BOOK IX. XIX. 49-xx. 52 



which when in the water is sulphur-coloured, though 

 out of water it is the same colour as the other kinds. 

 These fiU the fish-ponds of Spain, the tunny not going 

 with them. 



XX. But no creature harmful to fish enters the Habusoj 

 Black Sea besides seals and small dolphins. The '^ea^tunny. 

 tunnv enter it by the right bank and go out of it 

 by tiie left ; this is beheved to occur because they 

 can see better with the right eye, being by nature 

 dim of sight in both eyes. In the channel of the 

 Thracian Bosphorus joining the Sea of Marmora with 

 the Black Sea, in the actual narrows of the channel 

 separating Europe and Asia, there is a rock of 

 marvellous whiteness that shines through the water 

 fi-om the bottom to the surface, near Chalcedon on 

 the Asiatic side. The sudden sight of this always 

 frightens them, and they make for the opposite 

 promontoiy of Istambul in a headlong shoal ; this 

 is the reason why that promontory has the name of 

 the Golden Horn. Consequently all the catch is at 

 Istambul, and there is a great shortage at Chalcedon, 

 owing to the 1000 yards of channel flowing in be- 

 tween. But they wait for a north wind to blow so 

 as to ffo out of the Black Sea with the current, and 

 are only taken " when entering the harbour 01 

 Istambul. In winter they do not wander ; wherever 

 winter catches them, there they hibernate till the 

 equinox. They are also frequently seen from the 

 stern of vessels proceeding under sail, aecompanying 

 them in a remai-kably charming manner for periods 

 of several hours and for a distance of some miles, 

 not being scared even by having a harpoon repeatedly 

 thrown at them. Some people give the name of 

 pilot-fish to the tunny that do this. Many pass the 

 summer in the Sea of Marmora without entering the 



197 



