B. Till.] THE HISTORY OF ANIMALS. 211 



the parrot, which is said to have a tongue like a man. T< 

 becomes the most loquacious when intoxicated. The crow, the 

 swan, the pelican, and the small goose, are gregarious birds. 



CHAPTER XV. 



1. IT has already been observed that fish migrate from the 

 deep water to the coast, and from the coast to the deep 

 water, in order to avoid the excesses of cold and heat. Those 

 that frequent the neighbourhood of the coast are better than 

 those from deep water, for the feeding grounds are better 

 and more abundant. For wherever the sun strikes the plants 

 are more frequent, and superior, and more delicate, as in gar- 

 dens, and the black shore-weed grows near the land, and the 

 other kinds rather resemble uncultivated plants. The neigh- 

 bourhood of the coast is also more temperate, both in heat and 

 cold, than the rest of the sea ; for which reason the flesh of 

 fish which live near the shore is more compact, while that of 

 ' fish from deep sea is watery and soft. The sinodon, cantha- 

 rus, orphos, chrysophrys, cestreus, trigla, cichla, dracon, calli- 

 onymus, cobius, and all the rock fish live near the shore. The 

 trygon, selache, the white congers, the channa, erythrinus, 

 and glaucus inhabit deep water. The phagrus, scorpius, the 

 black conger, the mura3na, and coccyx occupy either situa- 

 tion indifferently. 



2. They vary also in different places ; as in the neighbour- 

 hood of Crete the cobius and all the rock fish are fat. The 

 tunny also becomes good again after Arcturus, for it is not 

 tormented by the oestrus after that period ; for which reason 

 also it is inferior during the summer. In lakes near the sea 

 also there are several kinds of fish, as the salpa, chrysophrys, 

 trigla, and nearly all the rest. The amia also is found in 

 such situations as in the vicinity of Alopeconnesus, and in 

 the lake of Bistonis there are many fish. Many of the colias 

 do not enter the Pontus ; but they pass the summer and 

 rear their young in the Propontis, and winter in the^Egean. 

 The thynnus, pelamis, and amia enter the Pontus in the 

 spring and pass the summer there, and so do nearly all the 

 rhyades and the gregarious fish. Many fish are gregarious, 

 and gregarious fish have a leader of the shoal. 



3. They all enter the Pontus for the sake of the food 

 (for the pasture is more abundant and superior, on account 



p 2 



