第 12 节
作者:连过十一人      更新:2021-02-27 01:34      字数:9322
  '15' See Pollux; v。 50。 〃She must presently be tired out in the heavy
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  snow; which balls itself like a fatal clog clinging to the under             part of
  her hairy feet。〃
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  IX
  For hunting fawns'1' and deer;'2' Indian dogs'3' should be employed;
  as being strong; large; and fleet…footed; and not devoid of spirit; with these
  points they will prove well equal to the toil。
  '1'   See   Hom。   〃Il。〃   xxii。   189;   x。   361;   〃Od。〃   iv。   35;   Aelian;   〃N。   A。〃
  xiv。 14; xvii。 26; Geopon。 xix。 5。
  '2'   {e   elaphos}   (generic;   Attic)   =   hart   or   hind;   of   roe  (Capreolus
  caprea) or red (Cervus elaphus) deer alike; I suppose。 See St。                         John;
  〃Nat。 Hist。 and Sport in Moray。〃
  '3' Of the Persian or Grecian greyhound type perhaps。 See Aristot。 〃H。
  A。〃 viii。 28; Aelian; 〃N。 A。〃 viii。 1; Pollux; v。 37; 38; 43;                     Plin。 〃H。
  N。〃 vii。 2; viii。 28; Oppian; 〃Cyn。〃 i。 413。
  Quite   young   fawns'4'   should   be   captured   in   spring;   that   being   the
  season at which the dams calve。'5' Some one should go beforehand into
  the rank meadowlands'6' and reconnoitre where the hinds are congregated;
  and wherever that may be; the master of the hounds will set offwith his
  hounds and a supply of javelinsbefore daylight to the place in question。
  Here he   will attach the  hounds to   trees'7' some   distance off; for  fear of
  their   barking;'8'   when   they   catch   sight   of   the   deer。   That   done   he   will
  choose   a   specular   point   himself   and   keep   a   sharp   look…out。'9'   As   day
  breaks he will espy the hinds leading their fawns to the places where they
  will    lay  them   severally   to    rest。'10'   Having     made    them   lie   down    and
  suckled them; they will cast anxious glances this way and that to see that
  no one   watches   them;   and then   they  will severally  withdraw  to   the   side
  opposite   and   mount   guard;   each   over   her   own   offspring。 The   huntsman;
  who   has   seen   it   all;'11'   will   loose   the   dogs;   and   with   javelins   in   hand
  himself advance towards the nearest fawn in the direction of where he saw
  it laid to rest; carefully noting the lie of the land;'12' for fear of making
  some mistake; since the place itself will present a very different aspect on
  approach from what it looked like at a distance。
  '4'   See    above;   v。  14。   I  do  not   know     that  any   one   has   answered
  Schneider's        question:       Quidni      sensum       eundem        servavit      homo
  religiosus in hinnulis?
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  '5' 〃The fawns (of the roe deer) are born in the spring; usually early
  in May;〃 Lydekker; 〃R。 N。 H。〃 ii。 p。 383; of the red deer                    〃generally in
  the early part of June;〃 ib。 346。
  '6'  {orgadas}  =   〃gagnages;〃 du   Fouilloux;  〃Comment   le   veneur   doit
  aller en queste aux taillis ou gaignages pour voir le cerf a                    veue;〃 ap。
  Talbot; op。 cit。 i。 p。 331。
  '7' Or; 〃off the wood。〃
  '8' It seems they were not trained to restrain themselves。
  '9' Or; 〃set himself to observe from some higher place。〃 Cf。 Aristoph。
  〃Wasps;〃 361; {nun de xun oplois} | {andres oplitai diataxamenoi}                           |
  {kata tas diodous skopiorountai}。 Philostr。 784。
  '10'    See   Pollux;    v。  77;   Aristot。   〃H。    A。〃   ix。  5。  Mr。    Scrope    ap。
  Lydekker; 〃R。 N。 H。〃 ii。 p。 346; states that the dam of the red                        deer
  makes her offspring 〃lie down by a pressure of her nose;〃                      etc。
  '11' Lit。 〃when he sees these things。〃
  '12' Or; 〃the features of the scene〃; 〃the topography。〃
  When his eye has lit upon the object of his search; he will approach
  quite close。 The fawn will keep perfectly still; glued'13' as it were to earth;
  and with loud bleats suffer itself to be picked up; unless it happen to be
  drenched with rain; in which case; it will not stay quiet in one place。 No
  doubt;     the  internal   moisture     of  the  animal    congeals     quickly    with   the
  cold'14' and causes it to shift its ground。 Caught in that case it must needs
  be; but the hounds will have work enough to run the creature down。'15'
  The   huntsman   having   seized   the   fawn;   will   hand   it   to   the   keeper。   The
  bleating will continue; and the hind; partly seeing and partly hearing; will
  bear down full tilt upon the man who has got her young; in her desire to
  rescue it。 Now is the moment to urge on the hounds and ply the javelins。
  And   so   having   mastered   this   one;   he   will   proceed   against   the   rest;   and
  employ the same method of the chase in dealing with them。
  '13' {piesas}; 〃noosling; nestling; buried。〃
  '14' 〃The blood runs cold。〃
  '15' Or; 〃but it will give them a good chase; the dogs will have their
  work cut out。〃
  Young   fawns   may   be   captured   in   the   way   described。   Those   that   are
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  already big will give more trouble; since they graze with their mothers and
  the   other   deer;   and   when   pursued   retire   in     the   middle   of   the   herd   or
  occasionally in front; but very seldom in the rear。 The deer; moreover; in
  order   to   protect   their   young   will   do   battle   with   the   hounds   and   trample
  them under foot; so that capture is not easy; unless you come at once to
  close quarters and scatter the herd; with the result that one or another of
  the fawns is isolated。 The effort implies'16' a strain; and the hounds will
  be left behind in the first heat of the race; since the very absence of their
  dams'17' will intensify the young deer's terror; and the speed of a fawn;
  that   age   and   size;   is   quite   incredible。'18'   But   at   the   second   or   third   run
  they   will   be   quickly   captured;   since   their   bodies   being   young   and   still
  unformed cannot hold out long against fatigue。
  '16' Lit。 〃after that violent effort。〃
  '17'   Or;    〃alarm   at   the  absence     of  the   herd   will   lend   the   creature
  wings。〃
  '18' Or; 〃is past compare〃; 〃is beyond all telling。〃
  Foot…gins'19'   or   caltrops   may   be   set   for   deer   on   mountains;   in   the
  neighbourhood   of   meadows   and   streams   and   wooded                glens;   on   cross…
  roads'20' or in tilled fields at spots which they frequent。'21' These gins
  should be made of twisted yew twigs'22' stripped of the bark to prevent
  their rotting。 They should have well…rounded hooplike 〃crowns〃'23' with
  alternate rows of nails of wood and iron woven into the coil。'24' The iron
  nails should be larger; so that while the wooden ones yield to the foot; the
  others may press into it。'25' The noose of the cord which will be laid upon
  〃the crown〃 should be woven out of esparto and so should the rope itself;
  this kind of grass being least liable to rot。 The rope and noose itself should
  both alike be stout。 The log or clog of wood attached should be made of
  common   or   of   holm   oak   with   the   bark   on;   three   spans   in   length;   and   a
  palm in thickness。'26'
  '19' {podostrabai}; podostrabai so called。 Cf。 〃the boot。〃
  '20' {en tais diodois}; 〃at points where paths issue;〃 or 〃cross。〃
  '21'     {pros    o   ti  prosie};     〃against     whatever      they    are   likely   to
  approach。〃
  '22'   Or;   〃should   be   woven   out   of   Smilax〃;   〃Ebenholz;〃   Lenz;   〃Ifs;〃
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  Gail。
  '23' {tas de stephanas euk。 ekh。} 〃having circular rims。〃
  '24' {en to plokano} (al。 {plokamo}) = the plaited rope; which formed
  the {stephane}。 See Pollux; v。 32; ap。 Schneid。 and Lenz。
  '25' Al。 〃so as to press into the foot; if the wooden ones yield。〃
  '26' Or; 〃27 inches x 3。〃
  To set the trap; dig a hole in the soil to a depth of fifteen inches;'27'
  circular in shape; with a circumference at the top exactly corresponding to
  the   crown   and   narrowing   towards   the bottom。   For   the   rope   and   wooden
  clog   likewise   remove   sufficient   earth   to   let   them  both   be   lightly  buried。
  That done; place the foot…gin de