BOOK IX. xLi. 79-xLiv. 83 



thought by some to have feet, but Aristotle denies 

 this, adding that its limbs resemble wings. 



Mucianus states that the murex is broader than varieiiesof 

 the purple, and has a mouth that is not rough nor v^^rpie-flsh. 

 round and a beak that does not stick out into 

 corners but shuts together on either side Uke a 

 bivalve shell ; and that owing to murexes cHnging 

 to the sides a ship was brought to a standstill when 

 in full sail before the wind, carrying despatches 

 from Periander ordering some noble youths to be 

 castrated, and that the shell-fish that rendered this 

 service are worshipped in the shrine of Venus at 

 Cnidus. Trebius Niger says that it is a foot long 

 and four inches " wide, and hinders ships, and more- 

 over that when preserved in salt it has the power of 

 drawing out gold that has fallen into the deepest 

 wells when it is brought near them. 



XLII. The maena * changes its white colour and Themaena. 

 becomes blacker in summer. The lamprey also ^ <^mprey. 

 changes colour, being white all the rest of the time 

 but variegated in spring. Also it is the only fish 

 that lays its eggs in a nest, which it buikls of seaweed. 



XLIII. The swallow-fish flies just exactly Uke a oiher 

 bird, and so does the kite-fish. The fish on this '^'''''- 

 account called the lamp-fish rises to the surface of 

 the sea, and on calm nights gives a Ught with its 

 fiery tongue which it puts out from its mouth. The 

 fish that has got its name ffom its horns raises these 

 up about 18 inches out of the sea. The sea-snake, 

 again, when caught and placed on the sand, with 

 marvellous rapidity digs itself a hole with its beak. 



XLIV. We wiU now speak of the bloodless fishes. Bioodiess 

 Of these there are three kinds : first those which are ^^eues^and 



* This species is unidentifiable, as are those in c. XLIII. 



217 



