural lhape of the dolphin is almod 
ftraight, the back being very {lightly incurvated, and the 
body {lender. 
it is not in the external form alone of the dolphin 
that the ancient writers were miftaken : Their philofo- 
Poers and hidorians feem to have contended who fliould 
* !lvent the mod extravagant fables concerning it. This 
hu was celebrated in the earlied time for its fondnefs of 
human race. It does not dread man, fays Pliny, as a 
ganger; but conies to meet him in the fliip, and to 
fort around the veffel : hence it was diflmguifhed by 
‘he epithets of boy loving, and philanthropic f. It was 
c onfecrated to the geds ; and therefore was honoured with 
*he title of facrcd fifli. Various are the fervices wnich 
l his race are faid to have performed to man : Pliny, 
Delian, and many of the other early writers fet no bounds 
their belief of the tales related concerning the dolphin’s 
t ' 1| d >, nent to the human fpccies : Pliny the younger, 
0 c d in an age lefs remarkable for credulity, makes 
apology fo r the dory of the enamoured dolphin of 
l PP°, w'hich he narrates in a beautiful manner L 
VoL - "I. K From 
c r, pantlo tranfilit dorfo nnre. Sc.:e’, Tr g Agam. £:o, 
T Kdloniu. apud Willough. p. 30. 
5 V:d< Epift. lj b . iSi ep _ 33 _ 
