ur of the Virgin, to visit
whose shrines at this season of the orange harvest is the main object of
their Christmas migration to the Neapolitan shores. Very tastefully
decorated are many of the Madonna's little sanctuaries in or near the
orange groves, when the arrival of the _zampognari_ is considered
imminent. The tiny lamps are well trimmed and shine brightly, whilst heavy
garlands composed of masses of bay or laurel or ilex leaves, interspersed
with some of the golden clusters of the ripening fruit are suspended round
the alcove that holds the figure of the Virgin. This effective but simple
form of ornamentation will at once suggest the beautiful glazed and
coloured terra-cotta wreaths of fruit and foliage that are to be seen so
frequently in Tuscan churches; indeed, it is possible that the members of
the Della Robbia family may have originally borrowed the decorative
schemes for their famous plaques and lunettes from the rustic shrines thus
simply but tastefully embellished. Nominally, the two performers are
supposed to sing and make music on nine different days at the houses of
all their patrons in order to make up the total number of the _novena_,
but the extent of their performances is generally calculated in accordance
with the depth of the householder's purse, the sum given for their
services varying from a few _soldi_ to a five _lire_ note. All classes of
society employ the zampognari, for it is with the first appearance of the
lovely golden fruit, essentially _the_ winter fruit of the Italians, that
the arrival of these picturesque strangers has been associated from time
immemorial. The _zampognari_ are in fact as much of a national institution
with the Neapolitans at Christmastide as are the waits or carol-singers in
our own country, so that to the majority of these people _Natale senza
zampogna e cennamella_ would seem no true Christmas at all.

Closely connected with the life of the people of the Piano di Sorrento is
the famous dance known as the _Tarantella_, which may be witnessed by the
curious at almost any time--for money. Even when performed by professional
dancers, tricked out in spick and span stage-peasant finery, the
Tarantella is a most graceful exhibition of movement, although the dance
naturally gains in interest when it takes place in the days of vintage or
on the popular festivals of the Church, without the presence of
largesse-giving strangers. The origin of the name has always puzzled
anti