Chap. 90.] .FISH THAT HAVE THE FINEST SENSE OF SMELL. 547 



distinctly than others, although buried in the earth, so dense 

 and sluggish an element as it is ; and what is even more, 

 although every sound has a tendency upwards, they can hear 

 the words that are spoken ; and, it is said, they can even 

 understand it if you talk ahout them, and will take to flight 

 immediately. Among men, a person who has not enjoyed the 

 sense of hearing in his infancy, is deprived of the powers of 

 speech as well ; and there are none deaf from their birth who 

 are not dumb also. Among the marine animals, it is not 

 probable that oysters enjoy the sense of hearing, but it is said 

 that immediately a noise is made the solen 50 will sink to the 

 bottom ; it is for this reason, too, that silence is observed by 

 persons while fishing at sea. 



CHAP. 89. (70.) WHICH FISHES HAVE THE BEST HEARING. 



Fishes have neither organs of hearing, nor yet the exterior 

 orifice. And yet, it is quite certain that they do hear ; for it 

 is a w^ell-known fact, that in some fish-ponds they are in the 

 habit of being assembled to be fed by the clapping of the 

 hands. In the fish-ponds, too, that belong to the Emperor, the 

 fish are in the habit of coming, each kind as it bears its name. 51 

 So too, it is said, the mullet, the wolf-fish, the salpa, and the 

 chromis, have a very exquisite sense of hearing, and that it is 

 for this reason that they frequent shallow water. 



CHAP. 90. WHICH FISHES HAVE THE FINEST SENSE OF SMELL. 



It is quite manifest that fishes have the sense of smell also ; 

 for they are not all to be taken with the same bait, and are seen 

 to smell at it before they seize it. Some, too, that are con- 

 cealed in the bottom of holes, are driven out by the fisherman, 

 by the aid of the smell of salted fish ; with this he rubs the 

 entrance of their retreat in the rock, immediately upon which 

 they take to flight from the spot, just as though they had recog- 

 nized the dead carcases of those of their kind. Then, again, 

 they will rise to the surface at the smell of certain odours, 

 such, for instance as roasted sa3pia and polypus ; and hence it 

 is that these baits are placed in the osier kipes used for taking 

 fish. They immediately take to flight upon smelling the bilge 



50 Known by us as the razor-sheath. 



51 Martial alludes to these fish-preserves, and the fish coming upon 

 hearing their name, B. iv. Ep. 30, and B. x. Ep. 30. 



