92 THE HISTORY OF ANIMALS. [B. IT. 



where the fish are collected, and the sailors are commanded 

 to row in the greatest silence until they have enclosed them. 



8. Sometimes, when they wish to drive them together, 

 they proceed as in dolphin catching, for they make a noise 

 with stones that they may be alarmed and collected together, 

 and thus they are enclosed in a net. Before their inclosure, 

 as it was said, they prevent a noise, but as soon as they have 

 enclosed them, they direct the sailors to shout and make a 

 noise, for they fall down with fear when they hear the noise 

 and tumult. 



9. And when the fishers observe large shoals at a dis- 

 tance, collected on the surface in calm, fine weather, and 

 wish to know their size, and of what kind they are, if they 

 can approach them in silence, they avoid their notice, and 

 catch them while they are on the surface. If any noise is 

 made before they reach them, they may be seen in flight. 

 In the rivers, also, there are little fish under the stones, 

 which some persons call cotti i 1 from their dwelling beneath 

 rocks, they catch them by striking the rocks with stones, 

 and the fishes fall down frightened when they hear the 

 noise, being stunned by it. It is evident, from these con- 

 siderations, that fishes have the sense of hearing. 



10. There are persons who say that fish have more acute 

 ears than other animals, and that, from dwelling near the 

 sea, they have often remarked it. Those fish which have the 

 most acute ears are thecestreus 2 (chremps), 3 labrax, 4 salpe, 5 

 chromis, 6 and all such fishes ; in others the sense of hearing 

 less acute, because they live in the deeper parts of the 

 ocean. 



11. Their nature of smelling is the same, for the greater 

 number of fishes will not take a bait that is not quite fresh ; 

 others are less particular. All fish will not take the same 

 bait, but only particular baits, which they distinguish by the 

 smell ; for some are taken with stinking baits, as the salpe 

 with dung. Many fish also live in the holes of rocks, and 

 when the fishermen want to entice them out, they anoint 

 the mouths of these holes with salted scents, to which they 

 readily come. 



1 Perhaps Cottus gobio L., miller's thumb. Salmo Fario (Stracfy. 



2 Mullet. 3 Unknown. 4 Perca Labrax. 



5 Scomber. 6 Unknown. 



