212 THE HISTOKT OF ANIMALS. [B. VIH. 



of the fresh water), and for fear of the large creatures, 

 which are smaller there ; and except the phocona and dol 

 phin, there is no other found in the Pontus ; and the dolphin 

 is small, but when we leave the Pontus we find a larger 

 dolphin. They enter this sea for the sake of food and rear 

 ing their young ; for the situation is better for this purpose, 

 and the fresh sweet water nourishes the young fry. When 

 they have reared their young, and the fry begin to grow, 

 they migrate immediately after the Pleiades. If the south 

 \viud blow during the wiutt^, they leave the place more 

 slowly ; but with a north wind they swim faster, for then 

 the wind helps them along. The small fry is captured in 

 the neighbourhood of Byzantium, for they make no long 

 stay in the Pontus. 



4. The other fish are seen both in their egress and ingress. 

 The trichia is only seen as it enters, and is not observed to 

 leave again ; and if one is captured at Byzantium, the fisher 

 men purify their nets, for it is unusual for them to return. 

 The reason is this : these are the only fish that swim up into 

 the Ister, and when this river divides they swim down into 

 the Adriatic. The following is a proof; for the converse 

 happens here, and they are never captured entering the 

 Adriatic, but as they leave it. 



5. The tunnies, as they enter, swim with their right side 

 to the shore, and leave with their left side to the shore ; and 

 some persons say that they do this because they see better 

 with their right eye, and their sight is naturally dim. The 

 rhyades move during the day, and in the night remain quiet 

 and feed, unless the moon is bright, in which case they con 

 tinue their journey and do not rest themselves. And some 

 persons engaged about the sea say that after the winter 

 solstice they do not move, but remain quiet wherever they 

 may be till the equinox. 



6. The colise are taken as they enter, but not as they 

 return. The best are taken in the Propontis before the 

 breeding season. The other rhyades are captured more 

 frequently as they leave the Pontus, and are then in perfec 

 tion. Those that swim near the shore are the fattest when 

 captured ; and the farther they are away, the more lean they 

 are ; and frequently, when the south win a blows, they swim 

 out in company with the coiiae and mackerel, and are taken 



