108 



[sorbvs] domestica), as well as such food as is readily sucked in, as curd, fresh 

 from the dairy pail, if the situation of the place and the year's produce permit. 

 You can, however, give them no better food than the before-mentioned salt fish, 

 because it has a strong odour, and every kind of flat fish finds out its food rather 

 by the nostrils than by the eyes, for whilst it always rests supine it looks upwards 

 and therefore does not easily perceive what is fiat on the ground either on the 

 right or left side ; therefore when salt food is thrown to them they come to it, 

 being guided by the smell. Other fish, however, whether rock fish or deep water 

 fish, are better fed with fresh fish, though they will do with salt. For both the 

 halecula newly captured and the cantharus and the little goby, and in fine every 

 kind of little fish, nourish the big ones. But if the severity of the winter does 

 not permit this kind of food to be given, then stale bread crumbs or any chopped 

 up fruit in season are offered them. Dried figs are a staple fish-food (semper 

 objicitur) and always given, especially the large kinds such as Baetic or Numidian. 

 But that must not be done, which many people do, namely, give the fish nothing 

 at all, simply because when confined they are able to sustain themselves for a 

 long time, for unless the fish is fattened with food supplied by its master, when 

 it is brought to the fish market, its leanness shows that it was not taken from 

 the open sea, but from confinement, on which account it loses much of its value.' 

 — Columella viii. 17. 



